Teaching Debate: Speaking Persuasively
Description
Once learners reach proficiency with the structure of policy debate, including affirmative versus negative, cross-examination, and the resolutional case, it is time to improve their persuasive speaking skills. The unit begins with watching The King's Speech with a eye for determining what characteristics make an effective public speaker. After completing a debrief activity on effective persuasion techniques, learners prepare for an analysis debate. In an analysis debate no evidence is to be directly quoted. Rather, debaters are to articulate the essence of the facts presented in the evidence through a persuasive story of the arguments. This exercise helps debaters break free from reliance on evidence in lieu of persuading.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the project, learners will be able to:
Assessment
Learners were assessed on the following content and skills:
Once learners reach proficiency with the structure of policy debate, including affirmative versus negative, cross-examination, and the resolutional case, it is time to improve their persuasive speaking skills. The unit begins with watching The King's Speech with a eye for determining what characteristics make an effective public speaker. After completing a debrief activity on effective persuasion techniques, learners prepare for an analysis debate. In an analysis debate no evidence is to be directly quoted. Rather, debaters are to articulate the essence of the facts presented in the evidence through a persuasive story of the arguments. This exercise helps debaters break free from reliance on evidence in lieu of persuading.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the project, learners will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective persuasive speaking skills while presenting arguments in a policy debate (i.e. internalizing arguments with the ability to craft them fluently during an impromptu speech act).
- Use stories and examples to adapt speeches for a specific audience during a policy debate.
Assessment
Learners were assessed on the following content and skills:
- Explains the story of the 1AC or 1NC without directly quoting evidence
- Responds to initial arguments in the 2AC or 2NC without directly quoting evidence
- Asks and answers cross-examination questions
- Articulates warrants in a reason for decision (i.e. determine a winner)
Instructional Artifact
| Analysis Debate Ballot.pdf |