Fall (Clayton) Speech and Debate

Service Description

Speech & Debate is a course designed to help students build confidence, clarity, and stage presence while develop a public speaking skill set, storytelling, persuasion, and debate. Throughout the year, students will explore a variety of speech styles, including informative, persuasive, demonstration, inspirational, motivational, impromptu, and extemporaneous speaking. They will learn how to adapt their delivery and message to different audiences, use rhetorical techniques effectively, incorporate evidence and storytelling, and create speeches that are both engaging and memorable. Students will also learn how to construct complete debate cases, develop harms and advantages, use evidence effectively, identify logical fallacies, analyze opposing arguments, conduct cross-examination, and deliver strategic rebuttals. Students will practice listening critically and responding thoughtfully rather than simply presenting their own arguments. Through individual speeches, storytelling performances, impromptu challenges, group activities, research projects, and structured debates, students will strengthen critical thinking, active listening, organization, and persuasive communication. The course culminates in a series of presentation and debate experiences where students will demonstrate their ability to research, think critically, communicate confidently, persuade an audience, and respond effectively under pressure.