Course Overview

Course Description

The Bloom Institute Introduction to Speech and Debate is a free introductory course encapsulating the fundamentals of both public speaking and formal debating, taught by instructors in high school who have received awards in 15+ official statewide and national tournaments. Spanning eleven hour long sessions over the course of four and a half weeks, students will be exposed to a thorough review of speech and debate. They will learn how to thoughtfully articulate their ideas through individual speeches, practice debates with our qualified instructors, and finally in mock tournament debates with their classmates. By the end of this course, students will be able to gain a fundamental understanding of what it means to be a good speaker and debater, and how they can carry these skills on into the real world.

Course Features: 

The Speech & Debate course will include the following features to promote understanding of the different aspects of different events, as well as plenty of engaging and interactive activities to solidify the lessons learned. 

1. A set of various activities such as icebreakers, lectures, public speaking exercises, and games (Kahoot, Quizlet Live, etc.)
2. Practice debate rounds in breakout rooms, where students learn real-world skills on how to conduct and participate in a debate round.
3. A culminating final spar tournament where students will showcase their understanding of the lessons through participating in mini-debates.

Certification: 

In order for students to gain certification for the Bloomers Introduction to Speech and Debate, they must meet the following requirements: 

1. Attend the entirety of at least 8 out of the 11 classes.
2. Be an active participant in sessions.
3. Complete at least 90% of assignments on Google Classroom.
4. Uphold all the course policies outlined above.
5. Attend the mock tournament and be able to properly showcase their understanding of the skills taught (you must contact us prior if you are unable to attend)

If students have met the above requirements, they will receive a certificate of completion of the course in their emails.

Course Calendar: 

Eleven classes will be held every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, spanning approximately an hour per session. The first session is scheduled for June 27th and the last is on July 25th. All classes will be held over Zoom.

Note: The first two sessions will be entirely focused on developing necessary speaking skills. Eight more sessions will revolve around teaching specific forms of debate (parliamentary and lincoln douglas), and the last session will be our mock tournament.