Summer Homeschooling - Public Speaking & Debate Week

Welcome to Public Speaking & Debate Week! This week is about learning how to use your voice with confidence, clarity, and purpose. We’ll practice speaking in front of others, organizing our thoughts, and defending ideas with evidence instead of emotion. You’ll learn how debates work, how to ask strong questions, how to think on your feet, and how to speak in a way that makes people listen. By the end of the week, you won’t just be better speakers — you’ll be better thinkers, better listeners, and more confident explaining what you believe and why it matters.

🎬 Watch The Great Debaters.

🗓️ MONDAY — Public Speaking Foundations

This week, we’re learning how to speak so people listen. Not to win arguments, not to be louder than others — but to explain ideas clearly and confidently. Public speaking is a skill. Nobody is born good at it. It’s something you build.

“When have you seen someone speak and really hold attention?”

“What made them interesting?”

Learning Goals

• Understand why public speaking matters
• Learn basic delivery skills
• Practice speaking without fear

Teaching Script: "Public speaking isn’t about being loud or dramatic—it’s about helping people understand what you think and why it matters."

Core Lessons

1. What Makes a Good Speaker - Strong speakers do four things well. Not perfectly — just well.

• Eye contact - Looking at people, not at the floor.
• Voice (volume, pace, pauses) - Speaking clearly, not rushing.
• Body language - Standing like you believe what you’re saying.
• Clear structure - Beginning, middle, end.

“Which one do you think is hardest?”

“Which one do you already do well?”

🎤 30-Second Introductions: You’ll each give a 30-second introduction. This is practice, not a performance.

“Tell us your name, favorite book/movie, and one opinion you have.”

After each:

“One thing you did well was…”

“One thing to try next time is…”

2. Types of Speeches

• Informative
• Persuasive
• Entertaining
• Argumentative (debate)

3. Fear & Confidence

• Teach the concept of speaker nerves = energy, not fear.
• Feeling nervous doesn’t mean you’re bad at speaking. It means your brain knows something important is happening. Our goal this week isn’t no nerves. It’s speaking anyway.

Activities

• 🎭 Emotion Read: Read the same sentence in different emotions (angry, excited, bored).
• 🪞 Mirror Practice: Practice posture and gestures.
• Reflection: What's one strength you already have going for you? What's one goal you have for this week?

Resources

• Kid-friendly article
• Video: “Public Speaking Tips for Kids” – TED-Ed Youth
• Blog: National Speech & Debate Association

🗓️ TUESDAY — Public Forum Debate (Case Building Day)

Debate is not yelling. Debate is organized disagreement. Today, you will argue a position you may or may not agree with — and that’s a skill.

Resolution 

Resolved: The United States should accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

That means: Should the U.S. officially join the International Criminal Court?

Teaching Script: “A debate resolution is a yes-or-no question. One side must prove why it should happen. The other proves why it should not.”

To do this, each side must prove:

• What they believe
• Why it matters
• Why its better than the other side

🧱 Debate Basics (Kid-Friendly Breakdown)

• Affirmative (yes): “We should do this because it solves problems.”
• Negative (no): “We should not do this because it causes harm or doesn’t work.”

"Why isn't just having an opinion enough?"

Step 1: Learn the Topic (Together)

Explain in simple terms:

• What is the ICC?
• What is the Rome Statute?
• Why hasn’t the U.S. joined?

Watch / Read Together

• Video (short & clear): ICC explained for students
• Article
• Student-friendly overview

Step 2: Coin Flip & Team Assignment

• Flip coin for Affirmative / Negative
• Assign:
• Speaker 1
• Speaker 2

Step 3: Case Writing (Scaffolded)

Case Template (Use for BOTH sides)

Every argument has three parts.

1. Introduction

• Restate the resolution
• Clearly say your position

2. Argument 1

• Claim - what you're saying
• Evidence (quote/fact) - proves it's true
• Impact (why it matters, why anyone should care)

3. Argument 2

• Claim
• Evidence (quote/fact)
• Impact (why it matters)

4. Conclusion

• Why your side is better overall

Prep Time Rule:⏱️ Each team gets 3 total minutes of prep time during the debate.

Model an example.

• “What does this prove?”
• “Why does that matter?”
• “Can you say this more clearly?”

🗓️ WEDNESDAY — Public Forum Debate Day

Today is about thinking on your feet, staying calm, and being respectful. You are not attacking people. You are challenging ideas.

Morning: Finish Writing

• Polish cases
• Practice timing
• Review crossfire questions

⏱️ Each team gets 3 total minutes of prep time during the debate.

Teaching Script for Crossfire: Crossfire isn’t arguing. It’s asking smart questions that expose weak points. They should do one of three things: clarify, expose a weakness, force a choice.

• “Where is your evidence for that?”
• “Does that apply in all cases, or just some?”
• “Which matters more: safety or independence?”

🧠 Debate Flow

• Constructive – Team A (4 min)
• Constructive – Team B (4 min)
• Crossfire (3 min)
• Rebuttals (4 min each)
• Crossfire (3 min)
• Summaries (3 min each)
• Grand Crossfire (3 min)
• Final Focus (2 min each)

📌 Judge Tip for You:

Judge on:

• Clarity
• Use of evidence
• Organization
• Persuasiveness
• Respectful questioning
• Strong final focus

After Dinner: Debate Night

• Optional: invite family as audience
• Applause after every speech

Post-Debate Reflection

Ask:

• “What argument mattered most?”
• “What question changed the debate?”
• “What would you improve next time?”

🗓️ THURSDAY — Individual Speech Events

Teaching Script: “Debate is teamwork. Individual events are about your voice. Today, you choose how you want to communicate.”

🎭 Individual Events Mini-Lessons

Dramatic Interpretation (DI)

• Serious excerpt from a book/play
• Show emotion through voice & movement
• Your goal is to make us feel something.

📘 Practice Source

Duo Interpretation (DUO)

• Two performers
• No touching or eye contact
• Use blocking and contrast

Humorous Interpretation (HI)

• Funny but controlled
• Comedy is about timing, not chaos

Impromptu (IMP)

You'll get a topic, take a breath, and organize your thoughts. Everyone messes up in impromptu. That's the point.

🎩 Pull a topic from a hat:

• “Should homework exist?”
• “Is technology good for kids?”
• “What makes a hero?”

Structure:

• Intro (30 sec)
• Point 1
• Point 2
• Conclusion

Original Oratory (OO)

• 3–5 minutes
• Persuasive speech on a topic they care about

Possible Topics:

• Screen time
• Animal rights
• School rules
• Climate action
• Social media

🗓️ FRIDAY — Memorization & Performance Night

Morning

• Memorize OO
• Practice gestures and pauses

Teaching Script: “Memorization frees your brain to connect with the audience.”

Practice tips:

• Chunking
• Speaking while walking
• Speaking without notes for short sections

Evening: Performance Showcase

"Tonight isn’t about perfection. It’s about courage. We clap for effort, growth, and bravery.”

Each child performs:

• Original Oratory
• One interpretation OR impromptu

“What was one strong moment?”

“What improved since Monday?”

🎤 Optional Awards:

• Best Speaker
• Most Improved
• Strongest Argument
• Best Stage Presence

This week, you learned how to:

• Speak clearly
• Defend ideas
• Disagree respectfully
• Stand up and be heard

Those skills matter everywhere — school, work, and life.

Hand out Debate Camp Certificates.

🗓️ SATURDAY — Field Trip

• 🎙️ Toastmasters Youth Event (if available)
• 🏛️ Courthouse Observation (mock or real)

📚 Bonus Resources (Excellent for This Age)

• National Speech & Debate Association (student resources)
• Debate drills & videos
• Public speaking games for kids