Speech / Debate Curriculum

This course is designed to show students how to successfully interact with others in personal, professional, and public settings. Students will learn about communication theories, characteristics of language, interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, and public speaking. Units contain practical application exercises that allow students to practice new skills learned. For example, students may write a speech and present it, conduct interviews, or attend local community meetings to practice and observe effective communication. Designed for students at the high school level, this course aims to equip students with knowledge that enables them to reach personal and professional goals, develop relationships, fulfill social obligations, and strengthen their sense of self.

A Workbook for Arguments builds on Anthony Weston's Rulebook for Arguments to provide a complete textbook for a course in critical thinking or informal logic. Workbook includes:

The entire text of Rulebook, supplemented with extensive further explanations and exercises.

Homework exercises adapted from a wide range of arguments from newspapers, philosophical texts, literature, movies, videos, and other sources.

Practical advice to help students succeed when applying the Rulebook's rules to the examples in the homework exercises.

Suggestions for further practice, outlining activities that students can do by themselves or with classmates to improve their skills.

Detailed instructions for in-class activities and take-home assignments designed to engage students.

An appendix on mapping arguments, giving students a solid introduction to this vital skill in constructing complex and multi-step arguments and evaluating them.

Model answers to odd-numbered problems, including commentaries on the strengths and weaknesses of selected sample answers and further discussion of some of the substantive intellectual, philosophical, or ethical issues they raise.