For those who read my article in the January edition, here is the second one that I promised on the nuts and bolts of Public Forum Debate. This is aimed at the middle school level. I have students that are from eleven years of age to fourteen years of age. Just mention debate and these students will start for the door.
In the first article, I tried to persuade you to try it. Now comes the real problem - how to get middle level students to try it. It is hard in a state that does not include it in the events that are done at contests. I have, however, found a way to at least introduce it to my students. We have a limited number of slots allowed as to who will be attending the national tournament. If you are planning on going with my team, you must do some form of debate. The LD slots are taken up by the ones who have done excellent at that event for the past year or over a period of years. The CX spots are also gone. That leaves two types of debate left, Parli and Public Forum. I know that is bribery, but whatever it takes. I have now started picking the ones I feel will do a good job with this type of event. We have already started teaching both types of the debates currently not available to us. I also have the blessing of having high school students who debated Public Forum at nationals. The high school students love
to come and help the young kids. Both the internet and the educational resource tapes available from the NFL office can be great help in teaching Public Forum.
I talk about the topic that is being offered each month as it comes out and get the kids thinking that this would be a cool thing to debate. Since my LDers and CXers cannot all debate at nationals, it was easy last year to fill the slots. This year I have 6 CX teams and 12 LDers and usually only three can enter. Now, for those of you who do not have that and would like to, consider Public Forum. Most middle schoolers do not like to do individual events. They like to have a partner with them. Since Public Forum is a mixture of LD and CX it creates the perfect situation. What I mean is that for the student that likes to have a partner to help him or her but does not like to stay on the same subject, Public Forum works well. This is a form of debate where you can research both sides and pre- write the negative side of the case.
Public Forum is perfect! It changes nine times a year. Both sides of your cases are researched and you can practice both speeches. You can have practice rounds before a tournament. It can be researched very easily on the internet. You may go to www.askjeeves.com and "ask jeeves" the questions re-worded for both sides
Middle School Level
of the case and the information is popped up in seconds and then you can pick out your points that you wish to make. Coaches pick out four students who get along well with each other and ask who would like to take an amazing adventure that is fun and easy to do. Pair them up and if you need to promise them chocolate each practice to get them started, do so.
After they have attended one contest they are hooked. I already have more volunteers that I can take this summer to enter in Public Forum Debate. The Cross Fires really get the motor running in most students. Diane at the NFL office can help you get the tape I cannot remember if there is a cost, but it is worth it. Just show the actual debate on the tape. See what happens.
(Anson Shuman coaches at Ardmore Middle School, (OK).
