The Tournament of Champions

Held at the University of Kentucky, the Tournament of Champions or TOC is a national competition for high school student debaters. The Tournament offers competition in four styles of debate: Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum and Student Congress.

National Forensic League

The National Forensic League is the nation's oldest and largest debate and speech honor society. Since 1925, NFL has enrolled over 1 million members in 50 states. Its purpose is to encourage and motivate high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking, and interpretation. The website includes lists of current and previous debate topics, and resources for teachers (lesson plans) and coaches (guides, practice questions, a link to an evidence sharing project created by The National Debate Coaches Association).

National Association for Urban Debate Leagues

This Chicago-based non-profit facilitates participation in organized debate activities for urban students across the country. Since the late 1990s, more than 37,000 urban public school students have competed in Urban Debate Leagues (UDLs) in 18 of the nation's largest cities. The website includes an introduction to competitive academic debate, a fact sheet on the impact of Urban Debate leagues on students and school systems, and an argument and research kit for coaches and students.

Associated Leaders of Urban Debate -- Debate in Your Community

The Associated Leaders of Urban Debate (ALOUD) represents a national network of partner programs dedicated to promoting debate and youth expression as vehicles for urban education reform and civic participation. ALOUD has more than 30 organizational partners representing debate, public speaking, conflict resolution and hip hop whose programming touches more than 200,000 students nationally. This particular page from their website includes information about and links to Urban Debate Leagues across the country.

The IMPACT Coalition - New York Urban Debate League

The mission of the IMPACT coalition is to expand opportunities for urban students, schools and organizational partners by providing debate training, debate curricula, and support services to develop informed, concerned citizens. Since inception, IMPACT has started debate programs at 102 schools in the New York City area and expanded debate services at 45 other institutions. The New York Urban Debate League (NYUDL) is wholly owned, funded and operated by the IMPACT Coalition.

Policy Debate

A form of debate in which teams of two argue for and against a resolution that usually calls for a policy change by the U.S. Government.

Public Forum

Similar to policy debate, public forum debate is conducted by teams of two people alternating arguments for their side. Unlike policy debate however, pairs must present arguments in terms that are persuasive to a citizen or 'lay' judge.

Lincoln-Douglas

Named for the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858, this one-on-one style of debate is focused on value-oriented arguments. Instead of gathering and presenting evidence as in a policy debate, individuals use logic and ethical reasoning to argue moral positions on a given topic.

'Spreading'

"This is the practice of speaking very quickly, so as to advance more arguments than one's opponents can answer (or "cover"). The mass of arguments advanced in a spread speech is sometimes referred to as "the dump," and the practice of speaking quickly (especially when done poorly) is called "spewing.""

'Flow Sheeting'

"Flow sheeting refers to the skill of taking accurate notes during a debate. These records serve two functions: first, they allow you to construct effective speeches during a debate and, second, they allow you to reconstruct those speeches after the debate. This second function is essential if you want to avoid repeating your mistakes. You can't improve quickly if you pursue a style of flowing which merely allows you to get through a round but which doesn't help you to dissect arguments later and to generate new response strategies."

Source: http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/jbruschke/theory_and_practice_in_academic_.htm

'The Instructional Use of Argument Across the Curriculum'

By Elizabeth A. Martens, Middle School Journal, May 2007

'Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers'

National Education Association, 2003

'Lincoln and Douglas: the Debates that Defined America'

By Allen C. Guelzo, 2008. ISBN: 9780743273206

'Cross-X'

By Joe Miller, 2006. ISBN: 9780374131944

'Gifted Tongues'

By Gary Alan Fine, 2001. ISBN: 9781400814091

'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'

By Paulo Freire, 1970. ISBN: 9780826412768