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Debating Course
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Description
For Gr4-12 students
Teacher introduction:
Tamer Higazi, B.Ed. is a seasoned classroom English teacher, riveting public speaker and respected educational consultant, specializing in critical thinking and persuasive speaking. Tamer founded and coached the Pickering College competitive debate and public speaking team, which enjoyed tremendous success on provincial, national and international stages.
Course Description:
The course prepares students to use language with increasing fluency and accuracy, as a powerful tool of persuasion. Students will develop oral communication and writing skills required for success in all school subjects. They will improve listening and speaking skills through participation in open discussions, controlled debate and a wide variety of rhetorical activities. Indeed, debating helps students express themselves with confidence, but it also teaches them to think critically, to respond precisely and most importantly, to listen attentively. Every lesson, the students’ toolboxes become increasingly filled with rhetorical devices, knowledge of current events and logical fallacies. If you aren’t a critical thinker when you enter the program, it’s only a matter of time before you become one. The final class of each session (i.e. Fall session) is an ‘Open House’, where students proudly demonstrate what they have learned in front of family and friends.
Fees & timetable:
9-14 Lessonss(depends on level and schedule)2 hours per lesson
Course Outline:
Level 1(Rhetorical Skills Training)
·understand the difference between a debater & and arguer
·be able to develop and articulate insights on any topic and to challenge the assumption
·learn to think things through from the perspective of someone who disagrees with them
·become aware of logical fallacies
·have the ability to speak coherently on random topics
·understand that listening is paramount to debating
·know how to give and take Points of Interest (POIs)
·receive a Certificate of Level 1 Completion
Level 2 (Rules of Engagement)
·demonstrate an understanding of more complex spoken English on a variety of topics in interactive situations
·be fully aware of logical fallacies & other tools of persuasion
·be knowledgeable about the format and rules of Parliamentary Debate
·understand their job is not finished just because they have finished speaking
·learn to rely on their partners and respect their opponents
·be aware and well-versed in other speaking categories (i.e. Persuasive Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Take Us There speeches)
·learn to not ‘front-load’ their debates
·have gathered the courage and self-confidence to fully participate in all classroom activities
·be able to clash with opponents; to demonstrate competency in handling questions (POIs)
·know how to both build and deconstruct arguments
·receive a Certificate of Level 2 Completion
Level 3 (Let’s Debate!)Scaffolded
·be able to synthesize all skills/knowledge gained & fluently engage in informal debate
·be familiar with debating criteria on the judges’ ballots
·receive a Debating Edge certificate of program completion; this impressive achievement
allows students to proudly call themselves Canadian Parliamentary Debaters!
Level 4 (Let’s Debate!)Tournament Style
·be able to fluently engage in formal debate
·receive high-level, post-debate feedback from both coach and fellow debaters
·use appropriately a variety of pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns of
spoken English to communicate meaning accurately
·use pauses, Ciceronian triplets and other rhetorical devices effectively
·understand how to use their debating skills to promote their personal agenda
Level 4 (Level 4 Instructor)
Sterling Mancuso,
Fulford Champion, Canadian Champion, World Individual Debating Finalist, Valedictorian.
Sterling is currently a third-year undergraduate student at Trinity, U of T, in International Studies, with an eye on a career in law. As two-term captain of Mr. Higazi’s legendary debate team at Pickering College, Sterling has seen the ‘Debating Edge Effect’ firsthand. He has achieved great personal success in the field of high school debate and public speaking, competing at multiple provincial, national and international tournaments, including as a member of Team Canada at the 2017 World Individual Debate & Public Speaking Championship (WIDPSC) in Sydney, Australia, where he placed 12th overall individual debater in the world.