Speak Up!

Speak Up! is a primer for beginning and intermediate students participating in class and contest debates. Designed to support the Public Debate Program, it offers students clear, concise information on public speaking and debating. Combining the practical and theoretical, the text teaches students about verbal and nonverbal communication, how to research and present an argument, how to answer arguments, how to develop debate strategies and how to conduct a formal debate. Exercises following each section give students hands-on experience with each topic.

Debate and public speaking are of extraordinary value to students in the high school. Participation in debating can boost students' self-confidence, accelerate learning across the curriculum, and facilitate greatly improved critical thinking and oral communication skills.