Elementary School Classes [1st-2nd Grade]

Littles Speech Class

1st-2nd

This is the speech and debate comprehensive class for 1st-2nd graders. These online sessions will be a fun, interactive experience for our youngest speech students. Class activities will include storytelling, confidence building, basic debate, presentation skills, and online speech games and activities. This class aims to get kids comfortable with public speaking, logical thinking, telling and understanding stories. Looking for the FUNdamentals of public speaking and debate for your young ones? Look no further!

MUN For KIDZ

4th-6th

This class is Model United Nations for elementary students. In MUN, students collaborate to solve real-world problems like global hunger, climate change, pandemic preparedness and many more. Students get the opportunity to represent different countries and develop an understanding of international relations. Doing this helps students to learn how to work with other people and collaborate to achieve their desired goals. In this class, students will learn about international history and politics, as well as public speaking, writing, and leadership skills. 

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class competitions.

Elementary Debate 

3rd-5th

If you are in elementary school and are interested in debate, this class is for you! In this class, students will learn public forum debate and SPAR (spontaneous argumentation). This class will lay a solid foundation of debate skills, teaching the students to debate in pairs as well as on their own. In this class students will enhance their critical thinking, speaking, note taking, logical problem solving, listening, and research skills. Above all, this class is fun! Debate can sound intimidating, but this class provides the opportunity for new debaters to develop their skills with others at their own level.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Creative Writing

3rd-5th

In this class, students deepen their written and oral communication capabilities through creative writing. By learning and practicing writing devices and exploring different techniques and approaches to written work, students will expand their knowledge of authorship, voice, tone, and communication. Students will accomplish this through poetry, prose, essay, and story writing.  When taking this class, students will develop their writing, creativity, speaking, logic, and storytelling skills, as well as their ability to analyze literature. Students who successfully accomplish this class will have a collection of work that will be turned into a PDF book.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in writing and poetry competitions.

Speech and Debate Comprehensive

6th-8th

This class is a foundational class that any student with no experience in speech and debate can take! Students will learn skills in four fundamental categories: limited preparation speaking, research-based speaking, acting, and debate. This class is great for students who are just starting out, are trying to build their confidence, or refine their speaking skills. This class can be taken multiple times for students to develop proficiency. Our students love this class because it is a fun way to help them develop their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Intermediate Speech and Debate Comprehensive

6th-8th

This is the class for returning speech and debate comprehensive students. Students will learn more advanced skills in all four fundamental categories- limited preparation speaking, research based speaking, acting, and debate. Our students love this class because it is a fun way to help them develop their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Interp and Impromptu

6th-8th

In this class, students will learn how to interpret literature and speak with limited preparation. If you like acting, this is the class for you! This class will help teach students to understand and connect with their audience through emotion, how to create a scene using blocking, and how to use storytelling as a tool for persuasion. Additionally this class teaches impromptu speaking, which helps the students learn structure, think on their feet, and use examples as evidence. This is a fun class that teaches students skills they will use throughout their academic career. 

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Congress/Extemp

5th-8th

This class will go in-depth with both congress debate and extemporaneous speaking. In congress, students pretend to be senators and will advocate for and against bills. They will learn about working together with others, analyze real public policy, researching, speaking, and professionalism. In extemporaneous speaking, students will have a limited amount of time to prepare a speech answering a question about national or international current events, politics, or relations. This helps students to learn critical thinking, quick research, and how to answer questions using evidence and logic. 

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Intermediate Congress/Extemp

5th-8th

This class will extend what students have learned in the Congress/Extemp class. In congress, students simulate being senators and will advocate for and against bills. They will learn about working together with others, analyze real public policy, researching, speaking, and professionalism. In extemporaneous speaking, students will have a limited amount of time to prepare a speech answering a question about national or international current events, politics, or relations. This helps students to learn critical thinking, quick research, and how to answer questions using evidence and logic. 

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions. This level strongly encourages public performance and competition.

Traditional LD Class

6th-8th

Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate is one on one style debate where the topic changes every two months. Traditionally LD is a value based debate.This class is for students who want the immersive experience of LD and still want to compete, but are not looking for the advanced level of competition and requirements of the progressive policy style LD class. This style of debate is more value/fact driven and focused on both evidence and logic as well as speaking skill. In this class students will learn how to research, deepen their knowledge base, understand multiple perspectives on issues, deal with ethical questions, and learn note-taking and reading skills.  

When taking this class, students will have the opportunity to compete in local competitions.

Congress Nationals Team [Interview Required]

6th-12th

Our congress nationals team is a small group of students who are focused on a competitive, high level development of skills and events that get personal attention from our coaches. On the nationals team, students learn how to write speeches, how to develop a variety of skills, and take those skills to competitions across the United States. On the nationals team, students will work with coaches to create arguments, advance their speeches, and develop their speaking skills. Students who join the nationals team will develop their speaking, writing, research, peer review, and listening skills, as well as enhance their ability to work as a team.

When joining the nationals team, students are encouraged to compete in local and national tournaments. 

Mock Trial

6th-12th

If you are thinking about becoming a lawyer, enjoy public speaking, are good at communicating, or simply want to join a fun, litigious activity, Mock Trial is an activity you should consider. Mock Trial was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society. Do you have what it takes to be a lawyer? Or do you just want to find out what a lawyer does? Join Mock Trial and find out!

Media Literacy

6th-12th

Digital Communications will focus on media literacy and how to navigate different media platforms. From digital journalism and research to Instagram, Youtube and podcasting, this class will show students how to keep up in an increasingly digital world. This class will have professional guest speakers, and will teach a variety of real world applicable skills such as: how to make a youtube channel, introductory podcast creation, basics of social media management and algorithm metrics, and identifying credible news sources.

Students in this class will get the opportunity to write feature articles as well as conduct online interviews with professionals from the field. 

Middle School Nationals Debate Team [Interview Required]

6th-8th

This class is for students who are passionate about debate and are on track to high-level competition debate. Students will learn how to research and improve their analytical skills. If you are interested in public policy, politics, and diving deep into topics, you will love this class. This class requires a high commitment level from the students. Our Policy/LD debate coaches are incredibly competitive and our teams reflect that competency in their success at competitions. Students in this class are required to attend 90% of the competitions we suggest, as competition increases debate competency, particularly in Policy.

Philosophy and D&D

6th-12th

Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy roleplaying game where students pretend to be characters inspired by fiction like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson. The University of Melbourne reported in 2019 that students who play role playing games like this “have higher cognitive abilities than the average population…[including] comprehension, spelling, attention span, and critical thinking.” Philosophy and DND adds a layer of ethical thought experiments to the game, where students will first play the game and then discuss the real-life implications and philosophical basis for the challenges they encountered in the game.

National Circuit Intermediate Lincoln Douglas [Interview Required]

9th-12th

This class is policy style progressive Lincoln Douglas debate for students who want to compete on the national circuit. This class would be best suited for students who are interested in competitive debate, want a topic that changes every two months, and prefer one on one debating. Lincoln Douglas is research heavy. To be successful at LD, students will be evaluated based on their depth of understanding of the topic, and their ability to provide extensive evidence. In this class students will learn how to research, they will deepen their knowledge base, learn how to understand multiple perspectives on issues, deal with ethical questions, and develop their note taking and reading skills. 

When taking this class, students will be given the opportunity to compete in local and national competitions.

Parliamentary Debate Class

7th-12th

This class is for students who are interested in team debate and current events. In parli debate, debaters will get a new topic every time they debate, which over time earns them a wide array of knowledge on current events. Parli debate helps students learn how to work together to construct a case, how to listen well and engage in cross examination, as well as using logic to defend their arguments. In this class students will develop research skills, quick critical thinking, writing, note taking, speaking skills, and extemporaneous speaking skills.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Intermediate Parliamentary Debate Class

7th-12th

This class is for students who are interested in team debate and current events. The intermediate level is for students who have experience in Parli debate and who want to compete.

In parli debate, debaters will get a new topic every time they debate, which over time earns them a wide array of knowledge on current events. Parli debate helps students learn how to work together to construct a case, how to listen well and engage in cross examination, as well as using logic to defend their arguments. In this class students will develop research skills, quick critical thinking, writing, note taking, speaking skills, and extemporaneous speaking skills.

AP Economics Class

9th-12th

In this year-long course, students will learn both micro and macro economics. This class helps students get an in-depth understanding of economics in order to prepare them for their AP test at the end of the school year. We have a very high pass rate for the students in the course. 

Students who take this course will have the opportunity to participate in Ivy League economics competitions. 

Media Literacy

6th-12th

Digital Communications will focus on media literacy and how to navigate different media platforms. From digital journalism and research to Instagram, Youtube and podcasting, this class will show students how to keep up in an increasingly digital world. This class will have professional guest speakers, and will teach a variety of real world applicable skills such as: how to make a youtube channel, introductory podcast creation, basics of social media management and algorithm metrics, and identifying credible news sources.

Students in this class will get the opportunity to write feature articles as well as conduct online interviews with professionals from the field. 

Speech Nationals Team [Interview Required]

6th-12th

Our nationals team is a small group of students who are focused on a competitive, high level development of skills and events that get personal attention from our coaches. On the nationals team, students learn how to write speeches, how to develop a variety of events, and take those events to competitions across the United States. On the nationals team, students learn how to do all events, but can choose to focus on the events they are most interested in. These students will work with coaches to create arguments, advance their speeches, and develop their speaking skills. Students who join the nationals team will develop their speaking, writing, research, peer review, and listening skills, as well as enhance their ability to work as a team.

When joining the nationals team, students are encouraged to compete in local and national tournaments. We cover limited preparation speaking, public address, and interpretation.