Stratagem Learning offers high quality after school activities for middle school aged students. We specialize in competition speech and debate. Contact us today at info@strtgm.org
Congressional Debate
Congressional Debate is a communal debate event, featuring groups of approximately twenty students. Debaters are responsible for presenting one three minute speech and answering one minute of questions from the chamber on each topic. Each round of debate typically spans two to four topics.
Congressional Debate is an outstanding event for new debaters as it provides a place for debaters to develop their logical and rhetorical skills while limiting direct confrontation. While this event still entails a strong research component, presentation is a much larger part of preparation than in other debate events.
Topics generally deal with specific issues of policy and change from tournament to tournament and are frequently adapted from legislation considered by the current Congressional session. Tournaments generally cover upwards of fifteen topics, with multiple topics debated in each round of competition. Here is a sample topic from the National Speech and Debate Association's 2017 National Tournament:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
SECTION 1. All middle and high schools are now required to have a mental health program that adequately addresses and treats the mental illnesses of their students.
SECTION 2. Middle and high schools that receive federal government funding are subject under this legislation. Mental illnesses include, but are not limited to, anxiety, behavioral, eating, mood, and personality disorders. A school is considered to have fulfilled the requirement of Section 1 when they provide treatment to at least 70% of its student body that requests the program’s services each year and report positive personal satisfaction regarding their experience.
SECTION 3. The Department of Education and the National Institute of Mental Health will oversee this piece of legislation.
A. If a school so chooses, they may receive help in the form of resources or programs from community organizations that have a focus on mental health.
B. Any school in compliance with this piece of legislation, shall not lose any federal funding they may already receive.
SECTION 4. This law shall go into effect in the year 2018.
SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
Public Forum
Public Forum Debate is a two-versus-two team debate about current events. It is a fast paced format, where each debater is responsible for presenting one four minute and one two minute speech, as well as two three minute periods of cross-examination without a right of way.
Public Forum is an excellent format for both brand new and seasoned debaters as the structure of the debate allows students to develop discrete critical thinking and public speaking skills at each stage of the debate. Like all debate formats, there is a heavy emphasis on research and preparation prior to the debate, and students participating in this event quickly develop strong news literacy skills.
Topics range from broad and easily accessible to highly specific and specialized. Here is the list of potential topics for the 2024-2025 season:
September/October 2024
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially expand its surveillance infrastructure along its southern border.
Resolved: The United Mexican States should substantially increase private sector participation in its energy industry.
November/December 2024
Resolved: The United States should substantially reduce its military support of Taiwan.
Resolved: The United States federal government should eliminate its intercontinental ballistic missiles.
January 2025
Resolved: The East African Community Partner States should establish the East African Federation.
Resolved: The African Union should grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.
February 2025
Resolved: The United States should accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Resolved: International financial institutions should cancel all outstanding public debt from fossil fuel projects in low- and middle-income countries (LIMC).
March 2025
Resolved: In the United States, the benefits of the use of generative artificial intelligence in education outweigh the harms.
Resolved: The United States federal government should ban corporate acquisition of single-family residences.
April 2025
Resolved: The United States federal government should eliminate its agricultural subsidies for domestic corn production.
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its investment in domestic nuclear energy.
June 2025
The June topic for the National Tournament will be released on April 1, 2025.
Topics will be released a month prior to being actively debated and can be found on the National Speech and Debate Association's website at speechanddebate.org/topics. There will be a different topic for September/October, November/December, January, February, March, April/May, and June.
Lincoln-Douglas
Lincoln-Douglas Debate is a one-versus-one solo debate that focuses on issues of policy or philosophy. It is slower and more thoughtful format that features an asymmetrical allocation of speaking time where debaters are challenged to use a combination of debate skills in each speech. Each debater also leads a three minute period of cross-examination.
Lincoln-Douglas is recommended for experienced middle school debaters, as it requires a strong understanding of the mechanics of debate and the ability to quickly adapt them to changing circumstances. Lincoln-Douglas shares a strong emphasis on research and preparation with other debate events, but particularly emphasizes being able to articulate a philosophical rationale for action.
Topics generally deal with broad matters of principle as applied to specific policy concerns. Here is the official list of potential Lincoln-Douglas topics for the 2022-2023 season:
2022 September/October
Resolved: The United States ought to implement a single-payer universal healthcare system.
2022 November/December
Resolved: The People’s Republic of China ought to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth.
Resolved: Singapore’s Ethnic Integration Policy is unjust.
Resolved: The Republic of Korea ought to abolish military conscription.
2023 January/February
Resolved: Justice requires open borders for human migration.
Resolved: The United States federal government’s plenary power over Indigenous Nations ought to be substantially limited.
Resolved: The European Union has an obligation to accept climate refugees.
2023 March/April
Resolved: In the United States, municipal governments ought to adopt participatory budgeting.
Resolved: In the United States, public K-12 schools ought to eliminate academic tracking.
Resolved: The justices of the Supreme Court of the United States ought to be term-limited.
2023 National Tournament
Resolved: It is unethical for individuals to consume the meat of non-human animals.
Resolved: Deterrence is a morally just function of punishment.
Resolved: Government employees have a moral obligation to leak classified information to address injustice.
Topics are released a month prior to begin actively debated and are changed every other month beginning in September. Our team does not debate the September/October Novice topic.