The Great Debate – Lincoln-Douglas Value Debate Training

When The Great Debate book and website were first introduced, the main focus was on team policy debate. Over the years we have offered assistance to other forensics competitors as well. It is thus with great excitement that we enter the value debate world.

While our policy book and teacher's guide (coming soon) will remain our primary focus, we hope this addition to the Great Debate family will be a valuable resource to students, coaches, and parents for the years to come.

So without further ado, we introduce our Lincoln-Douglas value debate training curriculum. This free (yes, you read that right, free) web curriculum is being offered to you. The videos are being posted as the lectures are completed in the fall of 2010 (most lectures will be available by the end of 2010). Handouts, a syllabus, and suggested additional readings are available via email. Videos begin at the very beginning, asking "what is debate?" and progress through the various aspects of a Lincoln-Douglas class. If you're new to debate as a student, parent, or coach, these videos will help you master the basics of LD value debate!

Videos are available on our YouTube page or below. It's your choice!

To supplement the videos and the packet, we are also proud to provide a weekly "Introduction to Lincoln-Douglas Value Debate" class complete with homework assignments and suggested in-class activities. These weekly classes are presented on our blog. Each week we will post a new lesson to develop the basic skills you need to become a great debater!

If you would like to receive a copy of the "coach's packet" please email : jwolfson@greatdebate.net and we will pass the materials on to you. Please include your name, email address, and which league(s) you coach for in your request. "Student packets" are also available (the blank handouts only).

While we provide all these resources for free, if you find them helpful, we would appreciate if you hit our tip jar below:

As these videos are a first for us, we would love your feedback. Please leave comments, post on our facebook wall, email us, and tell others about the new resource. And stay tuned - more videos will be posted every week.

These videos were recorded at SciAcademy in New Orleans under a program coordinated by New Orleans Outreach. The training is catered to a team competing in the Louisiana High School Speech League (LHSSL) using the National Forensics League/National Catholic Forensics League (NFL/NCFL) resolution. However, the training on LD basics is transferable regardless of which league you plan to join.

Best of luck to you as you learn to be a value debater!