by Ray Engel
If you have said, "I wish debate was available in my area for my high school student," this item might be of interest. If you don't already understand the value of debate as part of a high school program, and therefore are not already interested, you are unlikely to find much reason to read any farther. I have enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with homeschool debate for the past nine years, each of which has benefited our academic program and our family in a variety of ways. Along the way I have spoken with a number of people who wished debate was available in their area, but since it was not they felt like it was not possible for their family to participate. Christian Communicators Northwest (CCNW), a debate league specifically for Christian homeschool families in Oregon and Washington, wants to let families know that it is possible to start a debate club in their area, even if they have no prior experience in debate. All that it takes is a few resources and a bit of bravery. (Since I have some sense the size of the homeschool materials educational market, I know this resources are not likely to be an obstacle. And homeschoolers by definition are relatively brave, so this would be just one more step along the path.) With regard to the resources, I suggest consideration of the following: "An Introduction to Argumentation & Debate", by Christy Shipe. This 100-page book is a student text written at a very basic, introductory level with the intent of providing students with the essentials necessary for being prepared to participate in debate events. It is available from HSLDA. "It Takes a Parent…", by Deanna Stollar. This is a comprehensive teachers manual written to work with "Shipe" (above). It includes fully scripted lectures that simply need to be read by the instructor, class handouts, in-class exercises, detailed homework assignments and quizzes. It is available from Antithesis Debate Publications (a Stollar family enterprise) which can be contacted at antithesis-debate@comcast.net. Salem Debate Club Introduction to Debate Lecture Notes. Our family learned debate from the Stollars in their 1999 class in Eugene. In order to start the Salem Debate Club I developed my own class modeled after theirs, and wrote my own lecture notes along the way. "It Takes A Parent" was written a couple of years later, and would have saved me a lot of work if it had been available. However, I have continued to refine my teaching notes based on my experiences. They are not as detailed as "It Takes A Parent" and thus are not likely to be as useful as a stand-alone teaching tool, but for those who are interested they might be helpful as a supplement. The price is right as I email them at no cost to anyone who is interested and sends me a note at salemdebate@juno.com. "Coaching Policy Debate", by Terry, Deanna and Ryan Stollar. This text complements "It Takes A Parent". Through "Shipe" and "It Takes A Parent" the students learn how to prepare for and participate in debate. "Coaching Policy Debate" provides useful guidance in forming and running a debate club. It is also available through Antithesis Debate Publications. As for the bravery part, looking to pioneers is often a good place to start. Two years ago I received an email that ran along the lines of "There is no debate in my area. I want to start something. What do I do?" I replied with the resource information listed above, and that same year the Whole Heart Debate Club from Corvallis joined CCNW in our events. A short write up about their experience is available on the CCNW web site at www.ccnwdebate.org, under the link for "Getting Started". You too can start a debate club in your area. If you have been wanting one there is no time like the present. CCNW would love to have you jump in and join us. To learn more about CCNW debate please visit our web site, www.ccnwdebate.org. (You might just find contact information about others in your area looking to start a debate club.) If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me at salemdebate@juno.com.