Speech and Debate
Speech and Debate
Participating in class discussions. Speaking at assemblies. Appearing in videos. Participating in club meetings. Serving on student government. These are just some of the ways Potomac students practice the Life Skill that is public speaking.
Public Speaking
Students have the opportunity to practice Public Speaking throughout their academic days at Potomac, and even after the bell rings. Potomac offers Debate Club in in Intermediate School and three speech and debate enrichment courses after school. Opportunities include:
student Council election speeches, club leadership, assemblies, athletics, persuasive writing, and more.
We believe communication skills are essential for empowering youth to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our global society. We connect, support, and inspire a diverse community of honor society members committed to fostering excellence in young people through competitive speech and debate activities.
-- National Speech and Debate Association
Civil Discourse
Dilemma: WHO DO YOU SAVE?
During advisory, seventh and eighth graders participated in a simulation in which they were faced with a dilemma. With only one dose of medicine available and several patients infected with a rare disease, each advisory group had to collectively decide whom to save. The activity provided the students an opportunity to put civil discourse strategies into practice and determine how these skills might transfer to a political conversation or election-focused debate.
Tournament Time
tournament of champions
Four IS students competed in the Middle School Tournament of Champions, hosted virtually by the University of Kentucky. The speech tournament featured 1,000 students from 24 states. Each student faced three preliminary rounds and then elimination rounds if they advanced in the tournament.
One member became the national runner-up in oral interpretation of literature. She went from being a speaker at Potomac’s Thanksgiving Day Assembly to a national runner-up in little more than four months! During her assembly speech, Coach Strong’s phone blew up with text messages from US speech and debate students wanting to know why she wasn’t competing. A week later, she joined the team.
Another of our students found success in extemporaneous speaking, finishing the final round in fifth place. A third Potomac competitor advanced to the quarterfinals of impromptu speaking before being eliminated. Overall, Potomac students made a great showing.
After School Enrichment Opportunities
Course Description (grade 6): Learn about public speaking and discourse through debate! Under the direction of Harry Strong and Dr. Jeremy Metz, as well as current Varsity students in the Upper School competitive program, students begin to learn about debate through a World Schools style parli format. Participants are expected to prepare and debate using evidence that is provided, and also evidence they produce through their research. In this COVID environment, the goal will be that students will eventually scrimmage students from other Independent schools around the country.
Course Description (grade. 5): This speech class will give students the practical skills of building a clear argument and communicating that argument effectively. The content-based skills will focus on logical flow and providing evidence for their claims. The delivery-based skills are eye contact and projection. In 5th grade Speech class students will work with the instructor, Kayla Williamson, to put these skills into practice so they have a solid foundation of confidence in their speaking.
Course Description (grades. 7-8): Learn about public speaking and discourse through debate! Under the direction of Harry Strong and Dr. Jeremy Metz, as well as current Varsity students in the Upper School competitive program, students begin to learn about debate through a World Schools style parli format. Participants are expected to prepare and debate using evidence that is provided, and also evidence they produce through their research. In this COVID environment, the goal will be that students will eventually scrimmage students from other Independent schools around the country.
Learn more about Potomac's nationally ranked Speech and Debate team.