CURRICULUM

The Capitol Debate Institute is dedicated to skill improvement through hands-on instruction. Critical to our curriculum are small group seminars that supplement each debater's understanding of lectures; small theory classes that focus on in-depth understanding of vital theoretical issues; and lots of skill exercises followed by thorough critiques.

Small Group Seminars - Practicums

The Capitol Debate Institute Practicums challenge debaters to apply materials learned in lectures. Immediately following each skill or theory lecture, debaters split up into small groups of equal experience levels to put the materials discussed in the lecture into practice. After a lecture on the second affirmative constructive, for example, debaters might be confronted with hypothetical first negative constructives and be asked how they would approach that in 2AC. Through instructor guidance, debaters come up with winning strategic moves that they can use in future debates. Through these exercises, we have witnessed the growth of many debaters.

Theory Series

The Capitol Debate Theory Series provides students with the knowledge they need to consistently win theory debates. Students take a series of theory classes in each of the following areas: counterplans, critiques and topicality. Within each theoretical area, students take several one-hour classes with each session focusing on a different issue. For example, in the counterplan series, students will have separate classes in debating plan-inclusive counterplans, conditionality, fiat and permutations. After each series, debaters will participate in mini theory debates on the issues discussed. The classes are organized according to experience level.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Armed with a starter evidence set received before the institute,Capitol Debaters will start doing practice speeches early in the institute and receive lengthy feedback on how to improve and then deliver speech redos the next day. We watch all debaters carefully, drafting copious notes for improvement in each debater's notebook, and then challenge the debaters to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Our aim is to see a progression of improvement by the time each debater leaves the institute.

Topic Lectures & Strategies

Capitol Debate will give extensive lectures on all facets of the topic including affirmative cases, negative positions, counterplan ideas, potential critiques, topicality, and key positions. We will focus on strategies that can win you debates.