How Do You Start A Homeschooling Debate Team?
Debate is the bench press exercise for the mind. “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” (quote from Robert McCloskey) From words like these the art form of debate was realized, to explain with evidence what anyone believes in enough to defend publicly. For computer-based homeschooling, this is one of our kinds of sports. Let the games begin. Our debate form is based on the Lincoln-Douglas Debates (also called value debate) which is patterned after the namesake for the activity. In an Illinois election of the 1800s, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas debated the slavery issue before audiences in different locales around the state. In LD debate, two contestants will debate topics centered on moral issues or propositions of value or preference. For computer-based homeschools to pick good debating topics, selecting the same topic on an alternating schedule between homeschools should work, pla
