CMST 12 - Forensics (Speech and Debate)

Transfer Status

CSU

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 25.50 Contact hours/51.00 Out of class hours/76.50 Total hours/1.50 Unit(s)
• Lab: 76.50 Contact hours/0.00 Out of class hours/76.50 Total hours/1.50 Unit(s)
• Total: 102.00 Contact hours/51.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course prepares students for intercollegiate speech and debate tournaments and/or community events. Preparation includes practice, research, writing and participation in a variety of public presentations and intercollegiate speech and debate tournaments. Community events, as well as forensics events, such as debate, platform, limited preparation, oral interpretation, and readers' theatre are emphasized. This course may be repeated 3 times. (C-ID COMM 160B).

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Distinguish major types of competitive speeches.
2. Employ the tools of Information Competency including but not limited to logical thinking, effective advocacy, appropriate use of forms of support, and critical deliberation for event preparation.
3. Exhibit the ability to write for performance.
4. Integrate coach, peer, and self-critique for the purpose of speech and delivery improvements.
5. Increase speaking effectiveness and confidence by managing communication apprehension.
6. Demonstrate improvement in delivery skills.
7. Foster personal growth as a result of the competitive forensics experience.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

Lab

1. Class Activities
2. Discussion
3. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
4. Lecture
5. Multimedia Presentations
6. Peer evaluations
   One-to-one coaching
   Guided experience (performance before audience in Butte classes)
   Performance in intercollegiate speech competitions and/or public events

1. Oral Presentation
2. Class participation
3. Written Assignments
4. Evaluation of on-campus activities by instructor, Performance evaluation by professional judges at intercollegiate tournaments and/or public events, 1500 word writing requirement met through: critiques, preparation of forensic and community event presentations

Reading Assignments

1. Read the Emory Debate Manual provided electronically via Canvas and come prepared with questions related to Parliamentary Debate.
2. Read the online article "Building Team Cohesion: Becoming 'We' instead of 'Me'" located on the National Forensics website and analyze their own behavior in relation to the author's argument and come to class prepared to discuss.

Writing Assignments

1. Research relevant social problems and prepare a 10 minute competitive platform event with accompanying speaking outline and references.
2. Construct "stock" issue responses by analyzing various debate propositions and constructing affirmative and opposing cases for policy and non-policy topics.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Participate in at least one forensics tournament competing in a minimum of two or more events such as debate and impromptu speaking or platform speaking, impromptu and oral interpretation of literature.
2. View your own videotaped performances and/or selected award winning forensics videos and/or community events for the purposes of analyzing and improving individual performances.

William Keith, Christian Lundberg. (2023). Public Speaking: Choices and Responsibility. Cengage, 4th. 9780357798928.

Jo Sprague, Douglas Stuart, David Bodary. (2017). The Speaker’s Compact Handbook. Cengage, 5th. 9781305984653.

Dorothy Seyler, Allen Brizee. (2024). Read, Reason, Write. McGraw Hill, 13th. 9781264455041.

Other Learning Materials

Current event publications, sample speeches, instructor-created resources, or other materials as assigned by the instructor.

Communication Studies