Debate
Join Our Nationally Recognized
Debate Program
There is no one right journey to take with debate. Some students may focus on debate heavily during middle school and then slow down their work with debate as they move into high school due to other activities. Other students may focus on debate almost exclusively throughout their academic careers.
What is most important is that students understand that their debate journey is unique, and what works for them might not work for another student. If a friend on the team is progressing faster or slower than your student, it’s okay! Everyone is learning, and progress comes at different rates for different peoplee.
Which debate format is the best fit for your child?
-
Public Forum Debate
A team-based (2 vs 2) structured, research-based debate event for students who enjoy preparation, learning about topics in-depth, and competitive growth.
Best for students who:
- Want to build strong research, writing, and critical thinking skills
- Prefer a structured environment with an emphasis on pre-round preparation
- Are interested in attending tournaments or long-term competitive debate
-
World Schools Debate
A team-based (3 v. 3) debate event that combines prepared speeches with impromptu argumentation. Unlike Public Forum Debate, which places a greater emphasis on research, evidence, and pre-round preparation, World Schools Debate challenges students to think on their feet, communicate persuasively, and work collaboratively while debating a variety of engaging global issues.
Best for students who:
- Want to build strong public speaking, logical reasoning, and impromptu speaking skills
- Prefer a mix of preparation and spontaneous speaking
- Enjoy discussing current events and big ideas
Class Level Descriptions
-
Public Forum | Elementary School
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 1 is designed for second through fifth graders new to Public Forum debate. During class, students will learn the Public Forum debate format, how to write and research arguments, practice impromptu speaking, and gain experience in mock debates. All instruction will be taught through the lens of a debate topic of global significance.
Most Potomac Debate Academy students start at the novice level where they learn debate basics like the structure of a public forum round, how to research a new topic on their own, and work to build confidence as public speakers. Novice debaters tend to spend two to three semesters debating at the introductory level before being promoted to Junior Varsity.
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 2 is designed for second through fifth graders who have completed Novice | Level 1 with PDA. During class, students will continue to build on skills taught in their first semester, while refining their abilities through extensive practice.
Public Forum Debate | Junior Varsity is designed for fourth and fifth graders who have taken both our Novice | Level 1 & Novice | Level 2 classes. During class, students will continue to practice their debate skills while learning new advanced concepts such as argument weighing, round strategy, judge adaptation, and more. Students will refine their abilities through extensive mock debates, tournament preparations, and debate-oriented activities.
Public Forum Debate | Varsity is our highest learning level for fourth and fifth graders, aimed at students who have completed all four novice and JV levels with PDA. During class, students will refine their understanding of advanced debate concepts, while putting their skills to practice with a focus on preparing for tournaments.
-
Public Forum | Middle School
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 1 is designed for middle school students new to Public Forum debate. During class, students will learn the Public Forum debate format, how to write and research arguments, practice impromptu speaking, and gain experience in mock debates. All instruction will be taught through the lens of a debate topic of global significance.
Most Potomac Debate Academy students start at the novice level where they learn debate basics like the structure of a public forum round, how to research a new topic on their own and work to build confidence as public speakers. Novice debaters typically spend two to three semesters debating at the introductory level before being promoted to Junior Varsity.
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 2 is designed for middle school students who have completed Novice | Level 1 with PDA. During class, students will build on skills taught in their first semester, while refining their abilities through extensive practice and preparing for competitive tournaments.
Public Forum Debate | Junior Varsity is designed for middle school students who have taken both our Novice | Level 1 & Novice | Level 2 classes. During class, students will continue practicing their debate skills, while learning new advanced concepts such as argument weighing, flowing, round strategy, and more. Students will refine their abilities through hands-on activities such as mock debates, round reviews, and drills. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Public Forum Debate | Varsity is aimed at students who have completed all four novice and JV levels with PDA and have a strong understanding of debate. Students at this level start to compete more regularly on the national circuit. Classes at the varsity level adapt to student’s experience, tournament participation, and individual needs. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Public Forum Debate | Varsity+ is the highest possible level of placement on our team for a middle school student. This team is for middle school students who have a strong grasp of debate fundamentals and seek to compete at the highest level of the national circuit. Most students in Varsity+ compete regularly at the high school level as middle schoolers. Students in this class focus on topics from collapsing and weighing to progressive debate in the form of Ks and theories. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
-
Public Forum | High School
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 1 is designed for high school students new to Public Forum debate. During class, students will learn the Public Forum debate format, how to write and research arguments, practice impromptu speaking, and gain experience in mock debates. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Most Potomac Debate Academy students start at the novice level where they learn debate basics like the structure of a public forum round, how to research a new topic on their own and work to build confidence as public speakers. Novice debaters typically spend two to three semesters debating at the introductory level before being promoted to Junior Varsity.
Public Forum Debate | Novice | Level 2 is designed for high school students who have completed Novice | Level 1 with PDA. During class, students will build on skills taught in their first semester, while refining their abilities through extensive practice and preparing for competitive tournaments. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Public Forum Debate | Junior Varsity is designed for high school students who have taken both our Novice | Level 1 & Novice | Level 2 classes. During class, students will continue to practice their debate skills, while learning new advanced concepts. Students will refine their abilities through hands-on activities such as mock debates, round reviews, and drills. This team will focus on preparing students for travel competitions around the country. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Public Forum Debate | Varsity is aimed at students who have completed all four novice and JV levels with PDA and have a strong understanding of debate. Students at this level start to compete more regularly on the national circuit. Classes at the varsity level adapt to student’s experience, tournament participation, and individual needs. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Public Forum Debate | Varsity+ is the highest possible level of placement for a high school student on our team. This team is for high school students who have a strong grasp of debate fundamentals and seek to compete at the highest level of the national circuit. Classes at the varsity level adapt to student’s experience, tournament participation, and individual needs. Students in this class focus on topics from collapsing and weighing to progressive debate in the form of Ks and theories. All students will debate the high school topic assigned by the National Speech and Debate Association.
-
World Schools | Middle School
World Schools Debate | Novice is designed for students grades 6 – 8 who have no or limited prior debate experience. Students compete in teams of three, arguing both sides of a motion across two styles of round: prepared debates, where teams research the topic in advance, and impromptu debates, where teams receive the motion one hour before speaking.