TCDG Extemp and Congress Class of 2018

We Guarantee to Help Your Students:

• Understanding the rules of the new UIL Congress event as well as traditional TFA / NFL Congress rules
• Using parliamentary procedure and other Congressional procedures
• Analyzing legislation from current and former contest dockets
• Researching the relevant issues found in current legislation
• Creating memorable Congress speeches
• Developing a winning delivery style
• Adding clash to Congress speeches
• Writing their own legislation
• Practicing the skills of Presiding Officer
• Participating in Congressional Debate sessions

Congressional Debate is the new frontier in competitive debate. It’s popularity is growing, and with the addition of UIL Congress, it will undoubtedly continue to grow.

Congress features a docket of varied pieces of legislation that changes throughout the year, ensuring that argumentation remains fresh and your students never get bored.

Congress is “real world” debate. The legislation used is student-generated, which means your students will be researching topics of current importance with an eye to creating practical policy to solve actual problems.

Congressional debate emphasizes research, clash, and argumentation, but it also places high value on communication skills, persuasion, civility and orderly procedure. Along with the use of Parliamentary Procedure, these are all skills that your students will continue to use throughout their lives.

This one week course will unravel the mysteries of Congress rules and procedures. Students will work with whatever contest dockets are available at the time of the camp and will prepare speeches and strategies that they can use in September. They will also write their own legislation for submission to UIL and TFA.

Tentative Extemp/Congress Schedule

Sunday

• Introductions
• Organize Don’t Agonize: Extemp Filing Methods
• Lab – create extemp files

Monday

• 9:00-10:20 – Understanding the Foundation: Congress Rules and Procedures
• 10:30-12:20 – Prepare for all Possibilities: Congress Brief Writing
• 12:00-1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30-3:00 – Lab Time: Brief the Practice Docket
• 3:00-4:30 – Extemp Filing continued
• 4:30-6:00 – Dinner
• 6:00- 7:30 – Macro & Micro Structure
• 7:30 -9:00 – Lab Time- Extemp Lab Time (File before/after prep)

Tuesday

• 9:00-10:30 – Congress in Harmony: Parliamentary Procedure & Presiding Officers
• 10:30 -12:00 – First Practice Congress & Evaluation
• 12:00-1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30-3:00 – Congress Lab Time: Brief Writing for Practice Docket #2
• 3:00-4:30 – Second Practice Congress Session
• 4:30-6:00 – Dinner
• 6:00 – 7:30 – Extemp First & Lasting Impressions: Intros, Transitions & Conclusion
• 7:30 -8:45 – Extemp Lab Time
• 8:45 – 9:00 – Self Evaluation

Wednesday

• 9:00-10:00 – There Ought To Be A Law: Legislation Writing for Congressional Debate
• 10:10-12:00 – Congress Lab: Writing Legislation
• 12:00-1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30-3:15 – Film Room
• 3:15-4:30 – Decisions, Decisions: Choosing a Topic Wisely
• 4:30-6:00 – Dinner
• 6:00- 7:50 – Extemp Lab Time
• 7:50 – 8:00 Self Evaluation
• 8:00 -9:00 – Speech Re-Do’s Congress Lab Time – write legislation

Thursday

• 9:00-11:00 – Congress Lab Time: Brief the Session Three Docket
• 11:10-12:00 – Session Three A
• 12:00-1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30 – 2:30 – Session Three B
• 2:30 – 4:30 – Film room
• 4:30-6:00 – Dinner
• 6:00-8:00 – Prioritize to Maximize Your Prep Time
• 7:30-9:00 – Extemp Lab

Friday

• 9:00-9:50 – Where to Learn More
• 10:00-12:00 – Congress Showcase & De-Brief
• 12:00-1:30 – Lunch
• 1:30-4:30 – Extemp Showcase