A primer for beginning and intermediate students participating in class and contest debates. Designed to support the Middle School Public Debate Program (MSPDP), the largest and fastest growing middle school debate program in the world, it offers students clear, concise information on public speaking and debating. Combining the practical and theoretical, the text teaches students about verbal and nonverbal communication, how to research and present an argument, how to answer arguments, how to develop debate strategies and how to conduct a formal debate. Exercises following each section give students hands-on experience with each topic.