G9 | S1 | W6

Extemp in Practice:

The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Extemporaneous Speaking | Grade 9, Semester 1

The Draw

30-Min Prep

The Speech

Core Competency: Organization and Structure | SEL: Self-Awareness

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

SEL Check-In

Prompt

Think about a time when you had to figure something out quickly, perhaps a surprise task, a question you were not expecting, or a moment where you had to make a plan under pressure.��What did you do first? Looking back, what helped you most?

Turn and Talk (2 min): Share with a partner. Be specific about what helped.

Today you will practice exactly that: making a plan under pressure. Extemp gives you 30 minutes. How you use that time is what separates a clear speech from a scattered one.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Learning Goals: I can…

1

Explain the mechanics of all three phases of Extemp:

The draw, prep time, and the speech.

2

Apply a thesis-first prep framework

so your structure is clear before you research evidence.

3

Build a three-point Extemp speech

using CWDI as the engine for each body point.

Spiral Callbacks: CWDI (G9 S1 W3) | Oral Delivery (G9 S1 W5)

Standards: SL.9-10.4 | SL.9-10.6 | RI.9-10.7

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

What Is Extemporaneous Speaking?

Format at a Glance

30 min

Prep Time

5 to 7 min

Speech Length

3 questions

Offered at the Draw

1 question

You choose to answer

No partner

Individual event

Two Categories

Domestic (US)

Policy, politics, society, economy inside the US

Foreign (Global)

International relations, global events, foreign policy

Sample Question

"What should be the United States' top priority in addressing rising national debt?"

Extemp rewards students who can think clearly under time pressure, not just students who know the most facts.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Phase 0: The Draw

Step 1

Approach the Draw Table

You are given three topic questions. Read each one fully before reacting.

Step 2

Evaluate Your Options

Ask: For which question do I have the strongest argument, not just the most knowledge?

Step 3

Select One Question

Choose the question you can argue best. Your prep clock starts immediately.

Step 4

Write Your Thesis First

Before touching any files or sources, write a one-sentence answer to the question based on your prior knowledge.

Choose the question you can argue best, not the one that sounds most interesting.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Phase 1: The 30-Minute Prep Framework

Min 1 to 8

Thesis First

Write your one-sentence answer before any research.

Write thesis

Identify 3 body points

Name each argument

Min 8 to 20

Evidence

Find 2 to 3 sources that support your argument.

Source name + date

One key statistic or quote

Connect back to thesis

Min 20 to 30

Outline and Rehearsal

Build your outline. Speak it aloud.

Intro hook + bridge

Three CWDI body points

Conclusion callback

Thesis First is the most important rule in Extemp. A student who spends minutes 1 to 8 on research often arrives at the speech with evidence but no structure.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Phase 2: The Extemp Speech Structure

Intro

Hook

Bridge

Thesis

Preview

Point 1

Claim

Warrant

Data

Impact

Point 2

Claim

Warrant

Data

Impact

Point 3

Claim

Warrant

Data

Impact

Conclusion

Restate Thesis

Callback to Hook

Final Impact

>

>

>

>

Approximate Time Allocation

Intro

45 to 60 sec

Each Point

60 to 80 sec

Conclusion

30 to 45 sec

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Inside Each Body Point: CWDI as the Extemp Engine

Spiral Callback: G9 S1 W3 (CWDI)

Question: "Should the US raise the federal minimum wage?"

CLAIM

Yes, raising the minimum wage would reduce working poverty.

State your argument in one sentence.

WARRANT

When workers earn more, they spend more locally, creating economic circulation.

Explain the logic: why is the claim true?

DATA

The Economic Policy Institute (2024) found a $15 minimum would lift 1.3M out of poverty.

Name source, year, and one key fact.

IMPACT

Without action, 8.6M full-time workers remain in poverty despite working full hours.

Show what is at stake if this argument is ignored.

If you built CWDI arguments in G9 S1 W3, you already know how to build a body point. Extemp just gives you three of them.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Evidence Standards in Extemp

Source Name

Why it matters

Judges give more weight to named institutions or publications than to vague claims.

Example

"The IMF reported..." not "Some economists say..."

Recency

Why it matters

Extemp covers current events. Evidence more than 2 to 3 years old raises credibility questions.

Example

"In 2024, the Federal Reserve noted..."

Credibility

Why it matters

Prefer primary sources (government agencies, peer-reviewed research, major news outlets).

Example

NY Times, Reuters, USDA, WHO, Pew Research

Common Evidence Mistakes

No source named | Source 5+ years old | Misquoting or paraphrasing | Using only one source for all three points

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Delivery in Extemp: What Changes?

Spiral Callback: G9 S1 W5 (Oral Delivery Basics)

Your four delivery foundations (Volume, Rate, Pitch and Eye Contact) all apply. Extemp adds one new pressure: you are delivering from a one-page outline, not a memorized speech.

What Stays the Same

Volume: project to the back of the room

Rate: slow down on your thesis and Impact

Pitch: vary to signal transitions between points

Eye Contact: connect with the judge on key claims

What Is New in Extemp

You speak from an outline, not a script

Transitions between points must feel natural

Cite your source aloud mid-speech

Delivery does not improve during the speech. It improves during prep time. Rehearsal in minutes 20 to 30 is when you build fluency.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Guided Practice: Mock Draw and Mini-Prep

Your teacher will distribute three sample Extemp questions. Follow each step below.

The Draw (2 min)

Read all three questions. Write one sentence explaining which you chose and why.

Thesis First (3 min)

Write your answer in one sentence. Then write three short labels, one for each body point.

Mini-Prep (5 min)

Write only one CWDI contention.

Mini-Speech (2 to 3 min)

Deliver your intro and your first body point aloud. Class listens for the thesis and the CWDI structure.

Debrief: What did you write as your thesis? Could you identify a CWDI structure in the speech you heard?

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League

Learning Goals: Revisited

The Draw

Three questions, one choice, thesis first.

30-Min Prep

Phase 1 thesis, Phase 2 evidence, Phase 3 rehearsal.

The Speech

Intro, three CWDI body points, conclusion.

Today connected: CWDI (W3) + Oral Delivery (W5) + Organization and Structure (W6). These three are the spine of every Extemp speech you will give.

NEXT WEEK

Lesson 7 | Argumentation Formats: Understanding PF, LD and Congress

You have practiced individual argumentation. Next we expand to team and competitive formats, introducing the three debate types that form the BDL competitive season.

G9 S1 W6 | Extemp in Practice: The Draw, Prep Time and the Speech

Brooklyn Debate League