Student Binder · Source pages 72–76
9 · Your Guide
30-week guide, tear-out pads
The Forge · Student HandbookGuide
Tab 11 / 12 · YOUR GUIDE – THE TEAR-OUT PAD
GUIDE
The handbook teaches the machine. These sheets run it, one week at a time.
Every role has a fill-in sheet by week. Each sheet is bound in twice, so fill one and keep the spare.
GUIDE
12 tabs · you are here
STARTPROMISERHYTHMROLESREADINGDOC STUDYSTORYANVILCALENDARFAQGUIDEDICT
GUIDE · G-1
GuideHow to Use · Keep vs. Submit
Every unit · same rhythm
HOW TO USE THESE SHEETS
Arms Room → Unit Cover · Forge → your role sheet · Tavern → Reflection + Story Layer. Everyone keeps Bench prep ready.
- Monday night: open the 30-Week Guide, know this week’s session and what to read.
- Arms Room week: fill Unit Cover after role assignment. Start the ACTOR Log if you want nightly structure.
- Forge week: pull one role sheet (Moderator / Debater / Researcher / Jury). Everyone also has Bench Prep ready.
- Before the Forge: submit per deadline band, U1–2: 5 days · U3: 4 days · U4–8: 48 hours, hard.
- Tavern week: Forge Reflection (the argument) + Story Layer (you, 5 years out). Not the same document.
Keep vs. submit
Submit: Evidence Map (Jury → Text Coach) · Researcher packet (→ debaters) · Vote Tally (Moderator → Weaver, private). Keep: everything else in your Forge Journal – it is your Anvil fuel.
ARMS ROOM → FORGE → TAVERN
GUIDE · G-2
Pin all year
Year RoadmapGuide
Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 · 8 units · 30 weeks
MY YEAR AT THE FORGE
Your debate-record dashboard. Every unit follows the same rhythm: Arms Room → Forge → Tavern. Write your assigned role in the last column the moment the Forge Coach hands it to you.
| Unit · Trait | Book | Arms Room | The Forge | Tavern | My role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 · Discipline | Project Hail Mary | Sep 22 | Sep 29 | Oct 6 | |
| U2 · Perseverance | Little Women | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 27 · Wkshp 1 | |
| U3 · Interdependence | The Boys in the Boat | Nov 3 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | |
| U4 · Resilience | Pride and Prejudice | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | |
| U5 · Acceptance | A Man for All Seasons | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 · Wkshp 2 | |
| U6 · Courage | All the Light We Cannot See | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | |
| U7 · Hope | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 · Wkshp 3 | |
| U8 · Moral Courage | A Good Man Is Hard to Find + trio | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
Trial Forge Sep 15 · Final Forge Apr 13 / 20 / 27 · The Anvil May 4 · The Reveal May 11.
My role rotation – over the year you do all four
| Role | Unit(s) assigned | Still need |
|---|---|---|
| Moderator | ☐ | |
| Debater | ☐ | |
| Researcher | ☐ | |
| Jury | ☐ |
Bench is universal insurance
Bench is not a rotation role. Every student preps both sides, every unit, so any absence is covered. You don’t get “assigned” Bench — you keep Bench Prep ready because the debate never cancels. It never subtracts from the jury and is never a counted seat.
GUIDE · W-01
30-Week GuideWeeks 1–15
Weeks 1–15 · fill “my role” on Forge weeks only
30-WEEK GUIDE
Your year at a glance: what session is this week, what to read at home, when prep is due, and which sheet to pull.
| Wk | Date | Session | Book | At home | In class | Prep due | Pull |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pre | Sept 1–14 | Pre-start | Project Hail Mary | Begin reading (~23 pp/day); keep a reading journal. Book done by Sept 22. | — | – | Reading journal |
| 1 | Sep 15 | Trial Forge | – | Watch the full flow; vote as jury; note order, not content | Observe, then try | – | Unit Cover |
| 2 | Sep 22 | Arms Room | Project Hail Mary | Book done. No new reading; evidence mining; role prep | Hook → Evidence Forge → role assigned | – | ACTOR · Unit Cover |
| 3 | Sep 29 | Forge | Project Hail Mary | Start Little Women Block 1 if Hail Mary is done; Reflection | 35-min debate | 5 days (Sep 24) | Role sheet |
| 4 | Oct 6 | Tavern | Project Hail Mary | Continue Little Women Blocks 1–2; ACTOR | Story Forge · skill · celebrate | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 5 | Oct 13 | Arms Room | Little Women | Read to halfway; blade / shield / range | Role assigned | – | Unit Cover · ACTOR |
| 6 | Oct 20 | Forge | Little Women | Finish book; Reflection | Debate | 5 days (Oct 15) | Role sheet |
| 7 | Oct 27 | Tavern | Little Women | Start U3 | Forge Workshop 1 · Story U2 | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 8 | Nov 3 | Arms Room | The Boys in the Boat | Read to halfway | Role assigned | – | Unit Cover |
| 9 | Nov 10 | Forge | The Boys in the Boat | Finish book | Debate | 4 days (Nov 6) | Role sheet |
| 10 | Nov 17 | Tavern | The Boys in the Boat | Start U4 – holiday risk ahead | Reflection · Story U3 | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 11 | Dec 1 | Arms Room | Pride and Prejudice | Short book – do not coast; read to halfway | 48-hour rule starts this unit | – | Unit Cover |
| 12 | Dec 8 | Forge | Pride and Prejudice | Finish before break | Debate | 48h hard (Dec 6) | Role sheet |
| 13 | Dec 15 | Tavern | Pride and Prejudice | Catch up before Christmas break | Story U4 · skill | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 14 | Jan 5 | Arms Room | A Man for All Seasons | Play – read full script; scout U6 | Role assigned | – | Unit Cover |
| 15 | Jan 12 | Forge | A Man for All Seasons | Last day Fall semester | Debate | 48h hard (Jan 10) | Role sheet |
My role this Forge week: Trait:
GUIDE · W-02
Weeks 16–3030-Week Guide
30-Week Guide · part 2. Spring units, Forge Workshops, Anvil season. Same columns, session, reading, prep due, sheet to pull.
| Wk | Date | Session | Book | At home | In class | Prep due | Pull |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Jan 19 | Tavern | A Man for All Seasons | Begin U6 (long book) | Forge Workshop 2 · Story U5 | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 17 | Jan 26 | Arms Room | All the Light We Cannot See | ~38 pp/day; halfway mark | Longest book – trust ACTOR | – | Unit Cover · ACTOR |
| 18 | Feb 2 | Forge | All the Light We Cannot See | Finish book | Debate | 48h hard (Jan 31) | Role sheet |
| 19 | Feb 9 | Tavern | All the Light We Cannot See | Start U7 | Story U6 | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 20 | Feb 23 | Arms Room | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Read to halfway | Pre–Spring Break unit | – | Unit Cover |
| 21 | Mar 2 | Forge | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Finish book | Debate | 48h hard (Feb 28) | Role sheet |
| 22 | Mar 9 | Tavern | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Start U8 | Forge Workshop 3 · draft | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 23 | Mar 16 | Arms Room | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | O’Connor + Tolstoy; Bonhoeffer pre-read + doc-study discussion | Final-unit Arms Room | – | Unit Cover |
| 24 | Mar 23 | Forge | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | Finish trio texts | Debate | 48h hard (Mar 21) | Role sheet |
| 25 | Mar 30 | Tavern | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | Anvil prep begins | Story U8 · arc complete | Reflection due | Story Layer |
| 26 | Apr 13 | Final Forge 1 | – | Draft completion | Weaver 1:1 conferences | – | Portfolio review |
| 27 | Apr 20 | Final Forge 2 | – | Revision | Peer review · the Gauge | – | Gauge self-check |
| 28 | Apr 27 | Final Forge 3 | – | Rehearse aloud | Read thesis · diagnose | – | Rehearsal (§6) |
| 29 | May 4 | The Anvil | – | – | 8–10 min presentation | – | Portfolio |
| 30 | May 11 | The Reveal | – | – | Year-end Reveal · last day | – | Forge Record |
Nov 24 · Dec 22–29 · Apr 6, no schoolNo Forge sessions, keep reading or catch up. Tell the Forge Coach before the Arms Room if you are 3+ nights behind.
GUIDE · W-03