WNDI NOVICE POLICY LECTURE NOTES

In this section, I offer an explanation of how to use the lesson plans for your lectures. The lesson plans have been carefully constructed so that you can give organized, clear lectures. Students can easily take notes of the lectures because they use outline organization. At the same time, the lectures include activities, examples, stories, and more that keep student interest and keep them doing instead of just listening.

For each day, the lesson plans explain what you need to do. Specifically, they include the MATERIALS that you need to prepare and bring to class, the OBJECTIVES for the class session including what students should do, and an outline of the lecture with suggested activities, examples, stories, etc. Obviously, and I encourage you to do this, adjust the plans to match your teaching style and your own specific objectives.

To use the lecture notes, I suggest that you begin on the first day of class when you present the "benefits of debate" lecture that you tell students to take careful notes of the lectures. They need to do this for several reasons. First, it gives them practice for flowing in their debates. Second, in order to keep up with the course, they need to take notes to serve as a reference for the many concepts taught. Third, you will engage in class reviews where you will call on students to answer questions about the material you have discussed. Begin each following lecture by telling students to take out a piece of paper on which to take notes.

When you lecture, present the outline organized points to the students. So, you will say, "Observation I: Using evidence to prepare arguments." You should do this slowly--frequently three words at a time, because students have a hard time keeping up. I sometimes write down my outline notes on a overhead projector as I lecture, so I can better gauge whether I am going too fast for students. Whatever you do, students will tell you if you go too fast. If you are, just repeat the point.

When you get to a boxed section, you need to shift gears. Boxed sections look like this:

ACTIVITY: Tell students that they need count off 1, 2. When they . . .

To do the boxed sections, you switch from the outline notes to an activity, story, example, etc. which you explain to the students and/or incorporate into your lecture. When you finish the boxed section, you return to your outline notes. The boxed sections explain what you should do, but some of the boxed sections follow a format that the following descriptions will help you present more effectively.

PREPARE AHEAD: Take the suggested action ahead of time so that you are prepared for future class days.

ACTIVITIES: Here you engage in practice argumentation, debate games, or fun exercises designed to emphasize the importance of a concept. Just follow the directions.

EXAMPLES: Give an example of the concept you are discussing. For example, if you are talking about inherency, you might say, "An example of an affirmative inherency argument would be, 'Current programs for the homeless are inadequate.'"

STORIES: Here you tell a story in which you or someone you know or heard of did what you are talking about. For example, a story about a debate might begin: "In one debate that I watched, one of the debaters was so nervous, she kept biting her lip. She bit it so hard--she began to bleed!"

WORKING EXAMPLES: With working examples, you develop an example throughout a section of your lecture. So, if you are describing how to construct a mini-debate case, your working example would be to develop an example mini-debate case as you go through each of the step by step instructions. So, to do such a working example, you would begin by saying, "Subpoint A. Choose the three best pieces of evidence. (moving away from the outline) I have chosen three of my best pieces of evidence. Here they are (showing them on the overhead projector or blackboard). Let's continue (returning to the outline) Subpoint B. Number the arguments. (moving away from the outline) I put the evidence in this order. Then I number it very simply--1, 2, and 3 (writing the numbers on the overhead transparency or blackboard)." Continue this process throughout the section for which the working example is designed.

CLASS REVIEWS: With class reviews, you call on students to see if they know the class material. Give students two or three minutes to review their notes. Then, tell them to close their notes. Then, begin calling on students randomly to answer the review questions. Call on every student if you can. Reward students who answer questions correctly. Make students who cannot answer restudy their notes and answer again in a minute.

LECTURE OUTLINES

DAY 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE CLASS

MATERIALS:

1. Class Syllabus

2. Class Schedule

3. Enough People Bingo Sheets (explained below) for each student in the class

CLASS PRESENTATION:

1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Tell who you are, why you find debate interesting, what your goals are, etc.

2. REVIEW THE COURSE.

Handout syllabus and schedule. Tell students what you expect. Make it very clear that this class is not like other classes. First, the material is sequential--so they must master each step. Second, the class is much more difficult than any other class they have ever had. Third, the class requires a lot of work, a lot.

3. QUICK LECTURE:

I. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DEBATE?

STORY: Tell them stories of debates you have seen and students you have seen become successful.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Have students generate a list of benefits of debate. Add ones that you feel they are missing. Examples of benefits include:

A. BETTER CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

B. FUN

C. COMPETITION

D. DISCUSS INTERESTING ISSUES

E. LEARN HOW TO SPEAK BETTER

F. LEARN HOW TO ARGUE MORE EFFECTIVELY

4. Students should MEET EACH OTHER.

I suggest "People Bingo." To play People Bingo, handout a sheet with five row and five columns that make twenty five boxes of different activities or characteristics of people. The first student to find twenty five other students with those characteristics or who engage in those activities wins.

PREPARE AHEAD: Tell two experienced debaters on your team that they have one week to prepare for an example mini-debate. Remind them that they must go very, very slow, that their cases should have just three pieces of evidence, and that they should use no debate jargon/theory like "inherency," "disadvantages," "caseside," etc.

DAY 2: INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE

MATERIALS:

1. Overhead Projector or chalkboard.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students should define and give examples of "resolution," "affirmative," and "negative."

2. Students should define "case," "analysis," "sound reasons," and "appealing arguments."

3. Students should make cases with sound reasons and appealing arguments.

LECTURE NOTES:

I. INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE

A. WHAT IS DEBATE? Debate occurs when two sides attempt to persuade another person that their position on an issue is more convincing.

B. WHAT IS A RESOLUTION? A resolution is the topic of debate, a statement in support of a stand on an issue.

C. WHAT ARE THE AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE? The affirmative supports the resolution. The negative rejects the affirmative's support of the resolution.

WHILE YOU DO THIS: Visually motion to where debaters and judges sit and stand in a debate.

STORY: Tell a story of an interesting debate that you saw or heard about. Be sure to identify the resolution, the affirmative and negative positions, and the judge or audience.

D. THIS YEAR'S RESOLUTION IS: (State it).

ACTIVITY: Tell students that knowing the exact wording of the resolution is very important. Give them 1 minute to memorize the topic. Then call on students to stand up and recite the resolution word for word.

E. AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDES NEED TO MAKE STRONG ARGUMENTS.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Call on students for three affirmative and three negative points on their debate resolution. Write them on the blackboard or overhead projector.

1. WHAT IS A SOUND REASON? A sound reason offers strong support for an argument.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Call on students to give reasons for the points they offered. Comment on the reasons. Ask others to comment on the reasons. Get students to improve the soundness of the reasons they offer.

2. WHAT IS AN APPEALING ARGUMENT? Appealing Arguments are arguments that the judge believes are sound.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Point to one or two of the arguments that students have constructed. For each argument, tell them that their judge will not like the argument. Ask them, "What should we do with the argument for this judge?" You should look for answers like, "Get rid of the argument," and "Change it." For students who suggest changing the argument--ask them how they would change the argument. Then comment on whether the change is appealing or not. For students who say, "Keep the argument as it is," hear them out--but encourage them to adjust their arguments to their judges. Otherwise, they will make arguments that will be rejected and ignored and they will lose debates. Plus, they will not learn the value of adapting to their audience.

CLASS REVIEW

1. What is debate? Give an example of a debate.

2. What is a resolution? State the wording of this year's resolution.

3. What is the affirmative? Give an affirmative stand on the resolution.

4. What is the negative? Give a negative stand on the resolution.

5. What is an appealing argument?

6. Make two arguments for the resolution.

7. Make two arguments against the resolution.

DAY 3: INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC LECTURE

Discuss affirmative and negative approaches to the topic.

SUGGESTION: Include potential basic affirmative and negative arguments. Save technical discussion of definitions and specific affirmative plans and negative disadvantages for the topic lecture that comes later.

SUGGESTION: Have one of your experienced debaters that attended a debate institute give topic lectures. They usually know a lot about the topic and new students get introduced to your experienced debaters.

DAY 4: PREPARING ARGUMENTS

MATERIALS:

1. Copies of three to six pieces of evidence for each student.

2. A short section of an article in which you have already found several pieces of evidence. Choose one with obvious pieces of evidence--students get frustrated quickly. Have enough copies of the article for each student in the class.

3. An overhead transparency of one page of a section of an article that has evidence in it.

4. Overhead projector.

5. At least one handbook.

6. A newspaper with a front page with no headlines and no pictures. To make such a newspaper, take any regular newspaper and glue sections of small newsprint over the headlines and pictures.

7. A newspaper with a front page with preferably exciting headlines and color pictures.

8. Copies of six pieces of evidence with which students can make two or three briefs.

9. Three pieces of evidence typed on a transparency for the overhead.

10. Bring extra scissors, glue or tape, and typing paper for the inevitable students that forget.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students should define evidence.

2. Students should state why evidence is needed.

3. Students should state what constitutes good evidence.

4. Students should bracket evidence in articles.

5. Students should source cite evidence.

6. Students should tag evidence accurately, concisely, and persuasively.

I. PREPARING ARGUMENTS

A. WHAT IS EVIDENCE? Evidence is support for an argument from a published work.

EXAMPLES: Hand out example pieces of evidence.

B. WHY USE EVIDENCE?

CLASS PARTICIPATION: Have students generate reasons why. Make their answers subpoints under B. The textbook mentions the following points:

1. To better support arguments

2. Judges expect debaters to document nearly every argument.

3. To inform students what experts believe.

C. WHAT MAKES A GOOD PIECE OF EVIDENCE?

CLASS PARTICIPATION: Have students generate standards for good evidence. Make their answers subpoints under C. The textbook mentions the following points:

1. It is concise

2. It makes a strong point

3. It’s argument is well supported.

ACTIVITY: Give students three to five minutes to critique the evidence you passed out using the standards you have constructed for good evidence. Call on students to offer their evaluations of the evidence. After the students answers, comment on their answer--rewarding good answers and explaining why weaker answers are weak. If a student uses another standard--critique her or his standard. If the standard is good--tell standards to add it to the list of points under subpoint C. If the standard is not good--tell the student why and tell them to try one of the standards you have already identified.

D. HOW TO DO PRIMARY RESEARCH

STEP 1: GET ARTICLES. To find good articles use the Library, write to Special Interest Groups, or search the Internet.

STEP 2: BRACKET EVIDENCE IN ARTICLES

WORKING EXAMPLE: Find evidence in an overhead transparency of an article.

1. Skim--find articles with evidence--move on when there is no evidence.

2. Photocopy the article

3. Find two to seven sentences that make a clear, persuasive, supported point.

4. Put brackets around the sentences you want for evidence.

ACTIVITY: Pass out a photocopy of an article. Give them five minutes to find evidence in the article. Call on students to state which sections of the article they used for evidence. Critique the evidence using the criteria you set for good evidence in subpoint C.

STEP 3: CUT OUT THE EVIDENCE

STEP 4: GLUE OR TAPE THE EVIDENCE TO PAPER

STEP 5: SOURCE CITE THE EVIDENCE

Explain what kind of source citation they should use (full source citation, short citation, or qualifications citation)

STEP 6: TAG THE EVIDENCE

ILLUSTRATION: Show students the newspaper with no headlines and no pictures. Ask them why it would be difficult to read the newspaper. Students will tell you that it would be boring, hard to find the right article, etc. Then say that those are the same reasons that they need labels for evidence.

STEP ONE: Read the evidence.

STEP TWO: Glue it on a brief or card.

STEP THREE: Label the evidence. Labels should be accurate, concise (5-9 words), and persuasive.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Label three pieces of evidence on an overhead. Have the students help you do it. Comment on the accuracy, conciseness, and persuasiveness of the labels.

ACTIVITY: Pass out six pieces of evidence. Give students ten minutes to label each piece of evidence and make briefs or blocks. As they construct the briefs or blocks, critique their work. When you critique their work, emphasize the following criteria: 1) complete sentence labels that are accurate, concise, and persuasive; 2) neatness; 3) efficient use of space on briefs--i.e. no large gaps between pieces of evidence; 4) the briefs/blocks should address one specific issue--not huge topics. When they are finished, have students state how they briefed or blocked the evidence. Comment on their approaches.

CONCLUDING ILLUSTRATION: Hold up the colorful newspaper with headlines and pictures and compare their labeled arguments with this exciting and clear newspaper.

STEP 7: ADD IN OTHER EVIDENCE

Show a handbook to students. Explain the table of contents and the evidence in it. You may also wish to discuss how to use a handbook properly.

CLASS REVIEW:

1. What is evidence?

2. State two reasons why evidence is needed.

3. State how to find evidence in an article.

4. State how to source cite evidence.

5. State how to tag evidence.

DAY 5: PREPARING CASES

MATERIALS:

1. Overhead projector.

2. Three or four pieces of labeled evidence typed on transparencies that you can use to make an affirmative case.

3. Overhead transparencies of completed backup briefs for the affirmative case.

4. Copies of eight pieces of evidence on one case for each student.

5. Five slips of paper with a word or phrase written on the slips (for use during the transition activity below).

6. Prepare four different kinds of introductions including a story that exemplifies your case, famous quotes that support your case, philosophy or value that backs your case, and a startling statistic or fact that supports your case. You will use these introductions for the case that you construct from the evidence in number 2 above.

7. Paper, scissors, or tape or glue for students who forget to bring them.

OBJECTIVES (DAY 5, USING ARGUMENTS TO MAKE CASES):

1. Student should number arguments in a case.

2. Students should impact arguments.

3. Students should make transitions between arguments.

4. Students should state the four kinds of introductions a debater can use.

5. Students should state the necessary elements of a conclusion.

6. Students should write an affirmative and negative case.

A REMINDER: Breaking Down Barriers begins by teaching students how to debate without theory. So, this lecture describes how to construct an affirmative and negative case with three simple arguments and no theory. Students learn how to construct full affirmative cases with significance, inherency, and solvency and negative disadvantages with links and impacts later. If you want to include these theory elements, just add them to the lecture.

LECTURE:

I. HOW TO PREPARE A CASE

A. CHOOSE THREE OR FOUR OF THE BEST PIECES OF LABELED EVIDENCE.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Tell students you chose three pieces of labeled evidence and put it in the order that students now see on the overhead. Use this evidence to construct a case on the overhead projector as you go through each of the following steps.

B. GLUE OR TAPE THE ARGUMENTS TO PAPER

C. NUMBER THE ARGUMENTS.

D. IMPACT THE ARGUMENTS. How to impact arguments: "Because of (the label or the reason in the evidence), therefore the argument or resolution is true".

WORKING EXAMPLE: Impact the arguments in your overhead case.

E. ADD TRANSITIONS.

ILLUSTRATION: Get five students to volunteer and come to the front of the class. Hand out five slips of paper with a word or phrase to the five students. Tell them to make one sentence connections between their word and the word of the previous person. For example, a student could link her word "dogs" to the previous student's word "cats" by offering the transition, "they fought like cats and dogs". When each has offered their transition--note, without attacking any of the student's transitions specifically, how some of the transitions were better than others.

WORKING EXAMPLE: Tell students to make transitions between the arguments in their cases by using the same effective kinds of connections. Do one or two transitions in the overhead case with student help.

F. WRITE AN INTRODUCTION. An introduction must include an attention getter and a word for word statement of the resolution. The attention getter can include the following:

WORKING EXAMPLE: Give examples specific to the overhead case for each type of attention getter.

1. A startling fact or statistic

2. A philosophy or theme

3. A quotation from a famous person