Whitman Debate Camp

LD Lecture Notes

 

These lectures should be used as a starter as most aren’t complete/set up for a full lecture.

 

Intro to LD (Beginners)............................................................................................................. 2

Bracketing, tagging, citing evidence.......................................................................................... 4

Prepare an Affirmative Case..................................................................................................... 5

Prepare a Negative Case........................................................................................................... 6

Presenting Cases....................................................................................................................... 7

Flowing and Refutation.............................................................................................................. 8

Example Short LD Debate....................................................................................................... 10

Rebuilding Arguments............................................................................................................. 11

Rebuttals: Crystallizing the voting issues................................................................................ 12

Cross-Examination Game........................................................................................................ 13

Delivery Game......................................................................................................................... 14

Values Lectures....................................................................................................................... 15

Philosopher Lectures............................................................................................................... 16

USING THE LESSON PLANS FOR LECTURES.................................................................... 20

LECTURE OUTLINES............................................................................................................ 20

DAY 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE CLASS.......................................................................... 20

DAY 2: INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE................................................................................ 22

DAY 3: INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC LECTURE......................................................... 23

DAY 4: PREPARING ARGUMENTS.................................................................................... 23

DAY 5: PREPARING CASES................................................................................................ 25

DAY 6: PRACTICE PRESENTING CASES.......................................................................... 27

DAY 7: EXAMPLE MINI-DEBATE....................................................................................... 28

DAY 8 AND 9: DELIVER CASES......................................................................................... 28

DAY 10: RESPONDING TO ARGUMENTS.......................................................................... 28

DAY 11: 4 STEP REFUTATION........................................................................................... 30

DAY 12: REBUILDING ARGUMENTS................................................................................ 31

DAY 13-14: REFUTATION AND REBUTTAL DEBATES..................................................... 31

DAY 15: CROSS-EXAMINATION........................................................................................ 32

DAY 16, 17, 18 AND 19: MINI-DEBATES............................................................................ 32

VALUE LECTURES................................................................................................................. 33

VALUE DAY 21/49: ISSUES IN VALUE DEBATE............................................................... 33

VALUE DAY 22/50: MAKING AND DEFENDING A VALUE AFFIRMATIVE CASE.......... 34

VALUE DAY 23 TO 26/51 TO 54: RESEARCHING AND PREPARING AFFIRMATIVE CASES.................................................................................................................................. 34

VALUE DAY 27/55: MAKING A NEGATIVE CASE............................................................. 35

VALUE DAY 28 TO 30/55 TO 56: PREPARE NEGATIVE CASES........................................ 35

VALUE DAY 31/58: LAST MINUTE AFFIRMATIVE CASE WORK..................................... 35

VALUE DAY 32/59: WHAT TO DO IN A LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE........................... 36

 

Intro to LD (Beginners)

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Students to understand how a debate works and some of the basic cases/arguments on the first LD topic.

 

NOTE: BRING COPIES OF EACH OF THE RESOLUTIONS TO THE LECTURE TO HAND OUT TO EACH STUDENT

 

INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE

I. INTRODUCTION TO DEBATE

A. WHAT IS DEBATE? Debate occurs when two opposing sides advocate a position on an issue to another person who makes a decision about which side of the argument is more convincing.

ACTIVITY: Have students get into groups and present arguments to each other about a current, well known topic. Tell the students the topic, then have them discuss for about five minutes. Call on groups to see what they argued.

B. WHAT HAPPENS IN A DEBATE?

1. YOU DEBATE A RESOLUTION A resolution is the topic of debate, a statement in support of a stand on an issue. This year’s resolutions are PASS OUT A COPY OF THESE TO EACH OF THE STUDENTS:

·        When they conflict, the means ought to be prioritized above the ends in making governmental policy.

·        A just society ought to use affirmative action programs to promote equality.

·        The intervention of one nation in the domestic affairs of another nation is morally justified.

·        Violent juvenile offenders ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.

·        Judicial activism ought to be valued above strict constructionism as the basis for US Supreme Court decisions.

·        In America, government provision of welfare for the poor ought to take priority over individual economic freedom.

·        Inaction in the face of injustice makes an individual morally culpable.

·        Establishing a safe educational environment in grades K-12 justifies infringement of students' civil liberties.

·        That colleges and universities have a moral obligation to prohibit the public expression of hate speech on their campuses.

·        That the demands of the work environment justify an employer's violation of employees' privacy.

2. IF YOU ARE AFFIRMATIVE--You take a position that supports the resolution. GIVE EXAMPLE OF AN AFFIRMATIVE CASE.

3. IF YOU ARE NEGATIVE--You take a position that rejects the affirmative. GIVE EXAMPLE OF A NEGATIVE POSITION AGAINST THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE YOU STATED.

4. You debate to convince the judge.

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, & the judge/audience.

C. THE PROCESS OF A DEBATE

1. YOU TAKE A POSITION

Then you support it with appealing arguments--arguments that rest on sound principles that the judge will believe are true.

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

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. YOU ATTACK YOUR OPPONENTS’ POSITION

3. YOU DEFEND YOUR POSITION

D. LD SPEAKER DUTIES

Explain what each speaker does in a debate.

AC: 6 min, Present Case including arguments in favor of the resolution.

CX: Neg questions Aff

NC; 7 min., Attack aff case, Present Neg Case against the aff/resolution

CX: Aff questions Neg

1AR: 4 min., Rebuild aff case, respond to neg case

NR: 6 min., Rebuild neg case and reattack the aff case

2AR: 3 min., Rebuild aff case and reattack the neg case

ACTIVITY: Have two students come to the front and do an example debate with really, really short speeches (30 to 45 second speeches; 1 question allowed for each cross-ex) to demonstrate a debate. Talk about the debate as it occurs and answer questions.

Bracketing, tagging, citing evidence

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Working with you, students bracket, tag, and cite evidence from ONE SAME article on YOUR lab’s affirmative case. You offer feedback and help them cut/tag/cite better. Then, students can cut different articles from each other.

 

QUESTION: WHAT KIND OF CITATION DO WE WANT?

Answer: I want author, qualifications, full date and then the rest of the junk.

 

WORKING EXAMPLE: Pass out a photocopy of THE SAME article to each student. The article should be on your affirmative case.

 

NOTE: Even though just one of you did the research for this resolution, that person should make a photocopy of all materials for the other lab leader to use in his/her lab.

 

1.      Bracket the evidence IN THE ARTICLES
Tell students to bracket 3 to 7 sentences; the evidence should give a strong reason for its main claim.

ACTIVITY: 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.

2.      CUT OUT the evidence

3.      GLUE OR TAPE THE EVIDENCE TO A PIECE OF PAPER

4.     SOURCE CITE THE EVIDENCE
Tell students that they need to write directly above the evidence the author, author qualifications, full date, publication, page number.
Remind them that they cannot write “Same source as above”
Tell them to use dark pens for photocopying!
ACTIVITY: Have students do this with the evidence from their article.
BE SURE TO WALK AROUND THE ROOM LOOKING AND COMMENTING ON STUDENT WORK.

5.     TAG the evidence to make arguments
Show students how--explain they need to write a complete, 4 to 9 word sentence that accurately and persuasively states the main point of the evidence.
Provide an example of tagging on the overhead or with one of the pieces of evidence in the article.
NOTE: Our tags should use NO symbols or abbreviations; they MUST have verbs too--we want complete sentences!
ACTIVITY: Have students tag their evidence.
Be sure to show them where to write the tag (many will try to write tags after the citation, to the side of the evidence, etc.)

 

IF STUDENTS FINISH, GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL ARTICLES—THEY CAN USE ALL OF THIS EVIDENCE TO CONSTRUCT THEIR AFFIRMATIVE CASE.

Prepare an Affirmative Case

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Each student will finish this lab time with a completed affirmative case that he/she wrote. You will need to bring cut evidence into the lab to help make this happen as cutting articles up will not give you enough time to finish.

 

NOTE: EACH STUDENT NEEDS TO PREPARE HIS/HER OWN CASE SO THAT EACH STUDENT CAN PRESENT HIS/HER OWN CASE

So, you need enough copies of the evidence you handout for each student to make his/her own case.

 

Using the evidence that all the students have just cut, cited and tagged (not any articles that only individual students received) and more evidence that you hand out, teach them how to construct an affirmative case.  Have them write a case using their evidence (about a 5 to 6 card 1AC).  Yes there is enough time to write a case if you keep your lecture short and maximize the time that they work on their case.  Try to look at everyone’s work--walk around the room and offer encouraging and helpful comments and answer questions.

NOTE: Students work on their affirmative case individually. Make sure each student knows how to put together an affirmative case.

 

I. How to make and defend a case.

A. Choose a case and research it.

HINT TO THE STUDENTS: Point out that it is frequently a good idea to choose a value example to reduce potential value objections.

EXPLANATION: Tell the students which case you will develop during the lecture and pass out the evidence.  Choose a case that addresses one of the LD resolutions.

Text Box: Example case OBSERVATION I. RESOLUTIONAL ANALYSIS A. DEFINITIONS 1. Capital Punishment means . . . So, we will discuss only …, not …. 2. Justified means . . . B. SAFETY IS THE VALUE Evidence showing safety is an important value C. CRITERION: If I can show capital punishment enhances safety, then I should win the debate. CONTENTION I. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ENHANCES SAFETY (the value) A. Argument why with ev. B. Argument why with ev. B. Develop AN EVALUATION/resolutional OBSERVATION.

1. DEFINITIONS

Define the key terms in the topic. Explain what arguments are and are not relevant based on the definitions.

2. VALUE

State and explain your value. Justify the value and give reasons why the value is more important than competing values you expect your opponent to present.

3. CRITERION

A criterion states what must be proven to support the resolution. Often it is a statement of how to meet the value and therefore the resolution.

EXAMPLE: A criterion might be worded as "If I can show that drug testing violates the value of privacy, then I will have proven the resolution that drug testing is unjustified."

WARNING: You will hear questions such as

1. "What is the difference between a value and a criterion?"

The answer is: a criteria is a statement of how proving the value proves the resolution.

2. "That's not how I was taugh to do a criteria."

The answer is: fine; do it your way generally, but give our approach a try and learn something new! J

C. CONTENTIONS.  CONTENTIONS SHOW that the value object or value example supports the criterion.

ACTIVITY: Give students twenty minutes to construct cases using the your LD Case Evidence Handout.  Then, call on students to present their cases.  Comment on their cases.

D. PREPARE Backup briefs.  With briefs/evidence that remain after writing YOUR affirmative case, make backup briefs.

 

IF YOU HAVE TIME LEFT: OFFER Advanced ideas for cases? Rhetoric of a case; preemption of negative arguments; etc.

Prepare a Negative Case

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Each student will finish this lab time with a completed negative case that he/she wrote. You will need to bring cut evidence into the lab to help make this happen as cutting articles up will not give you enough time to finish. AGAIN: THE LAB LEADER WHO RESEARCHED THE CASE NEEDS TO GIVE COPIES OF ALL ARTICLES TO THE OTHER LAB LEADER.

 

NOTE: EACH STUDENT NEEDS TO PREPARE HIS/HER OWN CASE SO THAT EACH STUDENT CAN PRESENT HIS/HER OWN CASE DURING THE NEXT HOUR

So, you need enough copies of the evidence you handout for each student to make his/her own case.

 

THERE ARE NO LECTURE NOTES FOR THIS PRESENTATION. BASICALLY, STUDENTS PREPARE A NEGATIVE CASE THE SAME WAY THEY DID AS THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE.

HOWEVER, STUDENTS NEED TO BE REMINDED TO KEEP THEIR NEGATIVE CASE TO 3 TO 4 MINUTES MAXIMUM SO THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING TO THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE.

Presenting Cases

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Each student will present about 2 to 3 minutes of their affirmative case. You offer comments (during and/or at the end of the 2 to 3 minutes) and have them redo what they aren’t doing so well. Be sure to identify at least one specific thing each student does well--make them feel good about themselves.

 

Talk to students and give them examples of how to read:

1. speaking clearly

2. speaking persuasively, not just to go fast

3. reading tags, citations and the quotation with intonation so they are distinct from each other

4. reading lines in quotations so their persuasive parts stand out

 

Each student should present about 2 to 3 minutes of his or her case.

 

Give each student specific feedback about what they did well and what they need to improve on. I suggest that you have them redo parts they need to improve on.

 

NOTE: WE ARE NOT TRAINING STUDENTS TO BE SPEED READERS.

If students want to go fast, that’s fine. Help them do it clearly and persuasively.

If students don’t go fast/don’t want to go fast, THAT IS FINE. Encourage them to be clear and persuasive as well.

 

Flowing and Refutation

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: I want every student to flow (not necessarily on a flowsheet with columns). When students flow, I want them to flow the evidence. I want you to check their flowing and give them concrete tips for improving. I want every student to engage in “4 step” refutation. Some people like to describe 4 step refutation differently than I do--that’s fine with me. Just get them to respond to arguments.

 

YOU NEED FOR THIS LECTURE: Evidence for an argument and against it. Ask Jim for this material.

 

Its as simple as it sounds. Give them the basics in the lecture below. Then, have them flow; followed by having them refute. Try to look at everyone’s work--walk around the room and offer encouraging and helpful comments and answer questions.

 

BIG TIP: HUGE PROBLEM IN THIS LECTURE IS THAT LECTURERS PRESENT THE ARGUMENTS TOO FAST FOR THE STUDENTS TO FLOW.  YOU NEED TO GO RIDICULOUSLY SLOW--WAY BELOW CONVERSATION SPEED.  Otherwise, they can’t flow it and then they just sit there stunned--some might even cry. :)

 

NOTE: THE POINT OF THIS LECTURE IS TO GET STUDENTS TO WRITE DOWN THE RIGHT STUFF ON THEIR FLOW. INFORMATION ABOUT FLOWSHEETS (5 COLUMNS, ETC. IS TAUGHT LATER TODAY RIGHT BEFORE THE EXAMPLE DEBATE)

 

1. WHAT YOU FLOW

When you flow an argument, write down:

·        the tag

·        the source

·        the main reasons or facts that the evidence offers in support of the label. Make sure you tell them to flow the evidence--that is the most common flowing problem.

DO AN EXAMPLE ON THE BOARD

ACTIVITY: Present two arguments for them to flow.  Have students flow the arguments. Have two or three students reconstruct the arguments out loud by using their flows.  Comment on their flowing skills based on their reconstruction.

2. ABBREVIATION TIPS

SQ, Increase, Decrease, Causes, Sig., Inh., Solv., etc.

Topic specific abbreviations: ed; acad achiev; super ed flex; federalism; clinton; etc.

ACTIVITY: Have students flow two more arguments. REMEMBER--SPEAK INCREDIBLY SLOWLY!  SUGGESTION--PRESENT ONE ARGUMENT AND THEN ASK IF THEY WANT YOU TO GO SLOWER--ALSO LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE WRITING AS YOU PRESENT THE CASE.

3. FLOWING RESPONSES

Draw an arrow across from the argument and then write the response.

DO AN EXAMPLE ON THE BOARD

ACTIVITY: Present responses to two of the arguments you presented. Have students flow the responses. AGAIN--SPEAK VERY SLOWLY.  Have two or three students read their flows out loud and comment on their flowing skills based on what they say they flowed.

4. ACTIVITY: PLAY THE I DISAGREE GAME

Have students split into two groups, go to sides of the room, line up single file and face each other.  Start by having the first student in one of the two lines (line A) make an argument.  On the other side (line B), the first student should say, "I disagree because . . .", and should complete the sentence.  The second person in line A should make an argument and the second person in the line B should respond with, "I disagree because . . ." and the process continues until everyone has made an argument.  Then, reverse roles and have line B make arguments and line B make responses.

5. RESPONDING TO ARGUMENTS WHEN YOU DEBATE

1. FLOW.  Flow your opponent's arguments carefully.

WORKING EXAMPLE/ACTIVITY: Present and flow an argument.

2. THINK UP REFUTATION RESPONSES.  As you flow, listen to your opponent's arguments.  What flaws do you see in their arguments?

Prepare to present these flaws you see in their arguments by drawing an arrow across from their argument and writing down the flaw.

3. PULL OUT BRIEFS.  Pull out briefs that attack the argument.  Draw an arrow across from their argument and writing down the response(s) from the briefs you choose.

WORKING EXAMPLE/ACTIVITY: Pass out a brief with responses on it.

4. NOTE: WRITE DOWN RESPONSES WHEN YOU CAN.  Flow your arguments as you flow your opponent's case or when your opponent is finished.

5. USE YOUR FLOWSHEET TO DO YOUR REFUTATION (4 step).

·        On the left, you’ll see your opponent’s argument. STATE THE NUMBER AND TAG.

·        You see the arrow on your flow. PAUSE, SAY “I DISAGREE,” ETC.

·        You see your responses. GIVE YOUR RESPONSES--NUMBER, TAG, REASON/EVIDENCE

·        When you are done with your responses: SUM UP IN ONE SHORT SENTENCE YOUR POINT, AND SAY “GO TO THEIR NEXT ARGUMENT, . . .”

ACTIVITY: Present another argument.  Tell students to prepare responses to the argument.  Give students ten minutes to prepare to respond to the argument using four step refutation.  Each student will go to the front of the class and do four step refutation.  Inevitably, they do not do it correctly.  Critique their refutation and make them do it again until they get it right.  Encourage students to use accurate, clear, and concise labels, clear four step refutation, and the use of both refutation and counterargumentation.  Be sure to point out what students do well in addition to what they need to improve upon.

 

ACTIVITY: Continue 4 step refutation practice.

 

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Beginners to learn how to use a flowsheet during a debate.

 

1. MAKE YOUR AFF CASE FLOWS

You will use this flow for the aff. case and all responses made directly to the arguments in the aff. case

Divide the sheets into 5 columns. 1ac, nc, 1ar, nr, 2ar

Explain how you flow in each column

 

2. MAKE YOUR NEG CASE FLOWS

You will use this flow for arguments that the negative raises that do not directly address an argument in the aff. case

Divide the sheets into 4 columns. nc, 1ar, nr, 2ar

Explain how you flow in each column

 

3. FLOWING DURING THE DEBATE

1ac, flow in the left column of the aff case flow

nc, flow in the left column of the off case flow; then in the second column of the aff case flow

Etc.

 

Example Short LD Debate

 

It’s the match of the century. Set up the debate.

 

GO SLOW! I cannot emphasize this enough. Go slow.

 

Also, this is not a competitive situation. Make it a pleasant, low key debate.

 

Please provide case clash with evidence--set a good role model for the students. Keola, especially, take note that the rebuttals in LD are horrendously short.

 

 

Rebuilding Arguments

 

WHAT JIM WANTS: Students to practice rebuilding arguments (1ar rebuilding case; nr rebuilding the neg case)

 

1. WHAT IS REBUILDING ARGUMENTS

Rebuilding arguments happens in the speech after someone has refuted your case, disadvantage, counterplan, etc.

Instead of just answering your opponent’s arguments, you defend your argument against attacks.

2. HOW TO REBUILD ARGUMENTS

WORKING EXAMPLE: Flow an example case contention with three or four subpoints. Flow two responses to the contention.