Public Forum Case

You Will Learn… What goes into a public forum debate case, What are the ways to introduce my case, What type of main points should I make, How can I make my case better, How do I end my case

Components of a Case Introduction Main Points Conclusion Sound Familiar???

Introduction Quote, statistic, attention grabbing story, question State the resolution Define key terms Preview main points

Main Points (Contentions) Format Your Arguments Real World Arguments Philosophical Arguments Historical Arguments Economic Arguments

Format Tag: Summary of the piece of evidence Source: Author, date, publication Piece of evidence Sub-points?

Real World Arguments We must accept what the real world is before we can change it. Find the reason behind the problem. Anger solves nothing, allow that anger to cause you to act.

Philosophical Arguments Identify the moral or ethical beliefs that are relevant Liberty, justice, religion, etc. Ex. Abortion, Same sex marriage

Historical Arguments The past history proves a certain approach to be good or bad. “This didn’t work last time” Ex. Abandon deploying the anti-missile defense

Economic Arguments Argue the cost should drive the judge’s decision. Will this make money or spend money? Ex. Increase nuclear energy Will jobs be created or lost? Ex. More countries to NAFTA

Now, Make it Better Use power words and action phrases “rights should grow” vs. “vital human rights must be aggressively increased” Use statistics and numbers “terrorists will be deterred by a pilot with a gun” vs. “empirical data gathered by E1 A1 Airlines statistically proves that terrorists are deterred by armed pilots”

Conclusion Relate back to your intro Review your main points Urge a vote in your favor

Delivery Is Key It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it Strong volume, frequent eye contact, gestures and facial expressions Advance your “ethos” or your credibility as a speaker with good grammar and appropriate vocabulary