Debating Current Agriculture Issues LESSON AFNR D3-6

Anticipated Problems What is an effective argument that includes an introduction, pros, cons, and summary? What are professional ethics and standards? What are the strategies for responding to rebuttals?

Terms to Know con introduction plagiarism pro rebuttal summary

Debating Debating important issues has long been an activity to share major points of controversial issues in the open and to allow people to formulate their opinions in an open forum. Debaters argue the issue in a professional and ethical manner. Both sides provide major points that support their argument.

Debating Debating topics in agriculture is beneficial because various controversial issues exist that people strongly support or strongly oppose. Those debating should be cooperative, ethical, and respectful to the opposing side at all times during the debate.

Debating

Parts of the Debate The major parts of a debate are: The introduction Pros and cons The summary

Debate: The Introduction The introduction is a section that exists to focus on the actual argument the debater is supporting. This section should outline how each side supports the topic. The argument content is outlined and mentioned briefly, not discussed in detail at this point. Generally no longer than three minutes

Debate: Pros and Cons Individuals on each side of the argument must be able to build their argument with items such as supporting facts, cited examples, statistical information, and quotations. Generally, a good agricultural debate is allowed at least 10 to 20 minutes of actual arguing over an issue.

Debate: Pros and Cons The debate is structured with two sides of the argument. One side portrays the pros, and the other side portrays the cons. A pro is a proponent of an issue. It supports the argument being made. In contrast, a con is an argument against the position being presented.

Debate: Pros and Cons The pros and cons of an argument contain the important details and content representing both sides of controversial issues. It is important to have the proper amount of detail and factual information when supporting or opposing an argument.

Debate: The Summary The summary is the last section of the debate that brings it to closure by reiterating the major (strong) points of each side of the argument. It is essential to disprove the opponent’s side by stating why the opposing side does not have strong evidence to support their viewpoints. Be confidence and show poise.

Professional Standards Professional standards and ethics are guidelines, from many sources, that represent the proper way to say or write information not owned by the debater. These guidelines are ethical, honest, and fair. They should be followed when writing or reproducing information of any kind in any setting.

Professional Standards When researching information for debates, it is up to you while searching for information to avoid embellishing factual information. Use only the facts. Do not change the facts for any reason, as this would be unethical.

Plagiarism Plagiarism is the use of exact wording, language, and/or ideas or paraphrases without acknowledging the original source.

Plagiarism Plagiarism may be avoided by properly paraphrasing written material and providing the source of the information in MLA or APA format. In debate preparations, you may say “According to…” or “Based upon the readings of …”

Falsifying If you falsify information, you are embellishing the facts or do not share the truth about what is being shared. This is extremely unethical. Unfortunately, if this occurs, the entire debate has been based on the wrong information.

Using Reliable Information When preparing the introduction statements and content for a debate, the use of information from reputable books, magazines, newspapers, Internet sites, a lecture, etc., are considered reliable and useful.

Using Reliable Information Report or discuss an actual fact or point being made by the original information. Beware of Web sites that have information that is too vague or incorrect, or unreliable. When searching for information, especially on the Internet, find sites that provide reputable information backed up with sources.

The Rebuttal The rebuttal is a portion in a debate in which a speaker responds after the opening statement is given by the opposing side or toward the end of the debate before the summary.

The Rebuttal A rebuttal is challenging because it depends on what the other side says as to how the person will rebut the main points.

The Rebuttal When listening to the other side, jot down the major points to see if the content is clear or flawed. By doing this, the rebuttal will include how weak the opposition may have been on a major point It may illustrate that the opposing side has flawed or incorrect information.

The Rebuttal Consider this: Has the opposing side addressed everything necessary to support the argument? If you have prepared properly, you know as much as possible about the topic being argued. If the opposing side does not address a certain point in the argument, the other side may rebut this and gain points or credibility.

The Rebuttal Another strategy is to consider the overall emphasis of the argument and to focus on the assumptions it makes. For example, ask: Is the opposing side addressing the major points? Why does he or she believe that way? Is he or she only providing fluffy and ambiguous points that make no sense?

Review Questions What are some benefits to effective debating? When quoting a source, what must be done to avoid plagiarism? Give one way to create a successful rebuttal.