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Refuting Arguments Rebuttal is an important part of debate. It is clearly stating what your opposing team said is wrong. They Said: Identify your opposing team’s argument that you are going to refute But We Say: State what your team’s argument is. Because: Provide reasons that prove why the opposing team is wrong. Therefore: Tell the judge why your argument is better than your opponents argument.

Flowing Flowing is a style of note-taking that helps you summarize every argument in a clear and efficient way. It is important to have a good style of note-taking because of the nature of debate. In a round, you must respond to everything your opponent has said to have a good chance of winning the round. Because speakers usually speak very fast, you have to be able to use certain strategies to make your notes short, clear, and understandable.

Shorthand Learn to use certain symbols to shorten what you’re writing. B/c = Because W/ = With IRL = In Real Life ≈ = About Assoc. = Associated Btwn = Between Arrows measuring increases or decreases Using numbers instead of spelling out

Example If their verbal argument is: Violent video games should be banned because they are not age appropriate, they show graphic scenes, and they desensitize the brain to violence. Your written notes should look similar to: VG not age appropriate. Graphic scenes, desensitize brain to violence. You wrote down exactly what they said, in half the time by using “shorthand”

Writing down any argument or rebuttal verbatim will lead to more reading instead of debating. Putting arguments into a bullet point, shorthand format allows you to keep track of where you are in your speech, as well as allowing you to make eye contact with the judge to show that you are well versed in your speech

Exercise 1 In shorthand, write the following argument as you would in a debate round: Exposure to violent video games is linked to lower empathy in players. In a 2004 study of 150 fourth and fifth graders by Professor Jeanne Funk, violent video games were the only type of media associated with lower empathy.

Answer Your answer should look similar to…: Playing VVG = lower empathy study, th & 5 th grade shows VVG is only media assoc. w/  empathy. Let’s try another example…

Exercise 2 In shorthand, write the following argument as you would in a debate round: Video games often reward players for simulating violence, and thus enhance the learning of violent behaviors. Studies suggest that when violence is rewarded in video games, players show increased aggressive behavior compared to players of video games where violence is punished.

Answer Your shorthand looks similar to this…: VG reward for violence, enhance learning of violent behaviors. Study shows rewarded violence in game = more aggressive IRL.