1. Introduction to Debate

2. Why learn debate? Persuade others to get what you want
College admissions essays
Convince parents to allow you to…
Convince friends to…
Argue for something in your job
Help settle other arguments
Negotiate a peaceful solution
Mediate between friends or family
Defend yourself
Prove you are innocent
Prove why something was unintentional
Argue why something shouldn’t happen

3. What’s the difference?
Bottom Line:
FIGHTING is personally attacking in order to win.
DEBATE is a logical, objective* discussion to determine what is right.
*objective= neutral,
not biased
Debate: two people equally trying to prove which side is “right”, using a formal structure.
Argument: presenting a persuasive opinion; there may or may not be another person involved.
Fight: confrontation in which people cross lines to prove to each other WHO or what is “right”
Persuasion

4. What IS debate? Debate can be: Formal OR informal
With OR without an audience
With OR without a “judge” – competitive or non-competitive
Written OR spoken
Political, legal, OR everyday
With OR without consequences for whoever “loses”

5. It’s more than just bickering!
Elaborate types of logic can be used in debates to make things complicated.
Ex: deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, value criteria, etc.
There are many very formal types of debate. EACH has its own set of rules and structures for what it said and when.
Ex: Lincoln- Douglas debates
For this unit, we are focusing on a very simplified version of Lincoln-Douglas debate (LD).

6. What is Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD)?
Series of seven famous debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln (Republican) and Senator Stephen Douglas (Democrat).
MANY topics were debated; one of them was slavery.
They were running against each other for the Illinois State Senate.
Their debates are so famous that students on today’s debate teams compete against each other using LD structure.

7. LD structure Affirmative Constructive Negative Cross Examination
Notice that:
Two debaters take turns (no interrupting)
Fast pace
Time limits
Combination of delivering speeches, rebuttals to the other person’s comments, and “cross- examination” (interrogating them) in order to ask clarification questions
Affirmative Constructive
Negative Cross Examination
Negative Constructive
Affirmative Cross Examination
Affirmative Rebuttal
Negative Rebuttal
Prep Time in between some rounds

8. So, how exactly DO you debate?
Important vocabulary to understand for a debate

9. Terms to Know Opening statement Closing statement
a statement made by the lawyer for each side at the beginning of a trial, in which each lawyer outlines the case he or she intends to present
in a trial, each attorney's summary of the case, which attempts to persuade the judge (and the jury if there is one) to favor his or her side
Remember: the opening statement is a speech that you prepare and practice in advance.
You can only practice the closing statement to a point, since you will have to spontaneously react to things that are said in the trial or debate.

10. Terms to Know
Counterargument
Rebuttal
the opposite argument or viewpoint from what the speaker/writer is saying
a response that refutes an argument; a comeback
Refute: to prove to be false or incorrect

11. Terms to Know
Justify: Defend, explain, or make excuses for by reasoning
Ex: The student tried to justify why his homework was late, but there were no good excuses.
Acknowledge: To recognize or admit
Ex: The lawyer acknowledged the counterargument, but immediately stated his own rebuttal in return.
Delineate: Mark the outline of; sketch; describe in detail
Ex: The team of lawyers delineated the other side’s argument in their attempt to find a weak spot and attack them better.
Evaluate: To examine, assess, and judge carefully.
Ex: The judge evaluated all of the evidence and decided who was guilty.

12. Terms to Know Connected with or related to the subject
Relevant
Irrelevant
Connected with or related to the subject
Having nothing to do with the subject