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Points of information can be given to the opposing side when they are speaking. This is in
the form of a question, and cannot last more than 15 seconds.
For every debate, the first and last minute are protected time, where you cannot make
any Points of Information.
Understand how debates work. You will be given a debate topic – this is called a
“resolution." Your team must take a stance either affirmative or negative to the resolution.
Sometimes you will be given the stance, and sometimes you will be asked to take a
position. You may be asked to be the first speaker pro the resolution or the first con
speaker. Often such speeches are about four minutes long each.
The speakers then present arguments against the earlier pro or con speech that was just
read. Speakers must listen carefully and be able to counter arguments. There are often
segments involving crossfire, in which the debaters are allowed to ask questions and
openly debate the topic.
Sometimes there is a second pro and second con speech to summarize the points made
and end the debate round.
First the opening sides debate.
There will be two opening teams - the Opening
Government and the Opening Opposition.
One person on side government, called the
Prime Minister, speaks first. S/he must define
every important term in the topic. S/he must
define them carefully, because should s/he
introduce fail to do so, side opposition may
define those terms in any way that best suits it.
Next, the Prime Minister will introduce any
contentions (points you wish to use to prove
your case) s/he wishes to do. It is imperative
that the Prime Minister sets a clear and narrow
resolution so that the debate is focused and no
too broad. The time limit is generally 5
minutes. One person on side opposition, called the
Leader of the Opposition, speaks next. S/he
must refute (prove incorrect) every contention
the Prime Minister just made and introduce
any contentions s/he wishes to do so. The time
limit is generally 5 minutes.
One person on side government, called the
Deputy Prime Minister, speaks next. S/he
must refute every contention the Member of
the Opposition just introduced, rebuild (re-
prove) the Prime Minister's contentions and
introduce any additional contentions s/he
wishes to introduce. The time limit is generally
5 minutes.
One person on side opposition, called the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition, speaks
next. S/he must refute every contention of side
government, rebuild all of side opposition's
contentions and introduce any additional
contentions s/he wishes to add. Sometimes, it
may be against the rules to introduce new
contentions in this speech in the last [enter
amount here] minutes of the speech. It is also,
generally, a good idea to summarize all the
points of the opening opposition (the Leader of
Opposition and his own points) in this speech,
as the Leader of the Opposition is the last
person of his side to speak. The time limit is
generally 8 minutes.
The closing sides now debate.
You will also want to deal with the strongest arguments on the other side in your speech.
Ignoring the other side’s best arguments can weaken your rhetorical appeal.
• A basic debate outline should contain four
parts: An introduction, your thesis
argument, your key points to back your
stance up, and a conclusion. Be prepared to
define any key words for the judges.
• You can break each of those four part into
subcategories. It’s often a good idea to
write the introduction and conclusion last,
focusing on the thesis argument and the
evidence to back it up first.
Keep your sentences short and to the point. Only make one point or argument in each
sentence. You want the reader to be able to build the argument logically, but this is
impossible if they get lost in the weeds.
Develop your key points
• Back every single one of your key points up with examples, statistics and other pieces
of evidence.
• Focus on the causes of the problem, the effects of the problem, examples, statistics,
and present a solution.
• Try to use visual images – show don’t tell, and illustrate a point with details.
• Appeal to the motives and emotions of the listener.
• Appeal to their sense of fair play, desire to save, to be helpful, to care about
community, etc.
Strike a balance between presenting your team's point(s) and rebutting the opponent's
point. Since teams take turns debating, it's always possible to offer rebuttals unless you
are the first affirmative speaker.
The Art of Persuasion
• Repetition: Keep hammering on your thesis. Tell them what you're telling them, tell
them it, then tell them what you told them. They'll get the point by the end.
• Quotations reinforce that you aren't the only one making this point. It tells people that,
socially, if they want to fit in, they need to consider your viewpoint.
• Agitation of the Problem: Before offering solutions, show them how bad things are.
Give them a reason to care about your argument.
Consider your audience
What’s persuasive to one person may not
be persuasive to another. For this reason,
it’s crucial to consider to whom you are
targeting your speech.