Debate
Advisor: Mrs. Wacker

Why Join Debate?
Why would you want to join debate? Well, there are many reasons. The first and foremost is its fun. When debating you will be using your brain and mouth, this will make you a better speaker, think quicker, and be able to gather and organize your thoughts in shorter amounts of time. Another important advantage to joining debate is that employers and colleges are looking for students with oral communication skills and leader abilities, both of which are improved with debating. Below are the steps that you will take each debate that you participate in. The paragraph called "process of a Debate" talks about the sequence of events that occur during a normal debate.

In every debate you will work with a partner forming a "debate team". You will either be for the issue (affirmative) you will be against the issue (negative).You will give speeches in a unique debate form. These speeches are called constrictive and rebuttals. Each person on each team will speak twice. There are affirmative rebuttals and negative rebuttals. Debating may seem challenging at first but, it will get easier and easier as you participate in more debates. Most of our debates will be competitive or tournament debating. In order to compete at tournaments and to give the debaters enough time to prepare, a standard topic is used all year. The issue will determine the debate area. From this area there can be many issues so that the debates are never the same.

Sequence of Events in a Debate

First the affirmative speech is given

1. The affirmatives state their proposal of what ought to be done, they say how their plan will solve the problem
2. Questions are asked to help understand their arguments. The answers are later used against the opposing team.
3. Negative attacks the affirmative and begins laying out additional issues. Negative makes arguments against the specifics of the affirmative case. Negative argues that if the plan is put into affect it will only be harm and they argue the statements of the affirmative. Negative argues that there would be a better alternative to the plan or counter-plan.
4. Defense of affirmative positions, attack negative positions, last chance to introduce new issues for affirmative.
5. Attack affirmative positions, defend negative positions, last chance to introduce new issues for the negative.
6. Answer all negative issues, defend affirmative positions.
7. The winning side is picked
8. Shake Hands. See if the judge has any comments.
   
   Each debate takes about 30 minutes. After you have had one debate and discussed it, in the next class period you can have two other debates by different students on the same topic.