ENTRY TASK
 Please peruse the handouts on
your desk to familiarize yourself
with the format and details of
Public Forum Debate.
INDEPENDENT READING
By class on FRI 4/22, obtain a book:
 of literary merit (at an appropriate reading
level)
 that you have not read before
 that is not written by an American-born author.
The goal is to gain exposure to diverse literature
from other cultures, so I encourage you to choose
something to help you diversify your reading
experience.
INDEPENDENT READING
My top quick picks:
 Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
(Germany/India)
 Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman
Rushdie (India)
 Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
THIS WEEK
 MON:
 Intro Debate
 TUES:
 Analyzing arguments
 Debate prep
 WED: Debate prep
 THURS: Debates 1 & 2 on Resolution A
 FRI: Debates 3 & 4 on Resolution B
NEXT WEEK
 MON–WED: EA 3.2 work time
 THURS: Danger of a Single Story
 FRI: EA 3.2 Peer reviews
 EA 3.2 Rough draft due by the beginning of
class
 Peer reviews due by midnight SUN 4/24
WEEK AFTER NEXT
 TUES 4/26: work time on EA 3.2 revisions
 EA 3.2 due @ midnight THURS 4/28
 MON 5/2: work time on Lit Device Glossary 4 for
Things Fall Apart
 LDG 4 for TFA due midnight THURS 5/5
OBJECTIVES
Today we will learn how to:
 effectively engage in a public forum
debate
 craft a solid argument
DEBATE
 The topic of the debate is worded as a resolution (for
example: RESOLVED: Dogs are better than cats) . Teams
must develop both a pro and a con case persuasively
supported by evidence and reasoning.
 Sides are decided by the flip of a coin at the start of
the debate.
 The only aspect of the debate that can be scripted
(prepared word-for-word in advance) is the opening
speech.
 Everything else will flow as a response to the
arguments of the other side, so be prepared to counter
the key arguments you anticipate each side making.
DEBATE FORMAT
 ROUND 1: Opening statements
 2 mins each side (Speaker A1 & B1)
 Crossfire (2 mins, Speaker A1 & B1)
 ROUND 2: Rebuttal
 2 mins each side (Speaker A2 & B2)
 Crossfire (2 mins, Speaker A2 & B2)
 ROUND 3: Summary
 2 mins each side (Speaker A3 & B3)
 Grand Crossfire (3 mins, all speakers)
 ROUND 4: Final Focus
 1 min each side (Speaker A4 & B4)
DEBATE
ROUND 1: Opening statements
 The first speaker for each team should prepare in advance
the reasons for supporting his or her team’s position on the
topic (remembering to prepare for both sides). Arguments
should be carefully worded to be accurate and precise.
 This is the only aspect of the debate that can be scripted
(prepared in advance word-for-word), so choose your words
carefully!
 The first crossfire should be used to clarify arguments and
ask probing questions to expose the weaknesses of the
other side’s argument.
 Crossfire begins with the debater who was just listening
asking a question.
DEBATE
ROUND 2: Rebuttal
 The second speaker for each team must attack the
arguments of the opposition and answer attacks made
upon his or her own team’s arguments by the opposition.
 This speech should reflect analysis of the previous
speeches and crossfire and a direct refutation of points
made by the opposition.
 The second crossfire is an opportunity to further clarify
areas of agreement and attack the arguments of the
opposition (posing dilemmas, exposing contradictions
and other weaknesses).
 Crossfire begins with the debater who was just listening
posing a question.
DEBATE
ROUND 3: Summary
 The third speaker for each team should consolidate his
or her team’s position by defending the most important
point in his or her team’s argument and attacking the
most important point in the argument of the opposition.
 The best strategy is to select only the most important
points or issues and cover them thoroughly.
 The grand crossfire further highlights areas of
agreement and disagreement and exposes weaknesses
of the arguments.
 Crossfire begins with a member of the listening team
posing a question to the opposition.
DEBATE
ROUND 4: Final Focus
 The purpose of the Final Focus is to restate the
reasons why your team has won the debate.
 NO NEW ARGUMENTS can be introduced in the
final focus. Judges are instructed to ignore any
new arguments raised.
OPENING SPEECH
An effective opening speech will contain the
elements of argument: hook, any necessary
background/context, claim, evidence, reasoning,
counterclaim, possibly a concession, definitely a
refutation, and a conclusion.
Identify the elements of argument in the example
opening speech, especially the claim,
counterclaim, concession, and refutation. How
does the writer support his or her claim against
the arguments of the other side?
DEFENSIVE / OFFENSIVE
To help you consider the ways in which you
might respond to the arguments presented
by your opposition, let’s look at two main
ways of refuting: Defensive and Offensive.
DEFENSIVE RESPONSE
 Defensive responses convince the judges that
the other team’s claim, evidence, or reasoning
is undeveloped, weak, or based on a flaw in
logic.
 What are some examples of logical fallacies?
 hasty generalization





either/or
ad populum
moral equivalence
red herring
causation / correlation
DEFENSIVE RESPONSE
 Defensive rebuttals do nothing to strengthen
your argument; they simply take away the other
team’s ability to argue. Essentially, these
arguments deny the veracity of the other team’s
claim.
 It is not enough to simply label the opposition’s
argument as weak – you must explain exactly
what about it is weak and why it is weak.
OFFENSIVE RESPONSE
 Offensive responses acknowledge or concede
the other side, but then use the other team’s
argument to their own advantage. This strategy
uses counter evidence or examples. For
example:
 X is bad, but X actually prevents the bad thing from happening.
“Yes, our team acknowledges the affirmative’s point that guns
have the potential to kill, but a closer look at the evidence
shows that this is the very reason guns have been proven to
save lives.” OR:
 X does indeed happen, but it is not bad. “There is evidence
that global warming is real, however, evidence shows that this
warming actually benefits the planet.”
DEBATE
 RESOLVED: In the novel Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe:
A. The benefits of colonization significantly
mitigate the drawbacks.
B. Okonkwo is a tragic hero.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 ALL LATE OR REVISED WORK UP TO THIS
POINT IN THE SEMESTER IS DUE BY THE
END OF THIS WEEK (FRI 4/15).