Remember:
A debate is basically, an argument
It is not an undisciplined shouting match between parties that
passionately believe in a particular point of view.
In fact the opposite is true. Debating has strict rules of conduct and
quite sophisticated arguing techniques.
There will be times you will have to argue the opposite of what you
believe in – which only strengthens your critical thinking skills!
If a debate is a form of argument then it logically follows that there
must be something to argue about.
This is called the TOPIC. The topic changes from debate to debate.
They are often about current issues of public import (“That President
Obama is overstepping his authority” or about general philosophies or
ideas ("That beauty is better than brains").
What are the types of debates? There are thousands but the
most common are these four types of debates:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Lincoln-Douglas debate (the two person debate)
The Rebuttal debate (2 person debate with as many
rebuttals as directed or needed.)
The One-Rebuttal type of debate – (2 person debate with
only one rebuttal allowed)
The Oregon-Oxford debate that is also called as the crossquestion debate. (two person debate with each person able
to ask a question or number of questions)
Although there are many variations in these debates with
regards to time limits as well as in the sequence of the
speakers, the debate’s primary requisites remain intact.
We will cover all the basic 4 types of debates with some
variations to fit our classroom and students.
Next activity is brainstorming both the negative and
affirmative of an issue. Each person is going to get an index
card and you must think of two topics.
DEBATE BASICS CONTINUED
The idea is for one side of the table to take the negative, the
other side will take the affirmative. So tables with six will
have 3 affirmative statements and three negative statements
Each person has one minute to think of an affirmative or
negative depending on which side you are on.
The affirmative side starts, then a negative, then an
affirmative, etc
Next switch to the second topic on the card, and the
affirmative for the first issue is now the negative, and the
negative on the first issue is now the affirmative.
As previously stated there are rules and structure to debate
that must be followed, so lets discuss them:
1ST GENERAL RULE – IDENTIFY PREMISES AND
CONCLUSIONS
The structure of a debate comes in many forms but we will start
with a basic structure and short arguments and build on it:
Identify premises & conclusions - what are you trying to prove?
The conclusion is the statement for which you are giving reasons
The statements that give you reasons are your premises
Some are obvious, such as this Winston Churchill statement:
I am an optimist. It does not seem to be much use being anything
else.
This is an argument – not just an amusing quip – because
Churchill is giving a reason to be an optimist: his premise is that
“It does not seem to be much use being anything else.” The
conclusion is that he is an optimist.
Short arguments come in 1 – 2 paragraphs.
Generally you can state your conclusion then follow with your
reasons. Churchill example
A more common approach – start with your premises and then
draw a conclusion. This would not work for the Churchill example.
2ND RULE – DEVELOP YOUR IDEAS IN A NATURAL
ORDER
Bertrand Russell once argued: “The evils of the world are due to
moral defects as well as a lack of intelligence. But the human race
has not discovered any method to eradicate moral defects…
Intelligence, on the contrary, is easily improved by methods
known to every competent educator. Therefore, until some method
of teaching virtue has been discovered, progress will have to be
sought by improvement of intelligence rather than of morals.”
Identify his topic?
The evils…lack of intelligence
What about his reason(s)?
But..educator
Conclusion?
Therefore..morals
And is there a counterargument or rebuttal in there?
What about But the..
RULE 3 – START WITH RELIABLE PREMISES
Your topic, reason(s), conclusion(s) will all be weak if you start
with an unreliable premise.
Nobody in the world is really happy. Therefore, it seems that
human beings are just not made for happiness. Why should we
expect what we can never find?
What is the premise?
Conclusion?
Is it really plausible that nobody is happy? In the entire world?
One sure way to see if you premise is reliable is to try and
research then argue it.
RULE 4 – BE CONCRETE AND CONCISE
Long elaborations lose people and gives confusion to your
facts and points you are trying to make.
NO
It was an extended period of laborious exertion without the
benefit of any trees, hills, mountains or manmade structures.
YES
We hiked for hours in the sun.
Get to your point with concrete (hiked, hours, sun) word
choices and place them in a concise manner – 7 words that
everyone understands compared to 19 words that some may
understand
RULE 5 – BUILD ON SUBSTANCE, NOT OVERTONE
Offer actual reasons, do not play to overtones. Overtones are
implications or hints
Having played so disgracefully the past year, the Jaguars are now
honor bound to reach the playoffs this year.
Or
Because the Jaguars did not play as well this last year, the jaguars
should play better because their more motivated this year.
This is suppose to be an argument for supporting the Jaguars.
Also, do not use emotionally loaded words or language to make
your argument look good or better – stick with your facts and have
you presented them.
Anyone who is for the death penalty is a murderer and does not
believe in God.
RULE 6 – USE CONSISTENT TERMS
The premise in short arguments have a single theme or thread –
they carry one idea through several steps. Keep the premise clear
and carefully chose terms and mark each new step by using those
very same terms.
NO
When you learn about other cultures, you start to realize the
variety of human customs. This new understanding of the
diversity of social practices may give you new appreciation of
other ways of life. Therefore, studying anthropology tends to make
you more tolerant.
YES
When you learn about other cultures, you start to realize the
variety of human customs. When you start to realize the variety of
human customs, you tend to become more tolerant. Therefore,
when you learn about other cultures you tend to become more
tolerant.
You may want to reach for that Thesaurus but do not – I repeat do
not do it!
RULE 7 – USE MORE THAN ONE
EXAMPLE
Using one example offers little to no support for a generalization.
One spectacularly miserable millionaire does not prove all rich people
in general are unhappy
NO:
French fries are unhealthy (high in fat)
Therefore, all fast foods are unhealthy
YES:
French fries, milkshakes, deep-fried chicken, and cheeseburgers are
unhealthy (high in fat). Therefore, most if not all fast foods are
unhealthy
RULE 8 – USE REPRESENTATIVE
EXAMPLES
Everyone in my neighborhood favors Hillary Clinton for President.
Therefore, Clinton is sure to win the 2016 Presidential election
This argument is weak because single neighborhoods seldom represent
the voting population of the entire country.
Better:
A recent Gallup poll of likely voters for the 2016 Presidential election
show Hillary Clinton has a 55%-45% edge over likely Republican
candidates.
RULE 9 – BACKGROUND RATES MAY BE
CRUCIAL
To persuade you that I am a first rate archer, it would not be enough to
show you a bull’s-eye I have made.
How do you know I did not cheat?
Even better:
How many times did you miss?
To evaluate the reliability of any argument featuring a few clear
examples, we need to know the ratio involved.
In the case of the archer, 10 out of 10 shots hitting the bull’s-eye
establishes a first rate archer. 10 out of 4 million shots certainly does
not.
RULE 10 – STATISTICS NEED A
CRITICAL EYE
Some people see numbers in a statement or argument and assume from
that fact alone it must be a good argument. Stats have an aura of
authority and definiteness
After years of colleges graduating less than 25% of student athletes –
last year a majority of colleges graduated 50%.
Is 50% a good rate? Just because they improved does not make it good
or even acceptable.
Every year our school wastes 412,067 paper cups. It is time to switch to
reusable cups!
412,067 out of what? – 500,000? A million? Where does the paper go – in
the garbage? Recycled?
WATCH WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH STATS
Does everyone know what is happening in
Ferguson, MS?
 Every year there are twelve million arrests
 99.9% of these arrests occur with no gun involved
by the suspect or the police
 There were approximately 400 deaths that
occurred during an arrest
 So when you hear one side say “There is a war on
African-American men” is that a true statement?
 Now the switch:
 16% of the U.S. population is African-American
 Out of the400 shooting deaths that occurred
during an arrest 33% of them involved an
African-American.

RULE 11 – SOURCES: CITE THEM, SEEK
IMPARTIAL SOURCES AND CROSSCHECK SOURCES
Cite your sources – but not all of them! Do you have to prove there are
50 states?
NO: I read that there are cultures in which makeup and clothes are
mostly men’s business and not for women.
YES: According to anthropologist Carol Beck, she wrote in National
Geographic that among West African Fulani people such as the
Wadhabe, makeup and clothes are mostly men’s business.
Impartial websites provide both sides of the issue. There are times
when using a very bias website can help with your debate but very rare
and you must be careful of the stats, facts they provide
Cross checking simply means to look at two more websites to check if
the fact is consistent.
RULE 12 – USE THE WEB WITH CARE
A few keywords and you will get thousands of hits.
Reliability is quite another matter than should trim that thousands to a
few.
Only rely on website that are identifiable and independently reputable
sources.
What cites are not accept?
Ehow, wikipedia. Yahooanswers, etc
Why?
YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT
You are going to be presented with a topic.
You must complete two paragraphs for the topic.
The first paragraph will be the affirmative, the second
paragraph will be the negative.
Each paragraph must have the following six sentences:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
An opening – commonly referred to as a hook. Use a quote,
statistic or even a cliché. Use a rhetoric question. Use a
analogy or metaphor. But make sure it fits and aligns with
your topic!!
A topic – commonly referred to as your thesis statement
First reason to support your topic (or argument)
Second reason to support your topic (or argument)
Third reason to support your topic (or argument)
A concluding sentence – end your argument.