debate - frequently asked questions

Thanks for posting questions to the survey. I've answered them here.

Overall Questions

Why do we have to do this? 

Not only does it help us learn all kinds of important skills and techniques, and promote intellectual growth, but a research project is required in the 9th grade year. I choose to employ a debate format because it is usually more interesting than reading random research papers--the "clash" of debate can be much more fun. Your mileage may vary, but I can guarantee that regardless of how you feel about it, you'll learn a lot.

Why couldn't we do pairs instead of threes?

Because the number of students in the class isn't divisible by 4.  Sorry!

When are the note cards and the debate case due?

The notecards are due Thursday the 10th. (Check in with Mrs. Bonds.)

The debates will take place NEXT WEEK.

Why did we have such a short time period to work on this?

To keep things moving, so we wouldn't have to wait forever until actually debating. Longer deadlines typically result in more wasted time--but don't worry, since we'll have part of this week to finish up.

Are we going to have more debates?

That depends on how well this goes, and whether we decide as a group to have more.  

Case Questions

Does the information we have, have to be in essay format when presenting the case? Can we put it in bullet proof form?

You want it to be all the way written out like an essay, so you have prepared the strongest possible words and don't have to "wing it."  Also, so the students from Mr. Sparks' class will be able to provide better feedback.

May we use quotes from our sources within in our cases? 

Absolutely! Sometimes the direct quote is worded the strongest, with emotionally resonant facts.  Other times, a paraphrase is best. It's your choice.

Do we need to put all of our information and research into the case or are we trying to limit the amount of research we put into the case and save some for the actual debate?

You have only 4 minutes to make your original case, so if you have extra material, that's great--you can save it for the later debate. Also, you can save your defensive arguments as "blocks."

How do you build a strong argument for your contentions?

Choose the best available evidence, and explain what it means and why it's important.  Also, get feedback!  Find out how effective your arguments are by running them past someone else. (We'll do that tomorrow for certain.)

How long should the individual contentions be?

Around 150-200 words, depending on how many you have.

How will we know if we are affirmative or negative?

You should already know which side you're on. We'll check in today.

How many times will the first person speak?

Once or twice, depending on the size of the group.

Why do we need notecards? Shouldn't we just need info on our topic and not have to paraphrase?

The paraphrase has two purposes: first, to show your teacher whether you actually understand the evidence (in some cases, people posted evidence that actually contradicted their point!), and second, in some instances it might actually be better to use the paraphrase rather than the direct quote (especially if the quote is long or confusing).