AUDL Middle School Debate Team Tournament Handbook

1. Name:_________________________________________________ AUDL Middle School Debate Team Tournament Handbook • Debate Tournament Schedule • Arrive at tournament & wait in cafeteria. • Round 1 • Round 2 • Lunch Break in Cafeteria • Round 3 • Round 4 • Awards Ceremony in cafeteria. • Return Home. What should I wear to the tournament? School Uniforms or Clothes that fit your school’s Dress Code (remember that parents, teachers, principals, college students, high school students, and community members will judge your rounds—you can only make one first impression with what you wear) • How do I read the tournament “pairings?” • Your team name is a combination of your school name plus the first letter of your last name and the first letter of your partner’s last name in alphabetical order (for example, if Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were a debate team at Harper-Archer, their team name would be Harper CO). • Look at the top of the pairings page for your division (novice, junior varsity, or varsity) and for the round (round 1, 2, 3, or 4). • The first column is affirmative, the second column is negative, the third column is the judge’s name, and the 4th column is the classroom number. • AFF NEG JUDGE ROOM • Meadows BH STRIVE AM Sherman, J 403 • Harper CO Long NT Jones, C 100 • Woodward LW Inman EK Robinson, S 409 Don’t forget to RESPECT yourself and others. Most importantly, don’t forget to HAVE FUN!

2. Policy Debate Speech Order No 1AC Prep Time 1AC – First Affirmative Constructive (4 minutes) Cross Examination – 1AC & 2NC (2 minutes) 1NC – First Negative Constructive (4 minutes) Cross Examination – 1NC & 1AC (2 minutes) 2AC – Second Negative Constructive (4 minutes) Cross Examination – 2AC & 1NC (2 minutes) 2NC – Second Negative Constructive (4 minutes) Cross Examination – 2NC & 2AC (2 minutes) 1NR – First Negative Rebuttal (2 minutes) 1AR – First Affirmative Rebuttal (2 minutes) 2NR – Second Negative Rebuttal (2 minutes) 2AR – Second Affirmative Rebuttal (2 minutes) Affirmative Team – 5 minutes preparation time Negative Team – 5 minutes preparation time No 1NC Prep Time Yes 2AC Prep Time if Needed Yes 2NC Prep Time if Needed No 1NR Prep Time Yes 1AR Prep Time Yes 2NR Prep Time Yes 2AR Prep Time You and your partner choose how to “spend” your 5 minutes of prep time. Prep time is available right before your or your partner’s speeches. For example, you are the 2AC and you take 2 minutes of prep time before your speech. Then you and your partner have 3 minutes of prep time remaining for the 1AR and the 2AR.

3. Policy Debate – Affirmative Basics What is the 1AC and what are the main parts of the 1AC case? 1AC = 1st Affirmative Constructive The 1AC is the first person to speak in a debate round and sets the stage and arguments for the rest of the debate. Main parts of the 1AC Case: Plan: This is the plan or policy you are presenting to solve the problem at hand. Inherency: This explains what is going on in the world today. Also known as the “status quo.” Harms: This explains what bad things will happen if the plan/policy is not accepted. Solvency: This explains that the plan/policy that has been presented will solve the problems that are stated in the inherency & harms. The solvency can also explain that the plan is feasible and will work. What do the parts of the Cuban Embargo 1AC Case say? Plan: Inherency: Harms: Solvency:

4. Tips and Strategies for Negative Teams What MUST I do to win a round on the negative? Step2 Step1 Take out at least one part of the case (on-case argument): Solvency, Harms, or Inherency. Run at least one off-case argument (a disadvantage) China or Democracy. Negative Guidelines The 1NC should try to do both of these steps. If the 1NC runs out of time, the 2NC can finish what the 1NC does not get to during his/her speech. Negative Speaker Speech Order The 1N and the 2N should organize all their speeches in this order (this is what you should tell the judge when you give your “road map” or are “sign posting”): 1. Off-Case Argument (the disadvantage you have chosen). 2. On-Case Argument (the part of the 1AC you are focusing on). How do we choose what arguments to run? • 1. BECOME VERY COMFORTABLE WITH PARTS OF THE NEGATIVE PACKET! • Some of the arguments in the negative packet are better or more convincing than others. • Choose one disadvantage and one on-case argument that you think is the best and become an expert on those two parts of the packet (DA suggestion: Democracy DA, On-Case suggestions: Harm: Soft Power is Ineffective p.22 & Solvency -Can’t Control Soft Power p.29.) • 2. LISTEN & FLOW! – Listen to what the Affirmative Team says & take notes during the round. • The affirmative team may not read the same cards as you do when you are affirmative. • For example, if the 1 AC does not talk about soft power, do not read evidence against the soft power argument in the 1NC. • The affirmative team may forget to include all parts of their 1AC or they may drop one of your arguments. • The 1AC must include: 1) a PLAN, 2) INHERENCY, 3) HARMS, and 4) SOLVENCY. If the 1AC forgets any of these pieces, make sure to tell the judge during your speech. • If the 2AC or 1AR do not answer your DA or one of the case arguments during their speeches, make sure to tell the judge during your speech.

5. What is the 1NC and what are the main parts of the 1NC disad? 1NC = 1st Negative Constructive The 1NC is the second person to speak in a debate round and introduces the negative disadvantages and case take-outs in a round. Policy Debate – Negative Basics Main parts of the 1NC Disadvantage: Uniqueness: This explains what is going on in the world right now. Also known as the “status quo.” Link: This explains how the 1AC case causes a change to the uniqueness and leads to the impact. Impact: This explains the bad things that will happen if the 1AC case is accepted. The 1NC is also responsible for taking out ONE of the parts of the affirmative case. For a better strategy think of the S.H.I.P.! S – Solvency H – Harms I – Inherency P – Plan What do the parts of the China Disadvantage say? Uniqueness: Link: Impact:

6. MR. T All the Muscle You Need for Your Rebuttals How do I make my side of the debate sound more convincing than my opponents’ during rebuttals? MR. T (a.k.a. Impact Analysis) M = Magnitude: The problem/issue my team talks about during the debate is bigger than the other team’s problem/issue. R = Risk: The problem/issue my team talks about during the debate is more likely to happen than the other team’s problem/issue. T = Timeframe: The problem/issue my team talks about during the debate will happen much sooner than the other team’s problem/issue. Don’t forget to explain WHY your arguments are better than the other team’s arguments! This impact analysis method can be used in all speeches in debate, but are especially effective during the 2NR & the 2AR.

7. Rebuttal Guidelines • Rebuttals are NOT the time to read evidence. Extend evidence that your team has already read in an earlier speech. • You should tell the judge why your arguments are better than your opponent’s using MR. T. • Rebuttals are a good time to use your story telling skills. 1NR Rebuttal Reminders: 1AR 2NR 2AR Tips for using MR. T during rebuttals: Judge, you should vote for us, the ___________(affirmative/negative) team because our arguments outweigh and I will explain how using impact analysis. • You only have to choose 2 of the 3 parts of MR. T to win the impact analysis in a debate. Chose the 2 parts that you are winning. If you can win all three parts of MR. T, then you should use all three parts! • You need to use impact analysis (MR. T) for all of the arguments in a round. You need to include both the case arguments and the disadvantages when doing impact analysis to win. If you evaluate the MAGNITUDE of both sides of the debate, you will see that the ___________ (affirmative/negative) side’s impact of _________________________ is a much bigger problem than our opponent’s impact because ____________. M Next, if you evaluate the RISK of both sides of the debate, you will see that the ___________ (affirmative/negative) side’s impact of _________________________ is a much more realistic problem that is more likely to happen than our opponent’s impact because ____________. R. Next, if you evaluate the TIMEFRAME of both sides of the debate, you will see that the ___________ (affirmative/negative) side’s impact of _________________________ is going to happen sooner than our opponent’s impact because ____________. This means that it is important to vote for us to avoid this disaster in the short-term. T