How to Write a Thesis Statement (with Free Sample Statement) Essay

1. What is debate? A debate is a contest, or, perhaps, like a game, where two or more speakers present their arguments intent on persuading one another. Men have been debating with one another since the beginning of time when the serpent first debated with Eve the benefits of eating certain fruits in the Garden. We shall limit ourselves here with discussing formal contest debating between educational institutions, or, in the world of homeschooling, between families that choose to bypass educational institutions and educate their children at home. http://www.triviumpursuit.com/speech_debate/what_is_debate.htm 2. You have heard the words, but what is the difference between an argument and a debate? An argument can be defined as an opinion that is supported with evidence. Debates are based upon arguments. A formal debate usually takes place in a formal setting with a team representing each side of the argument. Specific guidelines are followed, and the debate is usually judged. In order to debate an argument, you need to know both the pros and cons of the issue. In a debate, each team presents a different side of the argument. You must be able to defend your side and support your reasoning with evidence. In other words, saying that you don’t like broccoli because it doesn’t taste good would not provide any substance for a debate. However, providing reasons for why it’s better for a parent to stay at home with a child as opposed to both parents working outside the home is a debate that has been occurring for years. http://www.compuhigh.com/demo/eng12les09.htm 3. A motion, also known as a proposition or resolution in other formats, is a statement that usually sets the topic for the given debate. Usually, this is an unambiguously worded statement that is general in terminology in order to be understood by not only the debaters themselves but also by the general audience. In any debate, the motion is always supported by the government and opposed by the opposition, regardless of how the motion is worded. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Debate/Motions_and_resolutions 4. In policy debate, constructive speeches are the first four speeches of a debate round. Constructive speeches are each followed by a 3-minutecross-examination period. In high school, constructive speeches are 8 minutes long; in college, they are 9 minutes. In general, constructive arguments are the only time that a team can make new arguments. The last four speeches of the debate are reserved for refutations of arguments  already made. In current policy debate, the â€Å"first affirmative constructive† (1AC) is used to present the â€Å"plan†. Whether or not all new â€Å"off-case arguments† must be presented in the â€Å"first negative constructive† is a point of contention. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructive_speech 5. In policy debate, the rebuttal speeches are the last four speeches. Unlike the constructive speeches, rebuttal speeches are not followed by across-examination period. In high school, rebuttals are usually 5 minutes long (with the exception of certain states and organizations that use 4 minute rebuttals).[1] In college debate, they are generally 6 minutes. Rebuttal speeches must address arguments made in the constructive speeches. They generally may not propose new arguments or recover arguments dropped in a team’s previous speeches.[2] Teams breaking from this pre cedent are often met by claims of abuse from opponents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuttal_(policy_debate) 6. parliamentary procedure, also called rules of order, the generally accepted rules, precedents, and practices commonly employed in the governance of deliberative assemblies. Such rules are intended to maintain decorum, to ascertain the will of the majority, to preserve the rights of the minority, and to facilitate the orderly transaction of the business of an assembly.Origins and development Rules of order originated in the early British Parliaments. In the 1560s Sir Thomas Smith wrote an early formal statement of procedures in the House of Commons, which was published in 1583. Lex Parliamentaria (1689; â€Å"Parliamentary Law†) was a pocket manual for †¦ (100 of 1,382 words) http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/444328/parliamentary-procedure 7.RULES OF OXFORD OREGON DEBATE Cross-Examination/Oregon-Oxford/Forensic Debate – traditional debate format used in elementary, governors debate, house debate rules, parliamentary debate rules, high school debate, youtube debate, presidential debate, colleges and all over the country. – There are 2 sides in this format : the Affirmative and the Negative. The Affirmative proves the validity of the issue or topic called the Proposition while the Negative disproves it. Each team has two speakers and one scribe. A Debate Moderator enforces the rules to ensure the debate’s smooth conduct. Format of Debate – Oxford-Oregon Type Three Speakers from each side First Affirmative – Constructive SpeechFirst Negative – Interpellation of  the first affirmative Speaker First Negative – Constructive Speech First Affirmative – Interpellation of the first negative speake r Second Affirmative – Constructive Speech Second Negative – Interpellation of the second affirmative Second Negative – Constructive Second Affirmative – Interpellation of the second negative Third Affirmative – Constructive Speech Third Negative – Interpellation of the third affirmative Third Negative – Constructive Speech B Third Affirmative – Interpellation of the third negative Rebuttal of the Team Captain of the Negative Side Rebuttal of the Team Captain of the Affirmative Side http://alljectsart.blogspot.com/2011/01/rules-of-oxford-oregon-debate.html