Aslongastherearetwosidestoeverystoryandconflictingopinionsaboutwhichisbetterorrightorwrong,therewillbeaneedtoorganizestructureddebates.Debatehasbeenthefoundationfordemocraticsocietiesoverthousandsofyears;wedebatebeforecastingvotestoelectofficials,andwedebatebeforejudgingandsentencingdefendants.Itisessentialthatpeopleargueconstructivelypriortomakingimportantdecisions. Highschoolforensicsanddebateteamshaveusedthefollowingsimplifiedformattogeneratethrillingdebatesintheauditoriumaswellastheclassroom: Therearetwoteams,anAffirmative TeamandaNegative Team,andthereisaProposal.Forexample,theproposalforadebatemightbe“Testingcosmeticsonanimalsmustbemadeillegal.”TheAffirmativeTeamwouldessentiallyagreewiththeProposalaswritten.Theirstance,then,isthatusinganimalstotestcosmeticsshouldbemadeillegal.TheNegativeTeamwillopposetheProposal,arguingthattestingcosmeticsonanimalsshouldnotbemadeillegal.TheProposalistheboundaryforthedebate;itistheProposalthatisbeingargued,notthebroadtopicofproducttestingingeneralorwhetherthegovernmentshouldbeabletolegislatebusinessenterprises. Eachteamconsistsofthreemembers,andeachpersonmusttakebotharesearchingandaspeakingrole.Rolescanbeassignedaccordingtoindividualstrengthsandpreferences.Onestudentmaywanttohandlethefirstcross-examinationwhileanotherhandlestheopeningspeech.Inthescheduleofroundsthatfollows,eachteammemberisassignedanumber:1,2,or3.

Debate

DebateThe Karl Popper Debate The Karl Popper Debate Format

1) AffirmativeSpeech,Student#1(6minutes)2) NegativeCross-Examination,Student#3(3minutes)3) NegativeSpeech,Student#1(6minutes)4) AffirmativeCross-Examination,Student#3(3minutes)5) AffirmativeSpeech,Student#2(5minutes)6) NegativeCross-Examination,Student#1(3minutes)7) NegativeSpeech,Student#2(5minutes)8) AffirmativeCross-Examination,Student#1(3minutes)9) AffirmativeSpeechandClosingRemarks,Student#3 (5minutes)10) NegativeSpeechandClosingRemarks,Student#3 (5minutes)

Duringcross-examinationrounds,theexaminingdebaterhas3minutestoasktheansweringdebaterquestions.Thistimecannotbeusedbyeitherdebatertodeliveraspeech.Questionsshouldbeaskedinan“if”formattokeepthingsmoving,andresponsesshouldbebriefanddirect.

Duringeachdebateround,bothteamshave4minutestouseforpreparation.Howtheteamdividesthistimeisitsowndecision.Nopreparationtimeisavailableoncespeakinghasresumed,andthepreptimedoesnot“rollover”tothenextround.

Victoryisdeterminedbyapanelofjudges,andarefereewillenforcetimelimitsandallotherrestrictions.