Considerations
Before building your case, consider what moral idea your arguments are trying to defend.
What is your value?
Gathering information in the debate beforehand
What is yes? Any information gathered beforehand, even notes, can be used.
Amount of preparation time.
What is four minutes?
Will you know the topic of the debate beforehand?
What is yes?
The original Lincoln-Douglas Debates were between..
Who is Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas?
Just as important as your argument, keeping judges listening.
What is your delivery?
Pausing your opponents speech to call out their false claim, while being polite about it?
What is no? Interrupting a speech is not allowed, wait for cross examination.
Do you memorize anything in Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD)
Rounds last this many minutes from start to finish.
What is 45 minutes?
Which state was each debate of 1858 located in
What is Illinois?
What you should think of before a round to know what matters most to your judge.
What is your judges pardigram?
Using philosophy and morals instead of statistics to prove a point?
What is yes? Lincoln Douglas debate will focus on values, not just factual evidence.
Topics are usually about…
What is World perspective issues/philosophy?
The NSDA releases new LD debate topics this often..
What is every two months?
The amount of debates of 1858 were..
What is the number after 6?
Before using heavy philosophy, make sure your explanation is clear enough for someone who has never been exposed to it.
Changing the topic to something different during a new segment.
What is no? The topic is predetermined.
A past Lincoln Douglas debate topic example shown.
What is Economic development versus Environmental protection?
This three minute segment allowing debaters to question each other directly.
What is cross examination?
The LD Debates were for.
What is more popularity and votes.
What a good debater would think of before stepping foot in the round.
What is how the question connects to society, justice, and personal ethics?
Winning the round even if your opponent has significantly stronger evidence.
What is yes? Lincoln Douglas events are centered around values and ethics, not facts.
The structure of a Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD)
(Good Luck)
1.Affirmative Constructive (6 minutes) 2. Negative Cross-Examination (3 minutes) 3. Negative Constructive/Negative Rebuttal (7 minutes) 4. Affirmative Cross-Examination (3 minutes) 5. First Affirmative Rebuttal (4 minutes) 6. 2nd Negative Rebuttal (6 minutes) 7. 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal (3 minutes)
Each debate took place on…(Historically)
1. August 21, 1858 5. October 7, 1858
2. August 27, 1858 6. October 13, 1858
3. September 15, 1858 7. October 15, 1858
4. September 18, 1858
Each debate was located in… (city)
1. Ottawa, Illinois 5. Galesburg, Illinois
2. Freeport, Illinois 6. Quincy, Illinois
3. Jonesboro, Illinois 7. Alton, Illinois
4. Charleston, Illinois