@ BETTER DEBATE MANUAL
Thinking and Speaking a Better World
There are all kinds of stupid people that annoy me but what annoys me most is a lazy argument.
Christopher Hitchens was right. So learn how to make your arguments stronger, smarter, and more persuasive. Make them better.
The world schools debating format is the most commonly used high school debate format in partner countries. Learn all about the format, about the roles of individual speakers and watch world-class debates in this particular format.
How to interpret motions and how to prepare for impromptu debates? How to construct your proposition case? How to persuade the judges in your reply speech? Get all this information and much more from leading debate trainers and coaches.
How to construct an argument that will be as persuasive as possible? What type of evidence to use to support it? What is an argument's impact? Which mistakes should a debater avoid? Become a master of argumentation like Socrates!
Debate motions can address virtually everything. They ask the debaters to balance different values, to come up with policies that tacke a particular problem, or make them compare different notions. Learn about the diversity of the debate world!
DEBATE EXERCISES
In order to stay in shape and excel, debaters must exercise. Sometimes, it is simply not enugh if you are a talented speaker. You have to regularly exercise your brain to learn the nitty-gritty of debate. Go!
Students usually engage in debate as a extra-curricular activity at the educational institution they attend. How to run a debate club? How to organize a debate tournament? Learn from those with years of experience!
The World Schools debating format is merely one of many. Here, authors discuss some other formats that are also popular in their countries - Karl Popper Debate Format, British Parliamentary Debate Format, and Middle School Debate Format.
Debate and debate-related skills can also be used as an amazing teaching methodology in other educational settings. Some professors have already implemented it in their curriculum and are simply loving it. Check it out!
Essentially, debate is a showdown of arguments pro and contra a particular topic. This structure of dialogue is particularly useful for public events that address a pressing issue that communities and societies have to face.
This manual is part of the @better project.
The leading organization in the project was Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga / Pro et Contra, Institute for Culture in Dialogue.
Partners in the project were ARGO (Romania), Asociace debatnich klubu (Czech Republic), Ceski debatni spolecnost (Czech Republic), Educational Debate Center (Lithuania), Hrvatsko debatno društvo (Croatia), Slovenska debatna asociacia (Slovakia) and Poplar Trees Association Jablani (Croatia).
With the support of the Youth in Action Programme of the European Union.
