10/29: Debate Center - JV and Varsity - Boston Debate League

Prior to the Debate Center
10/29: Debate Center - Varsity
This week, students wrote 1NC blocks that included analytic arguments and cards for both the Block
Grants aff and Immigrant Health Care aff.
Your Goals
Students will understand how to give a 1NC on case.
Students will understand how to debate line-by-line in the 2AC and Neg Block
Students will further develop their flowing skills
Materials Needed
Affirmative and negative Immigrant Health Care files
Immigrant health care 1AC pre-flows
Flow pads or loose-leaf paper and pens
The Lesson
At debate center last week, and again in practice this week at school, students worked on 1NC blocks.
So far, the focus has been on selecting two cards from their neg files and identifying two analytic
arguments against each contention for a total of 16 arguments ((contention one, contention 2A,
contention 2B, and solvency). Important: There is a mistake in the evidence packet- Contention
Two A: is not labled. Page 5 of the 1AC should start with “Contention Two B: BioTerrorism”
Based on feedback from last week’s debate center, this week students will continue to focus on case
debate. Using the Immigrant Health Care aff, students will prepare (if they have not done so already)
1NC case blocks, use the blocks in a mini debate, then respond to those blocks as the 2AC. Students will
flow the 1NC and 2AC answers.
Part One: Icebreaker
1. Since some mentor groups have changed, introduce yourself to new students and ask all the
students to introduce themselves to each other. Ask students to share something about
themselves. Silly things work well: favorite childhood tv character, most despised food, biggest
tantrum as a child, etc.
2. Ask students what they did in class this week. (They should tell you they worked on preparing
1NC blocks.) Ask them how far they got: which case, what contentions, etc.
3. Explain to students that tonight, you are teach them how to debate against the immigrant health
care aff, and how they can use their accordians to be better prepared during a debate.

Part Two: Mini Case Debates
1. Divide students into groups 4 groups. Assign each group one contention (split up the harms
contentions). Have them write a summary for their contention, give them some time, then have
them give it. Fill in anything that is missing/ ask other groups to repeat to make sure
everyoneunderstands.
2. Keep the students in the same groups, but switch the assigned contentions. In their groups- have
them come up with 2 evidenced answers and 2 analytical answers against their new contention
(if they already have 1NC blocks- they will be more prepared).
3. This would be a good time for a mentor to pre-flow the 1AC on the board. Leave enough space
between each contention for speeches through the negative block.
4. Hand out copies of the Immigrant Health Care aff pre-flow.
a. Ask students to pull out their copies of the 1AC and follow along as you discuss each
page of the pre-flow.
i. Explain the layout of the pre-flow: spaces between cards, separate sections for
each speech, why the negative block only gets one column, etc.
ii. Explain any confusing abbreviations or acronyms.
iii. Point out that beneath the tag and source are key words that will help remind the
debater of the content of the card when she or he gets ready for his or her speech.
iv. Discuss numbering arguments.
v. Finally, suggest to students that neat handwriting and understanding your
partner’s shorthand is important, especially for the later speeches when your
partner may need to rely on your flow her speech.
5. Begin mini debates with the 1NC blocks.
a. Ask the speaker selected for contention one to stand up and give her group’s response to
contention one. Remind students to flow their responses and to number the arguments.
Tell students that they will need an accurate flow of all the speeches for the next activity.
b. After the speaker finishes the block, either give students time to compare flows within
their smaller group or go through the flow together.
c. Go over each argument as a team- ask the question…how does this argument prove the
plan is a bad idea
d. Repeat with the rest of the contentions.

6. 2AC answers.
a. Now that students have given and flowed 1NC answer, explain that they not need to put
on their affirmative thinking caps and answer these arguments as the 2AC.
b. Shift the contention assignments to new groups. The contention 1 negative group
becomes the contention 2 affirmative group, etc.
c. Explain to students that they are now the affirmative and need to respond to the 1NC.
Stress that they need to respond to all four arguments made by the 1NC.
i. Explain that cards can be used to answer analytic arguments and vice versa.
ii. Remind students that they can and should “pull” their original cards as long as
they explain why those cards answer the 1NC’s argument.
d. Each group will brainstorm answers and use their affirmative files to answer the 1NC
arguments. When they are finished, ask each group to identify a new speaker, who will
give the 2AC for the assigned contention.
7. Writing 2AC blocks.
i. Before each speaker, remind students to number their arguments and refer to the
1NC arguments by number.
ii. Prompt students during speeches if they are not referring to argumetns by number
iii. After each speech, give the groups time to compare flows to ensure everyone has
a good flow of the arguments. You could also review the flows together.
a. This part of the lesson is a big deal. Our students don’t really do that much work at home
because they do not know what work to do.
b. Explain how they can now write 2AC blocks at home to all possible 1NC arguments.
They can predict all of the evidenced arguments (they all have the same neg evidence),
and they can predict some of the analytical ones (they should keep their flows from
practices, debate centers, and tournmaments to remind themselves).
c. Explain that a 2AC case block really shouldn’t be more than 3 arguments because they
won’t have time to make more.
d. Explain how they should file them in their accordian organized by contention so they can
find them easier (pass out sample accordian handout to illustrate).
e. Stress the importance of writing these blocks/filing them in accordians/using the
accordians during rounds.

8. The Negative Block (or skip to a quiz game)
a. Ask students to lay their flows in front of them and try to think like the negative again.
After the 2AC comes the negative block.
b. Explain to students that because there are two negative speeches back-to-back, negative
teams needs to divide the positions between them so that everything is answered, but
nothing is answered twice.
i. Point out that this is why there is only one column for the negative block, even
though it is two separate speeches.
c. Suggests students think strategically about the round when they divide the flow. The 1NR
has a shorter speech, so he or she won’t be able to cover as much as the 2NR. But the
1NR might have more time to prepare since the 2NC is followed by 3 minutes of CX.
i. Remind varsity students that normally there would also be off case to cover, such
as a DA.
ii. Emphasize that students need to discuss and decide who is covering what. Don’t
assume and don’t just wait until the 2NC speech to see what your partner has
decided to cover.
d. If time permits, shift groups again (i.e. the team that has already done problems 1 and 2
now covers solvency) and repeat the same procedure for the negative block.
9. Maybe end with some type of quiz game if you have time.