INTRODUCTION TO THE WAY OF REASON
ALFRED C. SNIDER, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements & Thanks 2
Part One: Initiation
What is debate? 4
Why debate? 5
What is debate all about? 6
Outline of a debate 9
Start debating right away 11
Code of the Debater 13
Part Two: Basic knowledge
The affirmative case 15
Attacking the affirmative case 21
The disadvantage 30
The counterplan 34
The process of critique 37
The topicality argument 42
Part Three: Debate steps
1AC 48
1NC 49
2AC 50
2NC 52
1NR 54
1AR 55
2NR 57
2AR 60
Timeline for a debate 61
Part Four: Debaters have skills
Speaking 65
Flowing 67
Speaking drills 71
Organization 75
Debating as a team 79
Cross examination 80
Evidence 82
Evidence drills 83
Research 84
Briefing 95
Analysis drills 97
Rebuttals 98
Adapting to judges 100
Part Five: Endless journey
The better debater 104
How the decision gets made 106
Cross application of ideas 108
Strategic handling of disadvantages 109
Magic words used by debaters 112
Appendices
Appendix One: Videos 124
Appendix Two: Sample flow 125
Appendix Three: Sample brief 126
Appendix Four: Websites 127
MAIL: Alfred C. Snider, Speech & Debate, 475 Main Street, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405
EMAIL: asnider@zoo.uvm.edu
WEB: http://debate.uvm.edu