Case Construction Jr. H. Canadian National

1. Case ConstructionJr. H. Canadian National

2. 1st Proposition Speech Statement of the Resolution Definition of Essential Terms (should be clear to the average person) Outline Arguments/Pillars Expand Arguments (evidence / proof) Accept 2 POIs

3. 1st Proposition Speech Statement of the Resolution Definition of Essential Terms (should be clear to the average person) Outline Arguments/Pillars Expand Arguments (evidence / proof) Accept 2 POIs

4. 1st Opposition Speech • Statement of the Resolution • Respond to Definition of Essential Terms • Most teams will accept the terms as defined • Can challenge the terms if unreasonable • If this happens, judges decide which terms are more reasonable (still possible for Aff. to win). • Clash with Proposition’s Arguments/Plan • Outline Own Arguments • Expand Arguments (evidence and proof) • 6. Accept a total of 2 POIs

5. 2nd Proposition Speech Clash with 1st Opposition Arguments Restate Proposition Arguments Outline Final Arguments / Proof Accept 2 POIs

6. 2nd Opposition Speech Clash with Proposition Arguments Restate Opposition Arguments Outline Final Arguments / Evidence Accept 2 POIs

7. Building a government case • Make standalone contentions • Don't make them rely on each other • Keep up to date • Don’t skew the definitions to much to your side

8. Building a government case cont. • You have something to prove • Need for change, what’s wrong with the status quo • Outline your plan, what’s good about it, why does it work? • Think about your alternatives, why is your solution better?

9. What’s in a model? • Who – TH, actors, etc. • What – what are the actors doing • When – what is your timeframe • Where – this is pretty obvious, c’mon. • How – A basic plan, it’s not enough to say that you’re going to. • Why – your contentions

10. What’s NOT in a model? • Funding • Nitty gritty legislation • If you’re proposing an invasion, you don’t need the battle plans! Let the experts deal with it • Cats

11. Building the opposition case • You cannot win with just clash • OPP needs constructive points as to why the resolution should not pass • Think about what the gov’t might do, what is their model going to be? • Don’t make everything about the practicality of the resolution, try and focus more on logic and argumentation

12. The anatomy of an argument

13. What is an argument • Paradigm (your ideology and values) • Premises (your basic starting point) • Conclusion (argument ends here, this is what you proved) • Socrates is a man • all men are mortal • therefore Socrates is mortal

14. Where do you build arguments from? • SPERM (Social/Political/Economic, Environmental/Regional/Moral, Military) • Forgotten actors • Statistics are useful support, but make them relevant to your argument • Don’t build your case around evidence

15. Argument Progression • SEXL (Statement, Explanation, Example, Link) • Don’t base your entire case on making a lot of beautiful statements, without explanations and examples it’s useless • Continuously ask yourself “WHY?” (we must go deeper) • Premises should flow, make sure they can all be intertwined

16. What’s an argument and what’s a subpoint? • An argument: stands on it’s own, contains subpoints • A subpoint: part of an argument, isn’t convincing on it’s own, a part of a series of gears • Group together your subpoints and make broad but through arguments

17. Hung cases, attack the weak point for massive damage • What is that? An entire case where all arguments rely on a single idea • This is bad because if they take down that one idea then their entire case is done • Example: THBT Macs are better then PCs, Argument: Macs are more beautifully designed then PCs Assumption: Everyone has the same idea of beauty

18. Conclusion • Paradigm -> Premises -> Conclusion • Make a good model • Support your statement • OPP can’t just clash • Always ask “WHY” • Don’t rely on assumptions • Always defend your arguments • Be confident, enjoy yourself, good luck.