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Lesson 14: Debates SOCI 108 - Thinking Critically about Social Issues Spring 2012

Lesson 14: Debates SOCI 108 - Thinking Critically about Social Issues Spring 2012. Learning outcomes. Students will be able to: Recall the four criteria of a good argument Explain what a debate is Analyze articles for their usefulness in a debate. Argument.

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Lesson 14: Debates SOCI 108 - Thinking Critically about Social Issues Spring 2012

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  1. Lesson 14: Debates SOCI 108 - Thinking Critically about Social IssuesSpring 2012

  2. Learning outcomes • Students will be able to: • Recall the four criteria of a good argument • Explain what a debate is • Analyze articles for their usefulness in a debate

  3. Argument • A group of statements which support the conclusion • If no evidence is presented, it is not an argument, merely an opinion.

  4. Four Criteria of a Good Argument • 1) Relevance Criterion • Its acceptance provides some reason to believe the conclusion • 2) Acceptability Criterion • A rational person must buy the premises • 3) Sufficient Grounds Criterion • There must be enough supporting premises ad must have enough weight • 4) Rebuttal Criterion • A good argument should also provide the strongest counterargument and refute it

  5. Statements NOT Needing Defense • Statements about common experience (ex: Earthquake scary) • Statement about matters of common knowledge (the earth is a sphere) • Statements accepted by both author and audience within the context of a presentation

  6. Statements NEEDING Defense • Statements that make universal or near universal claims (ex: all or none) • Statements that report data or make claims that many people actually do, or may, dispute (ex: marijuana laws)

  7. What Do We Mean by “Debate”? • A debate is a formal method for presenting two sides of an argument • Argument + evidence • Debates have rules and judges: • 12 minutes – argument • 5 minutes – rebuttal • Judges

  8. Principles of a Good Debate • Use familiar words • Eliminate clutter • Be concrete • Be vivid • Consider the audience • Stick to the topic • Stay focused • Don’t read!!! • To help you with this, each side is allowed one piece of paper with notes, not sentences or paragraphs, just notes

  9. General Outline for Debate • Attention getter • Thesis statement (conclusion) • Establish credibility (premises, supporting evidence) • Rebuttal • Summarize, wrap it up, revisit the attention getter

  10. Subconclusions? • State one • Give supporting evidence • Etc. • During the wrap up, tie together the subpoints

  11. Statistics? • Some are good, easily rememberable, but NOT too many • EX: Without significant marketplace reforms, if current trends continue, annual healthcare costs for employers will rise 166 percent over the next decade, from %10,743 per employee today to $28,530 by 2019. • Reduced to  Health care costs for employers will increase by more than 1 ½ times in the next 10 years

  12. Statistics? • Be able to back up statistics if asked • Don’t give citation during debate

  13. Attack the argument, not the opponent!

  14. Articles • Current vs historical • Look for those with verified facts • Make sense of the statistics; that is, don’t use them if you don’t understand what they indicate • Find some articles from the other side

  15. Websites • What is the url? • Links? • Authors, credentials, biases? • Make sense? • Hhtp://norml.org/index.cfm • http://www.legalizationofmarijuana.com

  16. Your Debates • 6 groups • Choose group members (you’re welcome) • Choose topic • Gay marriage? Abortion? Death Penalty? Gun Control? Euthanasia? • Get a form and record your statement • Choose sides (pro or con?)

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