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The Twain-Douglass Debates • Prompt: Considering that both Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass were writing at a similar time and place, and for a similar purpose—to expose the injustice of slavery and to change their culture's assumptions about race—which writer most likely communicated his message most effectively: Twain with his satirical fiction or Douglass with his autobiographical non-fiction? • You and your partner will be assigned a position.
The Twain-Douglass Debates • Come up with the two strongest supporting arguments for your position. • For each supporting argument, locate two pieces of textual evidence (from either work) that could support the argument. • For each supporting argument, anticipate your opponent's refutation—how they might try to take down your supporting argument—and consider how you will counter it. • Try to anticipate the two supporting arguments of your opposition. • Come up with a concession/refutation combo to counter each of your opponent's arguments. • Locate a piece of textual evidence (from either work) that could support your refutations.
Outline your argumentation Topic Sentence Details & Elaboration • Supporting argument #1 • Supporting evidence (include page #) • Supporting evidence (include page #) • Anticipated opponent refutation and your counter-argument • Supporting argument #2 • Supporting evidence (include page #) • Supporting evidence (include page #) • Anticipated opponent refutation and your counter-argument • Anticipated opponent argument #1 & Refutation • Supporting evidence (include page #) • Anticipated opponent argument #2 & Refutation • Supporting evidence (include page #) Commentary
Post-Debate Evaluation • How well did you anticipate your opponent's arguments? • How reasonable did you and your partner remain? Did you offer any concessions so as to seem more reasonable? • Were you able to successfully refute any of your opponents arguments? • How well did you defend your arguments against your opponent's refutations?