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Dural Public School

Dural Public School

Strive for Success

Telephone02 9651 1164

Emaildural-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Debating

Debating

Students in Year 5 and Year 6 have the opportunity to partake in Interschool Debating.  Dural P.S is involved in two debating competitions:

 

1. The Hills Debating Competition

This is a local school debating competition that is held in Terms 2 and 3. At Dural P.S teams are selected from students in Years 5 and 6. There are 5-6 debates in the season and different teams are selected for each debate. Teams are given two to three weeks to work on the topic. They debate both at Dural P.S and away at the various schools.

 Each speaker should speak for 3 minutes. The time keeper will indicate two and a half minutes with one bell strike and three minutes with two bell strikes. At the three minute mark speakers must conclude their sentence. Adjudicators must mark down a speaker who continues over time.

 

2. The Premier's Debating Challenge for Years 5 & 6

The Premier's Debating Challenge involves one hour preparation debates. Teams do not know the topic or the side they are on until one hour prior to the start of the debate. The one hour preparation time is unassisted. Teachers are not be allowed into the preparation room for any part of the hour.

 Teams consist of four students with one acting as the team's adviser in the preparation room and during the debate. The team remains the same throughout the competition.

 The Premier's Debating Challenge is conducted by the Arts unit.

 Teams entering into the Premier's Debating Challenge are organised into Zones of four or more. The teams in a Zone debate each other in a round-robin competition to decide the Zone Winner.

 Zone Winners then proceed to a knock-out stage of the competition until a Regional Winner has been determined.

 The ten Regional Winners attend a three day camp and compete in a series of debates to decide the State Champion.

Debating Try-outs are usually held in the last two weeks of Term 1.

 

Debating Roles

Speakers

1st Affirmative must:

  • define the topic.
  • present the affirmative's team line.
  • outline briefly what each speaker in their team will talk about.
  • present the first half of the affirmative case.
  • present a model if it is a ‘Should' topic.

     

    1st negative must:

  • accept or reject the definition. If you don't do this it is assumed that you accept the definition.
  • present the negative team line.
  • outline briefly what each of the negative speakers will say.
  • rebut a few of the main points of the first affirmative speaker.
  • the 1st negative should spend about one quarter of their time rebutting.
  • present the first half of the negative team's case.

     

    2nd affirmative must:

  • reaffirm the affirmative's team line.
  • rebut the main points presented by the 1st negative.
  • the 2nd affirmative should spend about one third of their time rebutting.
  • present the second half of the affirmative's case.

     

    2nd negative must:

  • reaffirm the negative's team line.
  • rebut some of the main points of the affirmative's case.
  • the 2nd negative should spend about one third of their time rebutting.
  • present the second half of the negative's case.

     

    3rd affirmative must:

  • reaffirm the affirmative's team line.
  • rebut all the remaining points of the negative's case.
  • the 3rd affirmative should spend about two thirds to three quarters of their time rebutting.
  • present a summary of the affirmative's case.
  • round off the debate for the affirmative.

     

    3rd negative must:

  • reaffirm the negative's team line.
  • rebut all the remaining points of the affirmative's case.
  • the 3rd negative should spend about two thirds to three quarters of their time rebutting.
  • present a summary of the negative's case.
  • round off the debate for the negative.

     

     Neither third speaker should introduce any new parts of their team's cases.