Middle School Novice Curriculum Guide

Speaking from the Packet and Workbook

Before the Round

In your evidence packet, there will be designated spaces to use DR. MO to respond to one of your opponents’ arguments. You should use this space to prepare your own arguments to use in-round. While you can’t read outside evidence, you can make good arguments that use your own assertions and reasoning based on what both teams have said. You should also try to make sure your arguments don’t just repeat arguments you have already made earlier.

Before your Speech

Now you’ve prepared the evidence packet. But it’s also your job to speak from it, and while this may seem simple for speeches like the 1AC and the 1NC, it gets more complicated as the round progresses. For example, if you have a page titled “2AC: Answer to No Impact,” would you read that page if the 1NC didn’t say “No Impact”? Probably not. Why?

Let’s say you were debating with your parents about where to get dinner. You wanted to order McDonalds, but they wanted to get Popeye’s. You said, “McDonald’s is cheaper,” and they said, “McDonald’s is worse than Popeye’s.” Would it make sense for you to respond with “McDonald’s is better than Wendy’s”? No. You that’s because when you’re debating, you want to explain your argument and answer your opponents – and you don’t want to waste time answering arguments that weren’t made.

Here’s how to organize your packet for your speech:

1AC/1NC

Keep the packet in order!
If you’re affirmative, read your plan first, then your inherency, and then your harms/advantage and solvency. That’s called the case.
If you’re negative, read your disadvantage first. That’s your off case. Then, read your answers to your opponent’s case.

2AC/2NC

Put the packet in your own order!
Read your overview from the tournament workbook first.
Next, answer your opponent’s arguments in order by extending 1AC/1NC evidence or by reading new evidence.
Make sure that you don’t answer arguments the other team didn’t make.

During your Speech

Remember to use 2PAC when you’re speaking! Here are some quick suggestions:

Use inflection to emphasize words, especially your tags, because they contain assertions and reasoning.
Look prepared by having your pages in order before you start talking. It’ll help prevent awkward pauses.
Make eye contact with the judge when you speak! Their facial reactions will help you figure out what arguments they like and which ones they don’t.

And here are some things to avoid:

Don’t speak in an uninterested tone of voice. If you don’t sound like you care, why should the judge?
Don’t start speaking before your speech is ready. If you’re even a little unprepared, you have prep time!
Don’t stare down at your packet when talking. It can make you very difficult to understand.

And remember, you only have four minutes to give a constructive speech. To make sure everything fits, you should practice giving your 1ACs and 1NCs during practice or at home. If you can’t read all the boldfaced and underlined words in under four minutes, that’s okay. You must read everything in bold (except the page headers), but you can just pick the most important sentences from the underlined sections and highlight them.