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Basic Debate : 4th Edition

Basic Debate is ideal for beginning debaters and has become a classic text that teaches the fundamentals - from the skills of analysis, research, logical reason, and argumentation to the techniques of cross-examination debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, and student congress. This text also features a chapter devoted to parliamentary procedure and appendices on competing in a debate tournament as well as the judging process.

Series: DEBATE SERIES

Hardcover: 327 pages

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 4 edition (February 12, 2001)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9780844259819

ISBN-13: 978-0844259819

ASIN: 0844259810

Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 1.2 x 9.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #876,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #110 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Postmodernism #400 in Books > Textbooks > Communication & Journalism > Speech #784 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Speech

Focusing on the major types of debate that common for high school students, this book is designed to serve as a primer on debate, although it would be a useful resource for more experienced debaters also. The first several chapters deal with the building blocks for argumentation -- analysis, research and reasoning, with exercises and discussion topics included after each chapter. The authors then turn to a nuts-and-bolts coverage of the three most common types of debate -- Lincoln-Douglas Debate (where the debate centers on a value propositions); Two-man or policy debate (where the debate centers on a broad question of public policy, such as foreign trade or education reform); and Student Congress, or parliamentary debate (where the debate is conducted pursuant to Roberts Rules of Order and the discussion centers on specific items of mock legislation). This nuts-and-bolts section covers the essential elements of a case, the relevant burdens of proof and argumentation, and the particular skills that are so important to each type of debate. The book seems to be designed for easy use as a textbook (a Teachers Guide is also available from ), but it would work well as a resource for self-study, too.I was involved in competitive Forensics through all of high school and college, both as a student and as a coach. Based on that experience, it is even more obvious to me what a difficult undertaking the authors must have faced when putting together this book. Debate is, after all, an activity that really can only be learned by jumping in and doing it. This text is the perfect supplement to that type of a teaching program. Students can get a quick handle on the fundamentals, start having debates, and then use the text as a resource for lessons as those debates present them with problems. This book is an ideal learning tool, with plenty of examples and exercises, and it is written in a straightforward, accessible fashion.I have reviewed a number of these types of books, and Basic Debate may be the best debate book available for teaching and coaching debate at the high school level

A very useful "nuts and bolts" book that could be successfully used in any classroom to teach the fundamentals of beginning debate. It is not, however, a book for advanced debaters who would find it simplistic and a "rehash" of already acquired skills.

This is a good resource for teachers of debate; however, I found it a little difficult for students to understand without a lot of guidance from me. The language is a little technical, but for my use in the classroom it was adequate.

This book does give a very brief view of argument structure, but the formats it teaches are outdated, and it sat in the storage room on my campus. I didn't see any reason to use it when there is a wealth of free materials that are more applicable to what students do at competition.

It's a textbook about debate. It's about what you would expect: a little dry, but covers the basics relatively well.

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