2. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ARGUMENT AND
A DEBATE.
AN ARGUMENT IS LESS FORMAL THAN A DEBATE.
AN ARGUMENT IS YOUR OPINION OR OPINIONS TRYING
TO CONVINCE SOMEONE ELSE OF SOMETHING WITH OR
WITHOUT RESEARCH.
A DEBATE IS A FORMAL PRESENTATION OF ARGUMENTS
– WITH EVIDENCE – AND TIME RESTRICTIONS.
3. ARGUMENT
Claim The main point of the
argument; what the
debater seeks to prove
true.
Warrant The logical justification for
the claim; why the claim is
true.
Data The information or
evidence used to bolster
the warrant.
Impact The reason the argument
should matter to the
audience.
4. COMPONENTS OF AN
ARGUMENT
• Claim- the argument you want to make.
• Should be a complete, persuasive sentence
• Data- the evidence that is read to prove the
claim.
• Warrant- the “why” a claim is true.
• Impact- The reason the argument should
matter to the audience.
5. COMPONENTS OF AN
ARGUMENT
• Data- the evidence that is read to prove the
claim.
• Written evidence should come from credible,
published sources
• Analytical proof can be based on logic,
general knowledge, or evidence already in the
debate
9. EXAMPLE:
CLAIM: CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES ARE
BETTER THAN OATMEAL COOKIES.
DATA: CONSUMERS EAT MORE
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES THAN
OATMEAL.
WARRANT: SUPERMARKETS HAVE A
HIGHER SALE FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP
COOKIES.
IMPACT: CHOCOLATE COOKIES ARE
BETTER THAN OATMEAL COOKIES SINCE
MORE CONSUMERS ENJOY THEM.
10. What is a Resolution? This is the topic/statement or
question that will be argued.
There are Two sides in every debate:
• AFFIRMATIVE- Affirm/uphold the resolution.
• Negative- negates/goes against
11. Sample Resolution:
Affirmative: Homework should
be banned because students
need time to bond with family.
Negative: Homework should
NOT be banned since it is
important for students to
revise the lessons taught in
class.
12. PRACTICE DRAFTING AFFIRMATIVE
AND NEGATIVE STANCES ON THE
FOLLOWING:
RESOLUTION 1: GUN CONTROL
LAWS SHOULD BE ALTERED.
RESOLUTION 2: ILLEGAL
DOWNLOADING OF MUSIC IS A
GOOD THING.
RESOLUTION 3: THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HIDE
THINGS FROM THE CITIZENRY.
Notas del editor
This lesson will talk about the parts and construction of arguments. When debaters use the term “argument,” it means something different than the normal idea of an argument. We are not talking about a disagreement between two people. In debate, an argument is a specific claim that a debater makes that is supported by evidence and reasoning. In order to be a complete argument, it must have all of those parts: introduce students the components of an individual argument: Data, Warrant, and Claim.
Claim- the argument being made. Debaters will refer to this as the “tag”. It should be clear, declarative, and persuasive. It should be a complete sentence. It is important that the claim explains the argument and reason the argument matters.
“Impact: Economic downturn leads to war.”
“The affirmative plan can’t solve: there is no proof that the plan will reduce the risk of war.”
Data- the information upon which a claim is based. Debaters refer to this as the evidence or proof. Evidence for debates should be from credible, published sources. Debaters will also use “analytics” or analytical arguments based on basic logic, general knowledge, or evidence already in the debate. Remember that it’s always BETTER to provide proof in the form of evidence that you read.
There are a few things to consider when thinking about whether evidence is valid or not:
Is the source an established news provider or research institution?
Be aware of bias in sources. Know that there are many sources that have specific social, environmental, or political agendas. There are also commercial sites that heavily promote their products or ideas. These can be used as sources, but are susceptible to attacks because of the bias.
Is it based on expert information? Good news reporting has to check facts and verify them. Good research institutions have experts that write about their field of study and are peer reviewed. Expert information matters with evidence.
Avoid anonymous sources. If you don’t know who published or wrote the information, it’s better to steer clear. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use news sites that credit a “staff writer”, but it does mean that evidence can be questioned or compared to better evidence.
Is the source an “established” source?
Be aware of “biased” sources.
Is the evidence based on “expert” information?
Be wary of “anonymous” sources!
These should be identifiable in the data/evidence
Should explain WHY/HOW a claim is true
Will be underlined in the evidence.
Warrants- the reasons that the claim is true. Warrants should be identifiable within the data/evidence provided. If your claim says that the affirmative plan will improve the economy, you should be able to identify the part of the evidence that says WHY and HOW the affirmative plan will improve the economy.
It is common practice in debate to include longer excerpts from the source and underline and/or highlight the most important sections of the evidence that support the claim. This is done for the sake of time- it keeps debaters from using speech time reading irrelevant parts of the evidence. It is also done for the sake of transparency – it allows all the debaters in a round to see that the evidence is not taken out of context. The parts of the evidence that debaters underline should always include the warrants/reasons that the claim is true.
The foundation of the argument is the Data/Evidence, The Claim is the roof of the structure is held up by Warrants which are based on/found in the Data. A claim without warrants doesn’t hold up, and warrants without data have no foundation.
Guided Practice- give students a copy of the “Argument Construction” activity, and allow them to work in pairs or groups to do section 1 in class. In the last few minutes of class, have each pair or group present their best argument to the class
