Resolved: Museums are better than zoos.
There is limited space for Junior Debate. Please plan on registering promptly.
Debate Format:
1 Affirmative Constructive - 3 minutes
CX - 1 minute (2nd Negative Speaker cross-exams 1st Affirmative Speaker)
1 Negative Constructive - 3 minutes
CX - 1 minute (1st Affirmative Speaker cross-exams 1st Negative Speaker)
2 Affirmative Constructive - 3 minutes
CX - 1 minute (1st Negative Speaker cross-exams 2nd Affirmative Speaker)
2 Negative Constructive - 3 minutes
CX - 1 minute (2nd Affirmative Speaker cross-exams 2nd Negative Speaker)
1 Negative Rebuttal - 3 minutes
1 Affirmative Rebuttal - 3 minutes
2 Negative Rebuttal - 3 minutes
2 Affirmative Rebuttal - 3 minutes
Each Team will have a total of 5 minutes of Prep time
Rules
1. A team consists of two junior competitors. The team must not switch partners during the
tournament.
2. There is an affirmative team and a negative team. The affirmative must uphold the resolution.
The negative may negate the resolution and/or the affirmative's case.
3. Each team has a total budget of 5 minutes of preparation time which may be used or discarded
as desired by the teams. The five minutes cover both partners of the team (i.e. if the 1st
negative speaker uses all 5 minutes for his/her 1st negative constructive, then no prep time is
available for any other negative speech). A debater may take prep time before any speech
except the 1st Affirmative Constructive. A debater may not take prep time before a cross-examination.
4. Evidence from a source must be publicly available. The evidence must be physically present on
paper and be available to the opposing team and to the judge if requested.
5. Debaters may not display props or visual aids to the judge.
6. The judge will fill out a ballot that will be given to the junior debaters after the awards
ceremony. On the ballot will be the decision about which team won the round as well as specific
feedback for each speaker.
7. No new arguments are allowed in the rebuttal speeches (see helpful hints #3).
1 Updated 11/22
Junior Debate Guidelines 2023-24
Evidence Guidelines
• Evidence may be an article, quote, or paragraph from a book, newspaper, or online source.
• You must include the entire paragraph that your evidence is found in to make sure appropriate
context is included. However, you do not have to read the entire paragraph.
• NO MANIPULATION of the evidence (cutting out or adding words or moving around sentences)
is allowed.
• The source (along with credentials) and date of when the evidence was published must be
included in your citation and read aloud to the judge and opponents when presenting the evidence.
Helpful Hints & Explanations
1. Debate is a competition between 2 teams, each supporting their side of the resolution.
Affirmative is affirming the resolution (yes, the resolution is true). The negative team negates
the resolution (no, the resolution isn’t true).
2. Constructive Speech Purpose: Constructive speeches are used to introduce and build arguments
in the round and/or to respond to previous speakers.
3. Rebuttal Speech Purpose: Rebuttal speeches are used to respond to and extend existing lines of
argumentation and to emphasize the most important issues in the round. No new arguments
may be presented in rebuttal speeches. New evidence, examples, analysis, analogies, etc. that
support previously introduced lines of argumentation, are permitted in rebuttal speeches.
4. There will be two rounds of debate providing each team the opportunity to debate the
resolution on both the Affirmative and Negative positions.
5. An older student will be present with each team to make sure the junior competitors speak in
the correct order.
6. Each debate team member should bring 5-8 “cards” of evidence for both Affirmative and
Negative sides of the resolutions.
a. “Tag lines” are helpful titles for each piece of evidence to sum up what the main
argument or point of the evidence is.
b. Practice reading the evidence before the tournament to make sure you know how to
pronounce the tricky words and understand what they mean
7. Pens, notebooks/flowpads, sticky-notes, evidence, water, and copy of these rules are allowed in
the round.
8. HAVE FUN! This is a learning experience for everyone and so make sure to relax and have fun!