Resources

Debating Guides: The Australia-Asia Debating Guide is a comprehensive and essential resource for all debaters, teachers, coaches and adjudicators. The NTDU Debating Handbook is an invaluable guide that outlines the rules, scoring, structure and adjudication of debating in the NT.

Powerpoint guide: junior guide and senior guide from the Darwin Workshops.

Speaker Duties: Each speaking position has specific duties that must be fulfilled.

Point Structure: Substantive points need to have a clear and persuasive structure. Use the SCARES planner to help write your arguments. See this example to assist you to establish context and give evidence.

Points of Information: A POI should be less than 15 seconds and can be a question or statement that is pertinent to the content of the current speech. Click here for more detailed information from the QDU.

Topics: Practise topic selection with these Senior topics. Remember to learn the three types of topics by looking at the example Middle and Senior topics here.

Rebuttal: Consider the many different ways to rebutt an argument by viewing this rebuttal powerpoint. Use this sample rebuttal guide to assist you in creating your rebuttal.

Research links: IDEA Debatabase for Senior debate research. Debatewise is a useful starting point, but it has limited depth. Public broadcaster and independent media organisations are also valuable resources e.g. BBC, Guardian, Q&A etc.

Activities: Teachers, Debating Tennis is an excellent classroom activity. Find out more here.

Videos: Search youtube for debates videos. Key terms: australs, WSDC, NSDC, Monash Association of Debaters. The WA debating league has some good sample debates