New LD and PF Topics Posted

Lincoln Douglas Debate: 2009 November/December Topic

Resolved: Public health concerns justify compulsory immunization.

Find LD Topic Resources HERE!

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Public Forum 2009 November Topic

Resolved: Failed nations are a greater threat to the United States than stable nations.

Find PF Topic Resources HERE!

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Thank you to the following sites for use of images:

http://www.awarenessdates.com/2008/09/get-immunized.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/russell-skelton/2008/03/16/1205602190300.html

Colbert Debate Video

Click HERE to see a very funny video of Stephen Colbert addressing the National Urban Debate League!

Thanks to: http://grevillea.wordpress.com/2009/04/ for the above image.

Philosophy & Fallacy Resource

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a wonderful resource!

Read about the fallacies or pick a philosopher to peruse!

New Poverty Figures

Poverty figures from the Census Bureau just released –

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/014227.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/us/11poverty.html

Poverty Videos

Check out the videos on poverty in America at:

Budgeting for Poverty: (Logic Appeal)

 Faces of Poverty: (Rhetorical, Emotional Appeal)

Making America Stronger, the Food Stamp Program (contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers)
 

Thinking About Poverty: Policy Topic 09-10

Resolved:

The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

Learn about poverty in America at:

http://www.povertyinamerica.psu.edu/

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/poverty/

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/domestic/poverty

http://www.heartsandminds.org/articles/childpov.htm

Check out debate evidence posted at:

http://www.debatecoaches.org/openevidence/

http://debate-central.ncpa.org/research/

Join the forum at:

http://www.cross-x.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?s=dd1518ae8147ea2fab00e274957964f4&f=146

Novice Case List Resources:

Provide aid to those homeless individuals with mental illness and/or other special needs.

(Limited to one or more of the following: Rental Vouchers, fully funding the National Housing Trust Fund, expanding aid to homeless prevention services, and/or funding maintenance of current public housing.)

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/

http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/2311/Federal-Government-Aid-Homeless-VOUCHERS.html

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/

http://www.endlongtermhomelessness.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_8_(housing)

Provide the necessary funding to expand early childhood education.

(Limited to one or more of the following: Even Start, Early Head Start, Head Start and/or Child Care and Development Block Grants.)

Early Childhood Education Brief

http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/poverty/publications/pungelloandcampbellpolicybrief.pdf

http://www.earlychildhoodfocus.org/artman2/publish/OK/Tulsa_Billionaire_Believes_Early_Childhood_Education_Stops_Poverty.shtml

Expand Food Stamps for persons living in poverty.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gBPaHA8wyvhZsKWPW8Uxp30QpfqgD9B6HE0G1

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1274

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/12/am.callebs.foodstamps.blog.archive/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Stamp_Program

Expand higher education assistance for persons living in poverty.

http://www.nccp.org/media/releases/release_32.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/242389_access27.html

http://php.louisville.edu/news/news.php?news=1360

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KTqQ4KTChGQslQngZq0wPDQgcXTM0sMW42yBJvgnvNNhrWDXk1R2!-2016257069!-82436048?docId=5000582911

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Higher-Education/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pell_grant

http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html

http://www.educationgrant.com/grants/need-based-grants/

http://www.educationgrant.com/

Expand Medicaid for persons living in poverty.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/09/28/gvsb0928.htm

http://ccf.georgetown.edu/index/cms-filesystem-action?file=ccf publications/about medicaid/nasbo final 5-1-08.pdf

http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/medicaid/

http://www.tcf.org/Publications/HealthCare/medicaidbasics.htm

We’re Back!

The 2009-2010 Season is upon us! I hope everyone had a great summer and are ready to return fresh and invigorated toward the wonderful pursuit of great debate and speeches.  Come ready to rock!

Advanced Debate End of Year Projects

You can now access the requirements and rubrics for the End of the Year Projects for advanced debate!

It’s Starting to Feel a Lot Like Summer!

What are you doing this summer?

Don’t waste all three months basking in the sunshine!

Get a head start on next year’s season.

Check out the Summer Debate Camps page to learn about summer opportunities

or meet with Ms. Miller about scheduling a summer workshop for your event!

Speak Your Opinion

Got Questions?

Chris C. has started a debate forum blog for people to post questions and have them answered by varsity debaters! Great way to access information when you get stumped!

Check it out at  http://shsnhsdebate.19.forumer.com/index.php

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Student Congress Resources

Doing Congress? Check out these great websites that will help you put it all together to become an award winning legislator!

Bill & Resolution Templates – as well as a generator to turn your legislation into a pdf!http://congress.debatetab.com/

Learn Congress terminology and procedures and take a tutorial! http://www.studentcongressdebate.org/#

Student instructions for congress. http://www.coastfl.org/CongressStudentInstructionsforLeague.pdf

More Deep Thoughts for LD

These should be helpful in formulating arguments about the October Lincoln Douglas Topic!

LD Affirmative Arguments September/October Topic

Block Arguments Against Kant’s Categorical Imperative

LD Negative Arguments September/October Topic

Block Arguments Against Utilitarianism

New Topics!!!

It’s the first of the month – and you know what that means – release of the new Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum topics!!! Check it out!!!

Public Forum

2008 November Topic

Resolved: That the United States government should implement universal health care modeled after the French system.

 Lincoln Douglas

2008 November/December Topic

Resolved: In a democratic society, felons ought to retain the right to vote.

Looking for resources?

Public Forum:

Is Europe’s Health Care Better?

France’s Model Health Care Program

U.S. Spends Most on Care But France’s Treatment is #1

Universal Health Care Tip

Essays on the French Health Care System

Health Care Lessons from France

Lincoln Douglas:

Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the U.S.

Restoring the Right to Vote

States Grapple With Voting Rights

Felony Disenfranchisement

Should Felons Have the Right to Vote? No.

Is the Right to Vote a Criminal Matter?

We Need Volunteer Judges!

Know an adult who can come volunteer to judge at speech and debate tournaments?

Encourage them to attend the workshop right here in Nampa!

When: Wednesday, October 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Nampa High School Little Theatre (Building 500)

What: A two hour workshop to learn all about debate and speech judging!

Free child care and refreshments will be available!

New Web Resource!

Captain Tyler found this great website for debaters!

ProCon.org has arguments for and against a variety of issues – including our new LD topic on the felony right to vote!

Check it out at: http://felonvoting.procon.org/

Felony Right to Vote Affirmative Arguments

Here is a compiled resource for the Affirmative on our new Lincoln Douglas Topic.

LD Aff Arguments Nov-Dec 2008

LD Felony Negative Arguments

Here are some potential arguments on the Negative:

LD Negative Arguments Nov/Dec 2008

You may also want to check out the topic overview at:

http://www.nflonline.org/uploads/StudentResources/FelonsTopicAnalysis.pdf

What Do You Think?!

Platform Speech Topics

Are you a platform speaker struggling to identify a good topic? Look over the pages to the right – Platform Speech Topic Ideas or Sources for Platform Speech.

If you are interested in public health issues, you may also want to research one of these potential expository or oratory topics:

Phthatlates - Phthalates are a class of widely used industrial compounds used in softeners of plastics, oily substances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, lubricants and wood finishers. Phthatlates are banned in Europe and are known to cause cancer and infertility.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in baby bottles, toddler sippy cups, water bottles and other food and beverage containers. BPA is believed to cause birth defects and developmental problems. In addition, exposure to BPA has been blamed for a variety of other problems, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and attention-deficit disorder.

Radon - As many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home.

New Public Forum Topic

2008 December Topic

Resolved: That, on balance, social networking Web sites have a positive impact on the United States.

Is Health Care a Human Right?

Some say yes, others say no. What do you think?

Health care is such a major issue this exact questions was brought up in the Presidential Debates – here’s how it went:

The Second Presidential Debate

October 7, 2008

Tom Brokaw: Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?

John McCain: I think it’s a responsibility…

Barack Obama: I think it should be a right for every American…

Read these articles to get a better understanding one way or another!

Yes, Health Care is a Human Right

No, Health Care is Not a Human Right

A Great Article on Health Care

Want to see how different health care systems compare?

Check out The Grass is Not Always Greener Policy Analysis

It’s Speech Time!

Be a craftsman in speech that thou mayest be strong, for the strength of one is the tongue, and speech is mightier than all fighting.

 

Maxims of Ptahhotep, 3400 B.C.

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Time to focus our energy on our speech events!

 

Are you doing a platform speech (expository, original oratory, oratorical analysis, after dinner speaking, or salesmanship)?

 

What about an interpretation speech (humorous, dramatic, or duo)?

 

Whichever event you have selected, get to work making it the best speech possible! Use the resources in the pages to the right to find a topic, review event rules, check out outlines and descriptions, and make yourself a craftsman in the art of speech!

January Topics Announced

Lincoln-Douglas

2009 January/February Topic

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Resolved: The United States ought to submit to the jurisdiction of an international court designed to prosecute crimes against humanity.

 

Resources:

 

• Decorabilia: Blog with lots of LD Resources!

• International Criminal Court

• International Criminal Court Factsheet

• Coalition for the International Criminal Court

• Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

• The Constitutionality of the Rome Statute

• Citizens for Global Solutions

• Universal Jurisdiction Factsheet

• Remarks by the General Counsel of the Department of Defense

• American Justice & the International Criminal Court

• The U.S. Government & the International Criminal Court

• Power and Interests at the ICC

 

Public Forum

2009 January Topic

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Resolved: That, by 2040, the federal government should mandate that all new passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the United States be powered by alternative fuels.

 

Resources:

_

 

 

 

• Alternative Fuels

• Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center

• Energy Issues & the Long Range Update

• Alternative Fuels Issues in Congress

• UK Urges End to Petrol Cars by 2040

• World to Reach Peak Oil by 2040

• Crunching the Numbers on Alternative Fuels

 

For all of you wondering…

It’s a Girl!

LD Topic Resources from Debate Central

Here are some more links to help you with the current LD topic!

Affirmative Links

Negative Links

BRICS – February Public Forum

Resolved: That, on balance, the rise of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) has had a positive impact on the United States.

Research Resources:

Dreaming With BRICS: The Path to 2050

Goldman Sachs BRICS Resources, including Video Interview

The Stanley Foundation – Rising Powers

Emerging BRIC Economies as Global Crisis Bites

China Most Appealing BRIC Market

Growing Pains: Brazil, Russia, India and China face economic hurdles

Brazil’s Leader Calls For Global Finance Reform

World Leaders Gather on Crisis

Your Opinion

 

March Topics Released

Lincoln-Douglas 2009 March/April Topic:

 

Resolved:  Vigilantism is justified when the government has failed to enforce the law.

 

Vigilantism Revisited: Why Can’t Dick Shoot Henry for Stealing Jane’s Truck

 

Decorabilia: Vigilantism Topic Resources

 

Vigilantism, 1937

 

Defining Vigilantism

 

American Legal Information: Vigilantism

 

Vigilante Justice: A Proper Response to Government Failure

 

Vigilante Justice in Latin America

 

 

Public Forum 2009 March Topic:

 

Resolved: That, on balance, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 has improved academic achievement in the United States.

 

No Child Left Behind: Testing, Reporting, and Accountability

 

Five Myths About the No Child Left Behind Act

 

Negative Implications of NCLB: Graduation Rates Go Down School Rating Goes Up

 

No Politician Left Behind

 

NCLB: Conspiracy, Compliance, or Creativity

 

States Charged with Implementing Bush’s National Education

 

NCLB: Misguided Approachto School Accountability for English Language Learners

 

The Issue Left Behind

 

Research Center: No Child Left Behind

March Evidence Available

For my students only:

You can access the forensics file evidence on the LD & PF topic using the link below. The password is required!

http://tkmiller97.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/march-topic-evidence/?preview=true&preview_id=636&preview_nonce=04bf5c133c

Remember Speech?

That’s right, as our debate season winds to a close it is time to focus our energy and talent on speech competition.

There are 13 speech events offered at the Idaho District & State Speech Tournaments…something for everyone!

You are really encouraged to complete in an event in each pattern. See Speech Event Descriptions by Pattern. 

Then learn more about your individual events by looking at the Oral Interpretation, Limited Preparation, or Platform Speaking pages!