1. THE BASICS OF PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE THE CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECHES Team A: Speaker 1 – 4 Minutes Team B: Speaker 2 – 4 Minutes Crossfire (3 Minutes) Team A: Speaker 3 – 4 Minutes Team B: Speaker 4 – 4 Minutes Crossfire (3 Minutes) THE SUMMARY SPEECHES Team A: Speaker 1 – 2 Minutes Team B: Speaker 2 – 2 Minutes Grand Crossfire (3 Minutes) THE FINAL FOCUS: Team A: Speaker 3 – 2 Minutes Team B: Speaker 4 – 2 Minutes PREPARATION TIME: 2 MINUTES PER TEAM

2. THE BASICS OF PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE What Happens in Each Speech? CONSTRUCTIVES: Speaker 1: Present your case Speaker 2: Present your case Speaker 3: Respond to Speaker 2 Speaker 4: Respond to Speaker 1 The Topics: One per month – “ripped from the news” (nflonline.org) SUMMARY SPEECHES: Speaker 1: Restate key issues Speaker 2: Restate key issues FINAL FOCUS Speaker 3: 2 or 3 big issues Speaker 4: 2 or 3 big issues

3. THE BASICS OF PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE Who participates? First Crossfire: Speakers 1 and 2 (Standing, at podium, facing judge) Second Crossfire: Speakers 3 and 4 (Standing, at podium, facing judge) Grand Crossfire: All Speakers (Seated, facing judge) Who asks the first question? Always the team other than the one who just spoke Both speakers ask and answer questions after the first one What is the process for the Crossfire?

4. STRATEGY IN PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE The Coin Toss: Winner chooses side or position; loser picks what is left over. Practice Speeches: Prepare a pro and a con speech carefully timed at 4 minutes: Normal rate/persuasive delivery.

5. STRATEGY IN PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE Framing the Issue: Story 1: An infant left sleeping in his crib was bitten repeatedly by rats while his 16-year- old mother went to cash her welfare check. A neighbor responded to the cries and the child and brought him to St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment. Story 2: An eight-month-old Milwaukee boy was treated and released from St. Joseph’s Hospital yesterday after being repeatedly by rats while he was sleeping in his crib. Tenants said that repeated requests for exterminations had been ignored by the landlord, Henry Brown. Story 3: Rats bit eight-month old Michael Burns five times yesterday as he napped in his crib. Burns is the latest victim of a rat epidemic plaguing inner-city neighborhoods labeled the “Zone of Death.” Health officials say infant mortality rates in these neighborhoods approach those in Third world countries.

6. STRATEGY IN PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE The Media Model Take charge, but beware of arrogance! Keep it simple! -- Avoid the BTCs! (Barbara Gibson) Maximize the nonverbal! Lose the vocal fillers (um, er, “you know,” “like,” etc.) Display a command of the facts Tell a story