Com 204 Argumentation and Advocacy Overview of the Affirmative Assignment.

The student is to develop a prima facie case for their debate proposition. You will develop your 1AC script. The case will be developed in a paper the length of 5 pages. The papers will follow an argumentative brief format instead of a manuscript format. Please refer to the files in the resources link titled: Evidence Format document and the Tobacco Affirmative case. Page one introduces the proposition. This page addresses the issue of Topicality. Graded: The student should introduce the proposition on page one. The resolutions for each class are posted in the announcements link. The student should then define the agent of action, the verb/phrase, and the specific behavior indicated in the resolution. Definitions for the verb should come from a reputable dictionary. Please, indicate the source. Definitions for the specific behavior that the resolution wants to change can be found contextually in articles. (If you dont find a compelling dictionary definition.) Again, indicate the source. Non-Graded: Optional: The student can start the paper with a brief attention getter. Short quotations and or stories are better than long stories. The attention getter should be linked to the debate proposition. Papers do not have to have an introduction for a grade, but they can make your speech more interesting. Always put the attention getter before the resolution. ALL the rest of the pages are Graded: Page two introduces the issue of Significance or Harm. Your paper should argue that a problem exists today that is significant. (Argue only one, even if there are several problemsDo not word your claim as an advantage!) At this point you are developing your first argument. Format: 1. Signpost 2. Claim 3. Evidence For this argument you should provide 2 (and only two) pieces of evidence to prove your claim. The evidence must come from at least two different sources, and the last piece of evidence should quantify how large the problem is. (Statistics can be very useful at quantifying the problem.)

Remember you must prove that a significant problem exists, not a small or insignificant problem exists.

Page three introduces the issue of Inherency. Inherency is linked to the problem and the present system. You need to argue that the problem is structurally inherent to the present system or that the problem is attitudinally inherent to the present system. Essentially, you are trying to determine why the problem exists today. At this point you develop your second argument. Format: 1. Signpost 2. Claim 3. Evidence For this argument you should provide 2 (and only two) pieces of evidence to prove your claim. Page four begins the issue of solvency. If there is a problem inherent in the present system then the resolution offers an alternative policy. You need to make the resolution operational through the development of the affirmative plan. This is the policy that you will defend as being superior to the present system. On page four you report the steps (or planks) of your plan. Plan text will discuss: Changes, Mechanisms, Finances, and Enforcement. At this point you develop your plan. Format: Plank Plank Plank Plank 1: 2: 3: 4: Change Change (dependent on resolution) Funding Enforcement

Page five finishes the issue of solvency. You must argue that your plan solves the problem. By solving the problem that the present system could not solve, your case argues that the plan is better than the present system. At this point you develop your third argument. Format: 1. Signpost 2. Claim 3. Evidence For this argument you should provide 2 (and only two) pieces of evidence to prove your claim. The evidence must come from at least two different sources, and the last piece of evidence should quantify how much of the

problem your plan will solve. (Statistics can be very useful at quantifying how much of the problem will be solved by the plan.) The end. At this point we will ask the question, is the case--prima facie? At face value, does it justify adopting the resolution? Has it covered all the prima facie issues: Topicality, page oneSignificant Harm, page two Inherency link to present system, page threeAffirmative Plan, page four Solvency, page five. After your paper is written you should practice presenting your case out-loud. You want to be able to finish your speech in no more than 7 minutes. If your practices are taking more time, then you need to edit your case to meet the time limit. One suggestion for practicing is to audio or video tape your presentations during practice, this will allow you to review your speech and make adjustments before presenting in class.