Motion & Side:

[0-1min] Setup

Opening line:

Setup:
Burden
Definition
Stance
Model

[0-2min] Miscellaneous (usually preemptions/rebuttals/important notes)

[2-3min] 1st Argument | Title:

Context:

Likelihood/mechanisms: Comparative Scenario exploration

Importance/weighing/preemptions:

[2-3min] 2nd Argument | Title:

Context:

Likelihood/mechanisms: Comparative Scenario exploration

Importance/weighing/preemptions:
 Jen’s 1st Speaker Template
Made by Jen Taruno. Property of disputandumdebate.wordpress.com.

Filling in the template

⬛ Everything that is written in black, bold, and has a colon (:) is to be filled.
That means Motion & Side, Opening, Model, Title, Context, Likelihood/mechanisms,
Importance/weighing/preemption.
🟩 Everything that is written in green serves as section dividers.
That means Setup, Miscellaneous, 1st Argument, 2nd Argument.
Pay attention to the [time stamps] and manage your speech timing accordingly!
⬜ Everything that is written in gray serves as optional checklists to consider.
That means Burden, Definition, Stance, Model, Comparative, Scenario exploration.
I suggest you always consider if you’ll need these things in the relevant part of the template.
Sometimes you will, sometimes you won’t. But just to be safe!
The boxes are actually clickable so if you’re making your notes digitally, check them off!
⬚ The dotted line dividing the Likelihood/mechanisms part of the argument is a friend.
In most cases, this helps remind you to be comparative (talking about why your opponent’s side
has problems/harms and why your side has solutions/benefits).
In some cases, you want to use this to explore multiple scenarios (how this motion manifests in
developing and developed countries, how students with various levels of intelligence react, etc).
If you’re confident you won’t need this divider though, just ignore it.

What this means for you

● Holistic speeches
Most importantly, this ensures you don’t miss out on talking about your setup, and the important
parts of an argument.
● Time management
The time stamps and way the tables are sized help you spend just enough time on each part. This
avoids things like spending too much time on setup, or context of arguments, which are used to
describe the debate, but not really argue for your side yet.
● It’s still quite flexible though!
Setup is still very optional and according to the debate’s needs. Arguments don’t have a specific
structure yet and only you can decide what the most important questions are for the motion.

If you don’t know some of the terms we’re using here, go to disputandumdebate.wordpress.com and use
our website’s search or drop us a message!