#123, Refute
You are the leviathan. Devour your opponent's ideas.
This upcoming week we will be debating Roy Teacher's students. In this debate, we will focus particularly on strengthening your ability to refute ideas. In class, we discussed a four step refutation method.
- Signal (briefly summarize the idea you will refute): “My opponent asserted…”
- State (state your counter claim): “In fact…”
- Support (offer reasoning for your counter claim): “Because…”
- Summarize (conclude by stating the importance of your counter claim): “Therefore…”
Example
(Signaling) "My opponent asserted that video games influence children to be violent."
(State) "In fact, video games can have a positive influence on children's behavior."
(Support) "Several of the most popular video games are social in nature and promote positive interactions between children. In the online game, FarmVille, for example, players help grow each other's farms. These interactions help build friendships and start new ones. According to an analysis of video games and behavior published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in January 2014, social gaming was linked with a decrease in aggressive behavior and an increase in cooperative behavior."
(Summarize) "Therefore, it is evident that video games not only do not cause violent behavior, but can help promote cooperation."
To complete this week's Journal response,
- Watch the Prime Minister of the 2014 KEDC Grand Final. Take notes and write a refutation to one of the speaker's points. Write as if you were speaking (i.e., use casual language, ask rhetorical questions, adopt a mocking/aggressive tone).
- The motion is, THW: allow people to buy and sell each other's time.
- Attack one of your peers' refutations.
-Brenden Lee Teacher
juice all the things!