What is Lincoln-Douglas debate?
Lincoln-Douglas debate is the type of debate where one student competes alone against another student. Topics in Lincoln-Douglas debate typically change every two months. In the beginning Lincoln-Douglas class, students will learn how to research and how to write cases. They will also do practices debates and other drills to improve their speaking, writing and listening skills. In the varsity Lincoln-Douglas class, students will continue to develop the skills they learned during their first year. The culminating activities for both classes are the debate tournaments that are held regionally and nationally throughout the school year. Please note that in 2019-2020 Lexington is implementing a Six Day Cycle instead of a Weekly schedule. For now, I have listed both, but will delete the "Week" labels as the year progresses.
--------------------- Please Note: All class activities below this line are from 2018-2019. I will update as appropriate. ---------------------
First Quarter
Week 1/Cycle 1 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Course Expectations/Schedules/Required Forms
Icebreakers
Introduction to LD and the Civil Disobedience Topic
Icebreakers
Introduction to LD and the Civil Disobedience Topic
Week 2/Cycle 1 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Digging Deeper into the Civil Disobedience Topic
What are Cards and How Do You Cut Them?
What are Cards and How Do You Cut Them?
Week 3/Cycle 2 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Flowing -- The Basics
Structure of an LD Round -- Times and Speeches
Structure of an LD Round -- Times and Speeches
Week 4/Cycle 2 and 3 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Frameworks -- Utilitarianism vs. Deontology
Basics of Case Construction
More Work on Frameworks
Basics of Case Construction
More Work on Frameworks
Week 5/Cycle 3 and 4 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
More Time for Utilitarianism
Start Thinking About Case Ideas/Share Them
Social Contract Theory -- Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes
Start Working on First Case
Start Thinking About Case Ideas/Share Them
Social Contract Theory -- Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes
Start Working on First Case
Week 6/Cycle 4 and 5 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Check in on Cases/Keep Working on Cases
Discussion of Impact Calculus Using Civil Disobedience Arguments
Discussion of Offense and Defense Using Civil Disobedience Arguments
Discussion of Cross-Examination Using Civil Disobedience Questions
Discussion of Impact Calculus Using Civil Disobedience Arguments
Discussion of Offense and Defense Using Civil Disobedience Arguments
Discussion of Cross-Examination Using Civil Disobedience Questions
Week 7/Cycle 5 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Discussion of Extensions and Voters
Demo Debate
First Case Due
First Practice Debate/Everyone Else Flows
Demo Debate
First Case Due
First Practice Debate/Everyone Else Flows
Week 8/Cycle 5 and 6 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
More Practice Debates
Everyone Else Flows
Everyone Else Flows
Week 9/Cycle 6 and 7 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Still More Practice Debates
Everyone Else Flows
Review of Tournament Practices Before Manchester
Everyone Else Flows
Review of Tournament Practices Before Manchester
Week 10/Cycle 7 and 8 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Manchester
Introduction to November-December Topic
Presentation on Answering Arguments
Beginning of a Second Series on In Class Practice Debates
Introduction to November-December Topic
Presentation on Answering Arguments
Beginning of a Second Series on In Class Practice Debates
Week 11/Cycle 8 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Continue Second Series of Practice Debates
Second Quarter
Week 12/Cycle 8 and 9 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Scarsdale
Finish Second Series of Practice Debates
Q & A on Arguments and In-Round Procedures
Finish Second Series of Practice Debates
Q & A on Arguments and In-Round Procedures
Week 13/Cycle 9 and 10 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Little Lex
Talk More about November-December Topic
Work on November-December Cases
Talk More about November-December Topic
Work on November-December Cases
Week 14/Cycle 10 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on November-December Cases
Work on November-December Blocks (Partner Up With Ridge Participants)
Do First Practice Debate for Ridge
Work on November-December Blocks (Partner Up With Ridge Participants)
Do First Practice Debate for Ridge
Week 15/Cycle 10 and 11 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Do Second and Third Practice Debates for Ridge
Introduce the January-February Topic
Do CX Drills With Cases For Folks Not Attending Ridge -- Day 1
Introduce the January-February Topic
Do CX Drills With Cases For Folks Not Attending Ridge -- Day 1
Week 16/Cycle 11 and 12 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
CX Drills With Cases for Folks Not Attending Ridge -- Day 2
Introduction to Plans and Counterplans
Introduction to Disads
Do More Case Reading and CX
Introduction to Plans and Counterplans
Introduction to Disads
Do More Case Reading and CX
Week 17/Cycle 12 and 13 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Review Plans, Counterplans and Disads
Finish the Case Reading and CX
Introduction to Theory Arguments and Cross-Examination
Finish the Case Reading and CX
Introduction to Theory Arguments and Cross-Examination
Week 18/Cycle 13 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Continue Working on January/February Cases
Discuss Judge Adaptation in the Context of Newark Tournament
Discuss Judge Adaptation in the Context of Newark Tournament
Week 19/Cycle 13 and 14 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Newark Tournament and Discuss Arguments Run There
In Class Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Not Debating Flows and Writes Speech by Speech Comments
In Class Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Not Debating Flows and Writes Speech by Speech Comments
Week 20/Cycle 14 and 15 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
In Class Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Not Debating Still Flows and Writes Comments
Everyone Not Debating Still Flows and Writes Comments
Week 21/Cycle 15 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Rebuttal Redos
In Class Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
In Class Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
Third Quarter
Week 22/Cycle 15 and 16 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Rebuttal Redos
Finish First Wave on January/February Topic Debates
Preliminary Discussion of the March/April Topic
Finish First Wave on January/February Topic Debates
Preliminary Discussion of the March/April Topic
Week 23/Cycle 16 and 17 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Pennsbury -- Prepare for Penn
Assign Research Topics for March-April Topic
Work on March-April Research Topics
Assign Research Topics for March-April Topic
Work on March-April Research Topics
Week 24/Cycle 17 and 18 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Penn -- Talk About Debate Camps
Discuss Kant and Capitalism
Framework Mini-Debates
Discuss Kant and Capitalism
Framework Mini-Debates
Week 25/Cycle 18 and 19 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Discuss Upcoming Events
Work on March/April Cases
Start March/April Practice Debates
Everyone Else Writes Flows and Comments
Work on March/April Cases
Start March/April Practice Debates
Everyone Else Writes Flows and Comments
Week 26/Cycle 19 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Continue March/April Practice Debates
Everyone Else Writes Flows and Comments
Everyone Else Writes Flows and Comments
Week 27/Cycle 20 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Needham/State Practice Debates
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
Week 28/Cycle 20 and 21 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Needham and Discuss State
Work on Case Improvements
Long Discussion of John Rawls
Flowing Exercise
Work on Case Improvements
Long Discussion of John Rawls
Flowing Exercise
Week 29/Cycle 21 and 22 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
More March-April Debates Before State
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Comments
Week 30/Cycle 22 and 23 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief State
Introduce Philosophy Projects
Work on Philosophy Projects
Introduce Philosophy Projects
Work on Philosophy Projects
Fourth Quarter
Week 31/Cycle 23 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Prepare for Impact Calc Tournament
Do Impact Calc Tournament -- Everyone Flows
Do Impact Calc Tournament -- Everyone Flows
Week 32/Cycle 24 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Finish Impact Calc Tournament
Final Preparations for Philosophy Project Presentations
Start Philosophy Project Presentations -- Everyone Else Takes Notes
Final Preparations for Philosophy Project Presentations
Start Philosophy Project Presentations -- Everyone Else Takes Notes
Week 33/Cycle 24 and 25 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Philosophy Project Presentations -- Everyone Else Takes Notes
Creative Quiz on Philosophy Presentations
Creative Quiz on Philosophy Presentations
Week 34/Cycle 25 and 26 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Review Plans for Next Year
Divide Class into Future PFers (Intro to PF) and Future LDers (Advanced LD)
Divide Class into Future PFers (Intro to PF) and Future LDers (Advanced LD)
Week 35/Cycle 26 and 27 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Divide Class into Future PFers (Intro to PF) and Future LDers (Advanced LD)
Full Class Presentation on Use of Verbatim
Class Discussion of the Philosophy Projects Creative Quiz
Full Class Presentation on Use of Verbatim
Class Discussion of the Philosophy Projects Creative Quiz
Week 36/Cycle 27 and 28 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Senior Recognition and Comments from Novices to TAs
Choose Congress Topics
Write Congress Resolutions
Prepare Speeches for Congress Debates
Choose Congress Topics
Write Congress Resolutions
Prepare Speeches for Congress Debates
Week 37/Cycle 28 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Student Congress
Week 38/Cycle 28 and 29 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Student Congress
Planning for Next Year
Planning for Next Year
Week 39/Cycle 29 and 30 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class
Additional Planning for Next Year
Describe Summer Projects
Describe Summer Projects
Week 40/Cycle 30 and 31
Review of Schedule for Next Year
--------------------- Please Note: All class activities below this line are from 2018-2019. I will update as appropriate. ---------------------
First Quarter
Week 1/Cycle 1 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Course Expectations/Schedules/Required Forms
Review of the Rules
Review of the Rules
Week 2/Cycle 1 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
General Discussion of Sept-Oct Topic
Aff Discussion Groups -- Work in Trios and Then Share Out Thoughts
Neg Discussion Groups -- Work in Trios and Then Share Out Thoughts
Aff Discussion Groups -- Work in Trios and Then Share Out Thoughts
Neg Discussion Groups -- Work in Trios and Then Share Out Thoughts
Week 3/Cycle 2 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Demo Debate -- Third and Fourth Years Judge as Me/Second Years Flow and Make Comments
Small Group Review of Verbatim and Proper Wikis
Block Construction Workshop
Limited Time to Work on Cases
Small Group Review of Verbatim and Proper Wikis
Block Construction Workshop
Limited Time to Work on Cases
Week 4/Cycle 2 and 3 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Discuss Arguments from Yale
Rethink Current Arguments in Light of Yale Experiences
Des Moines Valley Practice Debates
Rethink Current Arguments in Light of Yale Experiences
Des Moines Valley Practice Debates
Week 5/Cycle 3 and 4 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on Sept-Oct Cases and Blocks and Upload Files
Discuss Arguments From Des Moines Valley
Discuss Backwards Planning
Work in Trios to Evaluate Prep
Clash Drills
Discuss Arguments From Des Moines Valley
Discuss Backwards Planning
Work in Trios to Evaluate Prep
Clash Drills
Week 6/Cycle 4 and 5 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Hand Back Clash Drill Flows and Discuss Better Ways to Clash
Discuss the November-December Topic as a Full Class
Meet in Small Groups to Generate a List of Shared Research Topics
Targeted Comment Practice Debate
Discuss the November-December Topic as a Full Class
Meet in Small Groups to Generate a List of Shared Research Topics
Targeted Comment Practice Debate
Week 7/Cycle 5 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Targeted Comment Practice Debates
Discussion of Arguments for Sept-Oct and Nov-Dec
Discussion of Arguments for Sept-Oct and Nov-Dec
Week 8/Cycle 5 and 6 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Review of Where We Are and Where We're Headed
Final Thoughts on September-October Topic
Review of November-December Topic
Work on November-December Card Assignment
Present November-December Cards
Final Thoughts on September-October Topic
Review of November-December Topic
Work on November-December Card Assignment
Present November-December Cards
Week 9/Cycle 6 and 7 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on November-December Cases
Finish Presenting Card Assignments
Watch Video of Traditional LD Round and Flow It
Write a High Quality Ballot for the Video Debate
Finish Presenting Card Assignments
Watch Video of Traditional LD Round and Flow It
Write a High Quality Ballot for the Video Debate
Week 10/Cycle 7 and 8 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Apple Valley Targeted Comments Debates
Week 11/Cycle 8 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Apple Valley
Hand Back Flows and Discuss Flowing/Targeted Comments
Meet in Small Groups to Discuss Case Approaches
Scarsdale Targeted Comments Debates
Hand Back Flows and Discuss Flowing/Targeted Comments
Meet in Small Groups to Discuss Case Approaches
Scarsdale Targeted Comments Debates
Second Quarter
Week 12/Cycle 8 and 9 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Scarsdale
Work in Pairs to Write Shared Blocks
Review Procedures for Little Lex
Work on Individual November-December Prep
Work in Pairs to Write Shared Blocks
Review Procedures for Little Lex
Work on Individual November-December Prep
Week 13/Cycle 9 and 10 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Develop Speech Docs Based on Arguments from Apple Valley
Guest Lecture on Deleuze
Work on November-December Cases
Guest Lecture on Deleuze
Work on November-December Cases
Week 14/Cycle 10 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Princeton and Ridge Practice Debates
Week 15/Cycle 10 and 11 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
January-February Topic Analysis
Ridge Practice Debates
Work on Card Assignment for January-February Topic
Ridge Practice Debates
Work on Card Assignment for January-February Topic
Week 16/Cycle 11 and 12 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Blake Wish-list Project Work
Blake In-Class Debates
Blake In-Class Debates
Week 17/Cycle 12 and 13 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Independent Work on the January/February Topic
Debrief Blake and Work On Individual Cases
Practice Debate For Newark
Debrief Blake and Work On Individual Cases
Practice Debate For Newark
Week 18/Cycle 13 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on January/February Cases
Week 19/Cycle 13 and 14 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Newark and Discuss Arguments We Heard There
Start January/February In Class Debates
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Start January/February In Class Debates
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Week 20/Cycle 14 and 15 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Discuss the Political Scene -- In and Out of Debate
Topic Specific Debating Activity
Work on January/February Cases
Topic Specific Debating Activity
Work on January/February Cases
Week 21/Cycle 15 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Planning Session for Upcoming Events
Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Third Quarter
Week 22/Cycle 15 and 16 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debates on the January/February Topic
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Week 23/Cycle 16 and 17 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Discuss March/April Topic
Harvard Practice Debates
Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Harvard Practice Debates
Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Week 24/Cycle 17 and 18 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Harvard Practice Debates
Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Work on Harvard Prefs While Others are Preparing for Harvard (Or Other Events)
Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Work on Harvard Prefs While Others are Preparing for Harvard (Or Other Events)
Week 25/Cycle 18 and 19 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on March/April Cases
One on One Meetings on March/April Cases With Shrewsbury/Brandeis Participants
Traditional Debate
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
One on One Meetings on March/April Cases With Shrewsbury/Brandeis Participants
Traditional Debate
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Week 26/Cycle 19 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Start the Circuit to Lay Case Assignment
Work on March/April Cases
Traditional Debate
Everyone Else Flows and Writes "Traditional" Comments
Work on March/April Cases
Traditional Debate
Everyone Else Flows and Writes "Traditional" Comments
Week 27/Cycle 20 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Brandeis
Work on March-April Cases
Finish the Circuit to Lay Case Assignment
Reading for Expression Activity
Work on March-April Cases
Finish the Circuit to Lay Case Assignment
Reading for Expression Activity
Week 28/Cycle 20 and 21 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Debrief Needham and Review Upcoming Events
Review of Observations on Jan-Feb Prep
Work on March-April Cases
Review of Observations on Jan-Feb Prep
Work on March-April Cases
Week 29/Cycle 21 and 22 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Reading and CX Exercise
Quiet Work on Cases/Other Work During MCAS Testing
Quiet Work on Cases/Other Work During MCAS Testing
Week 30/Cycle 22 and 23 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Reading and CX Exercise
TOC Prep Debates
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
TOC Prep Debates
Everyone Else Flows and Writes Targeted Comments
Fourth Quarter
Week 31/Cycle 23 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Introduction to New Assignments/Projects
Finish CX Exercise
Work on Evidence Analysis Project (Juniors/Sophomores)/Final File Projects (Seniors
Practice Debate for TOC -- Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Finish CX Exercise
Work on Evidence Analysis Project (Juniors/Sophomores)/Final File Projects (Seniors
Practice Debate for TOC -- Everyone Else Judges and Writes "Circuit" Comments
Week 32/Cycle 24 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on Evidence Analysis (or Senior) Project
Finish Evidence Analysis Project (Sophomores and Juniors)
Start Tagging and Highlighting Assignment (Sophomores and Juniors)
Finish Evidence Analysis Project (Sophomores and Juniors)
Start Tagging and Highlighting Assignment (Sophomores and Juniors)
Week 33/Cycle 24 and 25 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Work on Tagging/Highlighting Assignment (or Senior Project)
Progress Check on Senior Projects
Complete Google Form on Future Planning
Progress Check on Senior Projects
Complete Google Form on Future Planning
Week 34/Cycle 25 and 26 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Review Card Analysis Assignment as a Class
Peer Editing on Tagging and Highlighting Assignment
Work on Senior Projects
Peer Editing on Tagging and Highlighting Assignment
Work on Senior Projects
Week 35/Cycle 26 and 27 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Q and A With the Seniors
Finish Peer Editing and Senior Projects
Go Over Tagging and Highlighting Assignment as a Group
Finish Peer Editing and Senior Projects
Go Over Tagging and Highlighting Assignment as a Group
Week 36/Cycle 27 and 28 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Senior Recognition
Discussion of Future Plans Generally
Discussion of Divided Classroom Specifically
Discussion of Future Plans Generally
Discussion of Divided Classroom Specifically
Week 37/Cycle 28 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Discuss the Collective Backfile Project
Do Preliminary Planning for Enhanced Backfiles
Examine Sections of the Backfiles and Report Back to the Group
Do Preliminary Planning for Enhanced Backfiles
Examine Sections of the Backfiles and Report Back to the Group
Week 38/Cycle 28 and 29 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Continue With Backfile Project
Discuss Summer Work and Fall Schedule
Develop Split Classroom Back to School Schedule
Meet With TAs
Discuss Summer Work and Fall Schedule
Develop Split Classroom Back to School Schedule
Meet With TAs
Week 39/Cycle 29 and 30 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Finish Preliminary Backfile Restructuring
Finalize Summer and Fall Plans
Finalize Summer and Fall Plans
Week 40/Cycle 30 and 31 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class
Finalize Summer and Fall Plans