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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.

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Novice LD Resources

--------------------- 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

Week 2/Cycle 1 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Digging Deeper into the Civil Disobedience Topic
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

Week 4/Cycle 2 and 3 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Frameworks -- Utilitarianism vs. Deontology
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

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

Week 7/Cycle 5 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Discussion of Extensions and Voters
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

Week 9/Cycle 6 and 7 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Still More Practice Debates 
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

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

Week 13/Cycle 9 and 10 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Debrief Little Lex
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

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

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

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

Week 18/Cycle 13 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Continue Working on January/February Cases
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

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

Week 21/Cycle 15 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Rebuttal Redos
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

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

Week 24/Cycle 17 and 18 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Debrief Penn -- Talk About Debate Camps
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

Week 26/Cycle 19 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Continue March/April Practice Debates
​Everyone Else Writes Flows and Comments

Week 27/Cycle 20 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Needham/State Practice Debates
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

Week 29/Cycle 21 and 22 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

More March-April Debates Before State
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

Fourth Quarter

Week 31/Cycle 23 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Prepare for Impact Calc Tournament
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

Week 33/Cycle 24 and 25 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Philosophy Project Presentations -- Everyone Else Takes Notes
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)

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

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

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

Week 39/Cycle 29 and 30 -- Novice Lincoln Douglas Class

Additional Planning for Next Year
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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 7/Cycle 5 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Targeted Comment Practice Debates
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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 16/Cycle 11 and 12 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Blake Wish-list Project Work
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

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

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

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

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

Week 23/Cycle 16 and 17 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Discuss March/April Topic
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)

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

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

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

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

Week 29/Cycle 21 and 22 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Reading and CX Exercise
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

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

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)

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

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

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

Week 36/Cycle 27 and 28 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Senior Recognition
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

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

Week 39/Cycle 29 and 30 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Finish Preliminary Backfile Restructuring
Finalize Summer and Fall Plans

Week 40/Cycle 30 and 31 -- Varsity Lincoln Douglas Class

Finalize Summer and Fall Plans