You will need 2 things to complete this assignment:

1. A YouTube URL (link) to complete video of your first affirmative.
2. A formatted transcript of your speech. You may remove verbal fillers from the transcript, but you may not alter any language that you used in the speech.

This will be the first speech of this debate, known as the First Affirmative Constructive, or 1AC. There are many ways to capture and share video in this day and age. One of the easiest is to use your mobile device, along with YouTube’s mobile application to upload videos.

Regardless of how you record your video, you will need the URL to officially submit your assignment. Make sure that the video is unlisted (not private), and make sure that the URL is for your video, and not to your personal creator studio (a common mistake).

We are going to use video technology to create two debates simultaneously. Over the course of several weeks we will use the current topic for Lincoln-Douglas debating from the National Forensic Association. You will participate in four total debates by recording separate speeches to an electronic file and then sharing them with select classmates. You will have specific deadlines to complete the speeches. Your grade will based upon equal parts of the following:

• Reasoning: The logic that you use to support our advocacy needs to be relatively free of fallacies. You also need to be able to utilize arguments in such a way to clearly support one central idea. You need to be able to demonstrate your reasoning both within the debate and on Debategraph.
• Organization: You need to be able to choose the right organization pattern for your topic, as well as your speech. Your organization should be clear both within your debate, as well as on Debategraph. How you choose to fill time is also a matter of organization, so your time allocation will affect this component.
• Evidence: Will be assessed on both quantity and quality. There needs to be between 2 and 6 sources. The only way to maximize the value is to include the maximum amount of sources. The quality of sources will also significantly influence the credit you receive. Source quality depends on both on the credibility of the author, as well as the relevance of the material to your argument.
• Delivery: You need to be able to maintain composure while being recorded; minimize verbal fillers, control your body, maintain as much eye contact as possible, and speak with enough volume.

Click here to go to your debates and submit your 1AC