Written to be accessible to middle school and novice debaters, Mastering the Fundamentals of Lincoln-Douglas Debate is nevertheless useful to the varsity-level high school debater who longs for consistent success at tournaments. Myers walks the reader through his innovative Grammatical Resolution Analysis Method (GRAM), which takes much of the effort and guesswork out of writing cases. He especially focuses on resolution-relevant values and criteria, providing detailed explanation of how to create a solid criterion where most LD manuals only provide vague information.Myers's instruction goes beyond case writing, providing useful guidance on successful cross-examination, rebuttal preparation, when and how to use prep time effectively, flowing rounds, effective presentation, and much more. Myers also includes a chapter with quick references of the most commonly used philosophers, and suggests alternative sources to traditional philosophers to help you stand out in a round. Mastering the Fundamentals of Lincoln-Douglas Debate is the one-stop resource to help the new debater advance quickly and painlessly from clueless to competition-ready.

Offers students an overview of the world schools style of debating, with expert advice for every stage of the process, including preparation, rebuttal, style, reply speeches, and points of information.

Adopting a simple education reform to restore civil discourse and transform American society In this era of extreme political polarization, it's tempting to believe nothing can be done to heal a nation that is so obviously divided and led by dysfunctional politicians. But there is a relatively simple and powerful way to begin the healing, and at the same time prepare the next generations of leaders for the rigorous demands of a constantly changing economy and society. The solution offered by this intriguing book is for schools across the country to focus on developing in students the skills of successful debaters. These are the skills—so clearly lacking in contemporary society—of listening and persuading, through civil discourse backed by fact-based evidence and reason. Resolved explains how one simple educational reform can help address the nation's political divide and at the same time help ensure that today's young people will actually enjoy learning, and thus will have the necessary skills to lead productive and economically rewarding lives. The book offers practical ideas about a positive future for parents, educators, state legislators, business leaders—in fact, anyone interested in how debate-centered education can fundamentally change the country for the better.