Card making

Card Making How to make a “card” What a card is: It is technically a piece of evidence (when you use the term in a debate round). The evidence can be a quote, or a paragraph. It should not be longer than a paragraph. If you find lots of “good” stuff from one source, split it up into multiple cards. Besides, all the stuff in one source probably falls into multiple categories of argument. In order to save paper, you end up putting multiple “cards” onto one sheet of paper. Components of a card: In bold on the first line: The newspaper source (or author if it is a review essay and make sure you put full titles like PhD if a professor and cite the university associated, or name of organization, etc), the date, Title of the source. After the first line, the next few lines are the actual evidence. If your card is more than a sentence long, highlight the important stuff that you will most likely use in a round. This makes it easier to read during your speeches and it also makes sure that you read your card. An example of a card: New York Times, October 5, 2009 “Pakistan Attacks Show Tighter Militant Links” But the style of the attacks also revealed the closer ties between the Taliban and Al Qaeda and what are known as jihadi groups, which operate out of southern Punjab, the country’s largest province, analysts said National Intelligence Council, July 2007 “The Terrorist Threat to the US Homeland” We judge the US Homeland will face a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years. The main threat comes from Islamic terrorist groups and cells, especially al-Qa’ida, driven by their undiminished intent to attack the Homeland and a continued effort by these terrorist groups to adapt and improve their capabilities. *Clearly the two card examples are not related to each other in terms of argumentation, so they would not be on the same piece of paper. Putting all your cards on the same sheet of paper First, it’s important that your cards are relevant and will support the same point Sometimes, one card can support multiple arguments. This means you should reprint that card so that you have one copy on each sheet that relates to whatever argument you want to put it in. Since you will have multiple sheets of paper, it’s a good idea on the top of your sheet of paper to label what argument it’s under (like in the header footer List all your cards that happen to be on one sheet of paper in alphabetical order by Source name (newspaper name, author name, Organization Name). If there is a tie, then do it by date. Sometimes, you’ll only have one card for one argument. That’s ok to have just one card on a sheet of paper. Chances are, you’ll develop 1-3 cards for each argument that you really like and use often and you probably won’t use the rest. Final points on presenting cards in speeches IN PFD, don’t call them cards, call them evidence. LD and Policy can use the term “card” Read your cards before hand and know how you would use them. This just comes with lots of practice. Practice your cards so that you don’t stumble. How to organize your accordion folder Each section (A through whatever letter) represents a point in debate. Ex: A = AFF: Rebuttal for hegemony Either get one accordion folder for AFF and one for NEG (this is the best way to do it), or split the accordion half way ,with A- H being AFF cards, and J-Z being NEG (I didn’t actually count the letters, so I don’t know what halfway is) On the front of your accordion, tape a piece of paper that tells you what all the letters stand for. EX: AFF ON CASE A: Terrorism flourishes in failed nations B: Terrorists getting Nukes C: Definitions/List of failed and stable nations AFF REBUTTALS FOR: D: Hegemony leads to nuclear war E: Terrorism isn’t so bad NEG ON CASE F: Hegemonic War Eminence Only put “cards” (pieces of paper with evidence) in the letter it relates to.