DEBATE SHOWDOWN 2016

Presidential debates decide elections. If a candidate screws up spectacularly, or has a very good answer to an important question, the course of our history can be changed forever. Ms. Lisser and I want to encourage you to watch these debates, and to think critically about debate performances, so you can make an even more informed decision.

To be successful in this assignment:

1) Pick a debate to watch. You can watch this at home live, on Youtube, or after class on dates TBD. Ms. Lisser and I will set up a time, or times, when people can come in after school to watch the debate.

2) Watch it! Listen carefully for questions that interest you, responses that are persuasive to you, and/or memorable moments.When those questions/answers/moments come up, write those in your notes.

If you missed a debate moment or couldn’t write it down, and really want to use it,transcripts from the debates are available online here:

Debate schedule is below:

September 26th, 2016 / Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York
October 9th, 2016 / Presidential Debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
October 19th, 2016 / Presidential Debate at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas

3) Use “My Notes from the Debate” to form the “Trump v. Clinton Make Debate History” essay rough draft.We’ll be typing the final draft together in class. What persuades you is entirely subjective and personal, so don’t expect to be graded on that! What’s important is that you record three questions & their responses from the debate, AND/OR three memorable moments from the debate, and can use those to argue why Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton were more persuasive in the debate. If you do this clearly and with the usual essay structure, you’ll earn a very good grade.

Exceeding / Meeting / Approaching / Beginning
You argue which candidate had a better performance in the debate using their responses to 3 questions or 3 memorable moments that were persuasive to you. Your argument is clear, well-structured, and logically supported by the evidence you chose. / You argue which candidate had a better performance in the debate using their responses to 3 questions or 3 memorable moments that were persuasive to you. Your argument could be clearer, has an effective structure, and is somewhat supported by the evidence you chose. / You argue which candidate had a better performance using their response to 2 or 3 questions or memorable moments. Your argument isn’t clear, lacks structure, and/or is unsupported by evidence. / You argue which candidate had the better performance but use 2 or 3 questions or memorable moments to support your argument. Your argument isn’t clear, lacks structure, and is weakly supported by the evidence you provide.

My Notes from the Debate

The four boxes below can help you take notes as you watch the debate. To be sure you have plenty of evidence, it’s a good idea to take notes on more than 3 persuasive moments or Questions/Responses during the debate. You don’t HAVE to use this template but I wanted to provide some space for you to take notes 

Trump v. Clinton Make Debate History (Helpful Template)

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
―Isaac Asimov

“The first duty of a man is to think for himself”
―José Martí

Your argument: ______
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1st piece of evidence (Persuasive response to a question or a memorable moment)
First, ______
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2nd piece of evidence (Persuasive response to a question or a memorable moment)
Second, ______
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3rd piece of evidence (Persuasive response to a question or a memorable moment)
Third, ______
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Conclusion
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