There are many events in history which have greatly shaped the world today. Every choice and every action has some kind of effect on what happens later. Today, we're going to be looking at an event you may not have heard of before: The Boston Massacre. Or really, what happened afterwards. But to start, here's a little historic background with a timeline from bostonmassacre.net. From what I've heard the crowd threw snow and ice and also held large sticks, but the link should give you the gist of the overall event. :) http://www.bostonmassacre.net/timeline.htm ________________________________ Now that you've read what happened, I wonder if you picked up on a little detail about the trial of Captain Preston and his soldiers. Did you notice who one of their defenders was? That's right, it was John Adams! Now you may be wondering why a future patriot, founding father, and American President was doing defending men who killed colonists. That's a pretty good question, especially considering defending those men would mean he would be putting himself, his family, his law practice, and his reputation in jeopardy. Adams believed that these men were entitled to a fair trial. In those days an "unbiased court" would have been unheard of. Bribes and threats were common and public opinion had influence. John Adams knew that the despised soldiers and their captain would not have a chance if someone like him did not step in. Despite the danger, he defended them, and with several men he was actually successful. Imagine that! The trials literally had to be postponed because the tension surrounding them was so high. And Adams still managed to save a few soldiers from death. If you read the background on the event you'll probably understand why this important story is relevant to our club (besides the fact that it was part of the start of the Revolutionary War and the United States becoming independent, LOL). Sometimes, things may look very one way. I mean, a group of soldiers firing on "unarmed" citizens? That sounds pretty open and shut. But the case wasn't. And often times, neither are our debates. And so, whatever side we're on, we must remember to do two things: have an open perspective, and keep in mind that our opponents may not actually 100% support their side in real life. John Adams obviously was pretty darn patriotic, but he still chose to represent the Brits in this one matter. That doesn't mean he believed those across the pond were right in everything, but it does mean he considered what was fair and did the best he could with this one case. Though we may not be fighting for our sides in debates because of justice, I think it's still important to remember the principle of putting your other differences aside for the one moment and doing the best you can for your side. You may believe that bullies in school should be legally punished or that electric cars are better for the environment, but if you get the opposite side, you're still going to do your best, and so are your opponents. Finally, keep an open mind. Sometimes, like in the case of the Boston Massacre, no one side is completely right or completely at fault. If the British had not put in so many taxes and not listened to the people there may not have been a mob at all. If the mob had not formed and taunted those clearly armed soldiers maybe no one would have fired. In our debates it's good to remember concessions, like Mabel shared in our most recent debate. And never forget that justice does not just apply to one side, but to both. Here's how it's going to work: Below this introduction I'm going to post some special questions and activities for you to work on. After you've read the challenges you'll have to post your answers in the comments. Submissions will end at 8pm (so no posts after that will count) and the first person to get all of them right will get to choose their side at the next debate. The top three winners (the first three to get everything right) will be named at the meeting! Finally, if you've skipped the introduction I suggest reading it because there will be a few questions about it on the quiz! Good luck debaters, and havvvveeee fun! On your marks, get set, go! TEXT VERSION OF QUESTIONS - Introduction: 1. Who is the focus of our game today(first and last name)? 2. Does justice apply to one side or both? 3. I said “In our debates it’s good to remember _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, like Mabel shared in our most recent debate (fill in the blank)? 4. What historic event are we talking about today (three words)? Main: 5. What was the name of the British captain (first and last)? 6. What number President did Adams end up as? 7. What was the date the “massacre” took place on? 8. What number regiment were the soldiers? 9. What was the name of the tax acts that were put in place in 1767 and which led up to the historic event (Hint: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Acts) 10. It is said that the captain yelled “_ _ _ ‘_ _ _ _ _” to his troops (fill in the blank)?
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On May 26, 2016 at 7:00 PM, Speech and Debate will be hosting a live debate on the some AWESOME debate topics! Come out and support your fellow debaters! You can also help pick the topic. If you bring a guest you can pick your side! They MUST be in FLVS or active in FLVS clubs AND they must log in separate from you! Hop onto our polling tab and choose the topic you want to debate on! We look forward to hearing from you!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8CR8H35 THE MAGAZINE IS UP AND READY TO BE SEEN! Check out the AMAZING work that the hardworking writers for “I BEG TO DIFFER” wrote. We are so proud of our writers!!! We hope that you enjoy! Be sure to leave a comment telling ALL of our writers “GOOD JOB”!
http://speechanddebateclubmagazine.weebly.com/ BRING A GUEST AND CHOOSE YOUR SLIDE!
Tone is probably one of the most important elements of any speech. “It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it” is a phrase that describes the importance of tone very well. No matter what great facts or research you have, or what clever or interesting points you present, if you do not share them in the right way the message will not get through clearly. Sometimes it can be hard to remember the right tone to use. We can get flustered or confused, we can feel nervous and unsure, and sometimes our mind just “blips” and we forget what we’re saying! However, once we get past that, if we can remember to be well-spoken as best we can, we can really show our stuff and present a great case for our side of the debate. We sound clearer and more professional, and demonstrate experience and practice. Tone can also allow you to show your passion and dedication to your side, which further backs up your presentation skills. Using emotion can add an extra layer of commitment and really drive your point home. People are more likely to believe and listen to you if they think you believe what you are saying, too. Check out this site (non-sponsored) for some helpful tone words you'll use for questions: http://valenciacollege.edu/east/academicsuccess/eap/documents/tonewords.pdf Here's how it's going to work: Below this introduction I'm going to post some special questions and activities for you to work on. After you've read the challenges you'll have to post your answers in the comments. Submissions will end at 7pm (so no posts after that will count) and the first person to get all of them right will get to choose their side at the next debate. The top three winners (the first three to get everything right) will be named at the meeting! Finally, if you've skipped the introduction I suggest reading it because there will be a few questions about it on the quiz! Good luck debaters, and havvvveeee fun! On your marks, get set, go! Text Version of the QUESTIONS:
Please check out this helpful list of tone words when you answer questions: http://valenciacollege.edu/east/academicsuccess/eap/documents/tonewords.pdf
Hello everyone!
Due to an unforeseen event I will be hosting the blog game at about 6:15pm today instead of 5pm. I sincerely apologize for the delay but don't worry, there definitely will be a blog game! Thank you so much for your patience, I can't wait to see everyone later tonight! And, here's a special hint so you can do some early research: we'll be talking about........ TONE! Have a great day and remember to come back at 6:15pm! The comments submission deadline has been pushed back to 8pm accordingly. :) Katherine, VP |
S&D Club
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