The Opening Statement:
Advice and Tips
Advice and Tips
1) START with your hook or lead. It’s basically an attention grabber. You want to grab the judges attention in a good way. There are a series of ways you can accomplish this.
2) The rest of the opening statement needs to SUMMARIZE in PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE why your position is the strongest.
3) You don’t want to give too many details, but you should explain the strongest points you want to make. You should have at least 3 solid points to make, but you can have more.
4) Think of this opening statement like a story you are telling about why your argument is the most convincing. Consider using QUOTES that you think are emotionally powerful. You MUST appeal to people’s sense of REASON and EMOTION.
5) The opening statement will probably be about a 1/2 page to a page long and/or probably about a minute or minute and a half.
6) Your last line should state exactly what your side is arguing, otherwise known as your THESIS STATEMENT
"The United States WAS/WAS NOT justified for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 because ......"
7) When you present your opening statement speak slowly, clearly, and loudly. Do NOT stumble over your words. You should know the writing well enough to feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE as you present your position. Be confident in your words! You can read from your paper, BUT try to make eye contact with the judges and the opposing team.
8) PROPER NOUNS!!!!!! Remember- it's not "us" and "them". Do not use pronouns, but instead, proper nouns. You are lawyers arguing for the atomic bomb or against; you are not arguing "for" the U.S. or Japan. Make sure both your opening statement and arguments reflect this.
The following is an example of an opening statement. Notice the lawyer gave details & description without GIVING AWAY the whole case, appealed to emotion, gave some facts but not all, and used writing techniques. The trial revolved around an auto accident and a serious injury.
"All drivers have a responsibility behind the wheel. They have a responsibility to drive safely. They have a responsibility to their fellow travelers. They have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. For example, don't run a red light. When a driver runs a red light and crashes into another person, they are responsible for the harm and losses suffered by the injured person. I want to tell you the story of what happened on November 24th, 2017. It's in College Park; it's a bright sunny day. The roads are dry and it's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Students at College Park are bustling around campus, finishing up exams, packing up for the holiday weekend, and getting ready to hit the road. This means a little extra traffic on the road as we all know, and the defendent was headed toward the intersection. As she travels toward the intersection, she has a red light. She doesn't stop. She doesn't slow down. She drives directly through the intersection, striking an SUV that had the right-of-way with a green signal. The SUV is forced head on into a tree, the vehicle demolished. She then fled the scene and refuses to compensate my client for his numerous expenses. He should not have to pay for her negligence and lack of attentiveness to the rules of the road as he suffered numerous injuries including brain trauma, had to take time-off work, and is seeing a counselor for PTSD symptoms."
You could start with a snapshot that depicts the ugliness of war or a moment of terror for a civilian on the ground that day in Hiroshima. Could you find a quote that really sets the tone or mood of your opening statement (and if it's from a historical figure from WWII, even better!) There are many ways to get started, just remember: tell details of your case but don't give away everything, use your writing skills and appeal to the judge's emotions, and END WITH YOUR THESIS STATEMENT! (CLAIM/ARGUMENT + evidence, evidence, and evidence. It can be more than a Magic 3 if you have really good arguments.O
2) The rest of the opening statement needs to SUMMARIZE in PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE why your position is the strongest.
3) You don’t want to give too many details, but you should explain the strongest points you want to make. You should have at least 3 solid points to make, but you can have more.
4) Think of this opening statement like a story you are telling about why your argument is the most convincing. Consider using QUOTES that you think are emotionally powerful. You MUST appeal to people’s sense of REASON and EMOTION.
5) The opening statement will probably be about a 1/2 page to a page long and/or probably about a minute or minute and a half.
6) Your last line should state exactly what your side is arguing, otherwise known as your THESIS STATEMENT
"The United States WAS/WAS NOT justified for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 because ......"
7) When you present your opening statement speak slowly, clearly, and loudly. Do NOT stumble over your words. You should know the writing well enough to feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE as you present your position. Be confident in your words! You can read from your paper, BUT try to make eye contact with the judges and the opposing team.
8) PROPER NOUNS!!!!!! Remember- it's not "us" and "them". Do not use pronouns, but instead, proper nouns. You are lawyers arguing for the atomic bomb or against; you are not arguing "for" the U.S. or Japan. Make sure both your opening statement and arguments reflect this.
The following is an example of an opening statement. Notice the lawyer gave details & description without GIVING AWAY the whole case, appealed to emotion, gave some facts but not all, and used writing techniques. The trial revolved around an auto accident and a serious injury.
"All drivers have a responsibility behind the wheel. They have a responsibility to drive safely. They have a responsibility to their fellow travelers. They have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. For example, don't run a red light. When a driver runs a red light and crashes into another person, they are responsible for the harm and losses suffered by the injured person. I want to tell you the story of what happened on November 24th, 2017. It's in College Park; it's a bright sunny day. The roads are dry and it's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Students at College Park are bustling around campus, finishing up exams, packing up for the holiday weekend, and getting ready to hit the road. This means a little extra traffic on the road as we all know, and the defendent was headed toward the intersection. As she travels toward the intersection, she has a red light. She doesn't stop. She doesn't slow down. She drives directly through the intersection, striking an SUV that had the right-of-way with a green signal. The SUV is forced head on into a tree, the vehicle demolished. She then fled the scene and refuses to compensate my client for his numerous expenses. He should not have to pay for her negligence and lack of attentiveness to the rules of the road as he suffered numerous injuries including brain trauma, had to take time-off work, and is seeing a counselor for PTSD symptoms."
You could start with a snapshot that depicts the ugliness of war or a moment of terror for a civilian on the ground that day in Hiroshima. Could you find a quote that really sets the tone or mood of your opening statement (and if it's from a historical figure from WWII, even better!) There are many ways to get started, just remember: tell details of your case but don't give away everything, use your writing skills and appeal to the judge's emotions, and END WITH YOUR THESIS STATEMENT! (CLAIM/ARGUMENT + evidence, evidence, and evidence. It can be more than a Magic 3 if you have really good arguments.O
Pearl Harbor: December 7th, 1941
1942 news coverage of Pearl Harbor:
This link takes you to actual news footage from 1942 detailing the attack.
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Address:
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, stunned virtually everyone in the United States military. Japan’s bombers found Pearl Harbor totally unprepared. President Franklin Roosevelt quickly addressed Congress to ask for a declaration of war as illustrated in this audio excerpt. Although he never mentioned Europe or the fact that Germany had not yet declared war on the United States, the Pearl Harbor attack allowed him to begin the larger intervention in the European war he had long wanted.
By the Numbers: Casualties at Pearl Harbor:
this link will take you to the WWII Museum's website, where you will find stats on Pearl Harbor.
This link takes you to actual news footage from 1942 detailing the attack.
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Address:
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, stunned virtually everyone in the United States military. Japan’s bombers found Pearl Harbor totally unprepared. President Franklin Roosevelt quickly addressed Congress to ask for a declaration of war as illustrated in this audio excerpt. Although he never mentioned Europe or the fact that Germany had not yet declared war on the United States, the Pearl Harbor attack allowed him to begin the larger intervention in the European war he had long wanted.
By the Numbers: Casualties at Pearl Harbor:
this link will take you to the WWII Museum's website, where you will find stats on Pearl Harbor.
Pearl Harbor Fact Sheet | |
File Size: | 397 kb |
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Battle of Midway: A Turning Point
Battle of Midway Fact Sheet | |
File Size: | 219 kb |
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Debate Overview 2018 | |
File Size: | 432 kb |
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Debate Note Cards 2018 | |
File Size: | 410 kb |
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