CAP Debates 2021 Project Packet

OBJECTIVE: Assemble a coherent and well

supported argument on an issue and defend your
argument in a formal debate setting.
● For this project, you will participate in a formal debate
● You will have a topic with a proposition that will
present a claim
● Your goal is to present an argument in favor of, or
against the claim.

STEP 1: Find Out Your Topic! - December 21

On Monday, December 21, CAP10 will meet as a whole group to discuss the CAP Debates Project
and dole out the debate topics and sides. Once you learn your topic and side, add in your information
below! If you need to check back on the list, CLICK HERE!

My Topic: Single-use plastics

My Topic Proposition: Maryland should not ban all single-use plastics.

My Side (pro or con): Con

My Debate Partner and their Evan Wilson

276425
Student ID number:
My Debate Opponents: Francisco Hidalgo, Ella Moskovitz

PRO = Affirmative CON = Negative

The side that “affirms” or argues for the proposition The side that argues the status quo, against the
or change proposition.

Has burden of proof, therefore goes first and last. Can cast doubt on the arguments or proposition, not
introduce alternative

Must outline the case and introduce new points of Responds by refuting Affirmative, rather than
argument formulating new arguments
STEP 2: Research! - Over Winter Break
Now that you know your topic and the side you will debate, you will need to do some research. Use
the charts below to organize your claims, key quotes, and statistics, and make notes on reasoning
and credibility. You will also want to collect some opposition research, including the opposition’s
claims, so that you are able to build your crossfire and rebuttal. Finally, you will collect a works cited
list of credible sources.

Your Side:

Notes, Quotes, Evidence, Statistics,

Claims
Reasoning
Claim #1 Efficient for businesses Plastic containers often used for storing food in grocery
stores help to eliminate food waste by elongating shelf
life.
https://thisisplastics.com/environment/the-purpose-of-
single-use-plastics/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20single
%2Duse%20plastic%20products,for%20these%20types
%20of%20products.

Claim #2 Practical and Convenient for Plastic utensils help save water by limiting dishwasher
customers usage and reduce clean-up after social events which is
helpful for customers.

Claim #3 Alternatives aren’t inherently Paper, a common alternative, takes up more space in
better landfills and is far less durable than current plastic bags,
with little to no benefit in decomposition time. Other
biodegradable options aren’t perfect solutions either.
According to the UN Environment Programme and
studies by the Life Cycle Initiative, the “results indicate
[biodegradable bags] might be the worst option when it
comes to climate impacts” such as acidification and
toxic emissions (Single-use Plastic Bags and their
Alternatives). Reusable bags, while taking up less
space should they end up in landfills, are extremely
energy-inefficient when compared with plastics which
cost little in energy to produce. A study by the Danish
Government and Life Cycle Initiative indicates that bags
made from organic cotton would “need to be reused
7,100 times” to be as efficient as plastic (Life Cycle
Assessment of Grocery Carrier Bags).

Claim #4 Help cut down on disease and Crucial in medical industries, syringes, applicators, drug
virus spread tests, and bandages are all often made to be
disposable.

Opposition Research: To craft your rebuttal!

Refuting - There are three basic techniques of refuting arguments -
1. Directly attack the data upon which your opponents’ claims rest. An example would be
arguing that the data for global warming is faulty.
2. Absorb their argument. Rather than disagree with the data behind their argument, you provide
an alternative interpretation of the data that accords with your overall arguments. In other
 words, concede the data and refute the claim. For example, you might say, “Yes, it is
historically true that we have never used our nuclear arsenal; however, that example merely
proves my point that stockpiling these weapons has been an effective deterrent, because…”
3. The strategic concession. Rather than disagree with either the data or warrants of your
opponents, explain why their arguments are irrelevant. For example, you might say, “Even if our
opponents win that our plan will cost several billion dollars, we still win the debate because the
plan’s benefits outweigh its costs, since…” These last two techniques allow you to defend your
strongest ground rather than get sucked into argumentative quagmires that you have no chance
of winning. If the data is good and credible, then start looking for ways to spin it to your
advantage.

Opposing Claims Your Rebuttal

Claim #1 Single-use plastics harm wildlife

Claim #2 Single-use plastics pollute

oceans

Claim #3 Single-use plastics are an

extreme waste of resources.

Add more claims as needed by adding

rows to this chart!

Works Cited: Add your list of credible sources in here. Make sure to use proper MLA citations.
You will put together a formal team copy of this to turn in on Debate Day!

Adler, Ben. "Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not so Fast."
Wired, 10 June 2016, www.wired.com/2016/06/
banning-plastic-bags-great-world-right-not-fast/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Bell, Kirsty, and Suzie Cave. Comparison of Environmental Impact of Plastic,

Paper and Cloth Bags. 23 Feb. 2011, www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/
documents/raise/publications/2011/environment/3611.pdf. Accessed 4 Jan.
2021.

Edgington, Tom. "Plastic or Paper: Which Bag Is Greener?" BBC News, 28 Jan.
2019, www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792. Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Ekvall, Tomas, et al. Single-use Plastic Bags and Their Alternatives;

Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments. United Nations Environment
Programme, www.lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/
Single-use-plastic-bags-and-alternatives-Recommendations-from-LCA-final.pdf.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Freinkel, Susan. “Plastic: Too Good to Throw Away.” The New York Times, The New York Times,
18 Mar. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/opinion/18freinkel.html?searchResultPosition=3.

Harrabin, Roger. “Plastic Packaging Ban 'Could Harm Environment'.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Jan. 2020,
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51040155.
King, Sarah, and Angela Logomasini. "The Big Debate: Should Single-use Plastics
Be Banned?" Toronto Star, 11 Feb. 2020, www.thestar.com/opinion/
contributors/thebigdebate/2020/02/11/
the-big-debate-should-single-use-plastics-be-banned.html. Accessed 4 Jan.
2021.

Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark. Life Cycle Assessment of Grocery

Carrier Bags. Edited by Valentina Bisinella et al., The Danish
Environmental Protection Agency, www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publications/2018/02/
978-87-93614-73-4.pdf. Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Minter, Adam. "How a Ban on Plastic Bags Can Go Wrong." Bloomberg, 8 Aug. 2015,
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2015-08-18/
how-a-ban-on-plastic-bags-can-go-wrong. Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Peake, Libby. “Plastic Promises: What the Grocery Sector Is Really Doing about Packaging.” Green
Alliance Plastic Promises: What the Grocery Sector Is Really Doing about Packaging, 9 Jan. 2020,
www.green-alliance.org.uk/plastic_promises.php.

"Plastics Industry Facts." Polymer Properties Database, polymerdatabase.com/

polymer%20classes/
Plastics%20Industry%20Facts.html#:~:text=The%20US%20plastics%20industry%20is,tota
l%20when%20including%20plastics%20suppliers. Accessed 4 Jan. 2021.

Schwanke, Crystal. "Why We Should Not Ban Plastic Bags." Love to Know,
greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Why_Should_We_Not_Ban_Plastic_Bags. Accessed 4
Jan. 2021.

Sussman, David D. "Three Reasons Why Banning Plastic Bags is Problematic."

The Conversation, 17 July 2020, theconversation.com/
three-reasons-why-banning-plastic-bags-is-problematic-142671. Accessed 4
Jan. 2021.

“The Purpose of Single-Use Plastics.” This Is Plastics, 9 Jan. 2020,

thisisplastics.com/environment/the-purpose-of-single-use-plastics/.
STEP 3: Debate Prep! - January 4 (9am-11am)
On Monday, January 4, you will have the chance to meet with your debate partner in a breakout room to
combine your research and build your debate. First, take a look at the debate format, so you will know what
you need to prepare. Visit the Debate Prep slideshow to see more information.

Constructive Speech (4 minutes): Make sure to include a hook, your introduction, your claims,
and your analysis. Constructive Speeches Introduce New Issues.
● For the PRO (Affirmative) side, this is the only entirely scripted speech, in that it is composed almost
entirely of expert quotations, clearly organized into solid positions. The affirmative team sets forth a
case. A case defends a new policy, called a plan.
● For the CON (Negative) side, this should lay out the choices for how you will attack the affirmative. It
is important to remember that the negative team attacks the affirmative plan, not the topic. For this
reason, the negative side constructive can never be completely scripted.

Team member responsible: Evan Wilson

Draft your constructive speech here:
● The alternatives aren’t always better
○ Glass bottles, for instance, are much heavier than plastic so are far more polluting to
transport.
○ Paper bags tend to have higher carbon emissions than plastic bags – and are more difficult
to re-use.
● While plastic will affect the fishing industry, a ban on plastics in just one state would cost thousands
of jobs. A country-wide ban would see over 1 million jobs lost in the process.
● Plus the effect on the U.S economy would be colossal. In 2019 the U.S plastics industry contributed
over $450 billion to the U.S economy
Admin, Client. “Size and Impact of Plastics Industry on the U.S. Economy.” Plastics Industry
Association, 25 Nov. 2020, www.plasticsindustry.org/sizeandimpact.
● “Eco-friendly” alternatives negatively affect Earth's soil when decomposing.
● Many companies claim their products to be compostable even if they can only be composted
through an industrial composter.
 Harrabin, Roger. “Plastic Packaging Ban 'Could Harm Environment'.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Jan. 2020,
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51040155.

● Many people confuse compostable plastics as being biodegradable like an apple core. This leads to
just more plastic pollution as that product can only be composted in certain ways.
● Biodegradable plastics are just as toxic as regular plastics

Crossfire #1 (3 minutes):
● Be prepared with questions for your opponents. You will add questions to this section BASED ON
WHAT THEY SAID
● Answer your opponent as succinctly as possible. Don’t evade and try to be honest. Be prepared to
fire back with a question of your own

Team member responsible: Evan Wilson

The team member that did the Constructive Speech should do this part!

Brainstorm questions you will ask the opposition here, but leave room to add more as you listen to
the debate:
● Pollution from factories and environmental harm from oil extraction processes are without a
doubt bad, but which alternative to plastic is energy efficient enough that it negates the
drawbacks of gas and factory pollution that can simultaneously deliver the efficiency and
durability of plastic?
● What solution would keep the jobs provided by the plastics industry and prevent any
economic damage in the process?
●

Rebuttal Speech (4 minutes):

● Rebuttal speeches refine and explain previously introduced issues (no new issues allowed).
● Each speaker should have narrowed down the number of arguments, focusing on the most
important. Use a declining amount of quotations.

Team member responsible: Frederick Alfonso-Frank

The team member that did NOT do the Constructive Speech should do this part!

Draft your rebuttal speech here:

● Banning single-use plastic in not only Maryland but the entire U.S would have a huge effect on the
U.S economy.
● While plastic will affect the fishing industry, a ban on plastics in just one state would cost thousands
of jobs. A country-wide ban would see over 1 million jobs lost in the process.
Admin, Client. “Size and Impact of Plastics Industry on the U.S. Economy.” Plastics Industry
Association, 25 Nov. 2020, www.plasticsindustry.org/sizeandimpact.
● “Eco-friendly” alternatives such as biodegradable plastics leak toxic chemicals into the earth
worsening soil quality ultimately affecting the growth of crops and other natural living organisms.
● More and more drinks are being stored in coated paper cartons under the assumption that
● Many companies claim their products to be compostable even if they can only be composted
 through an industrial composter. Even then, sometimes not all of it can be composted.
Harrabin, Roger. “Plastic Packaging Ban 'Could Harm Environment'.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Jan. 2020,
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51040155.
● Single-Use plastics are crucial in medical industries, syringes, applicators, drug tests, and
bandages are all often made to be disposable and are much more sanitary therefore limiting
the spread of diseases.

● Many people confuse compostable plastics as being biodegradable like an apple core. This leads to
just more plastic pollution as that product can only be composted in certain ways.
● Plastic remains the most effective material in many circumstances when it comes to storing foods-
for example, cucumbers wrapped in plastic last 14 days longer, reducing food waste.” BBC
● A study conducted by The University of Columbia found Bioplastics contribute more to ozone
depletion than traditional plastics. (University of Columbia)
● The University also found that “B-PET, the hybrid plastic, was found to have the highest potential for
toxic effects on ecosystems contains the most carcinogens, and scored the worst in the life cycle
analysis because it combined the negative impacts of both agriculture and chemical processing.”
● When being decomposed Bioplastics can release methane, which for those of you who don’t know,
is a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than Co2, therefore, contributing even more to climate
change than regular plastics derived from petroleum which don’t release this gas.
●

Crossfire #2 (3 minutes):
● Be prepared with questions for your opponents. You will add questions to this section BASED ON
WHAT THEY SAID
● Answer your opponent as succinctly as possible. Don’t evade and try to be honest. Be prepared to
fire back with a question of your own

Team member responsible: Frederick Alfonso-Frank🤓

The team member that did the Rebuttal Speech should do this part!

Brainstorm questions you will ask the opposition here, but leave room to add more as you listen to
the debate:

● What are the alternatives to regular plastics if biodegradable plastics are just as toxic and
bad for the environment?
You said that Paper bag is reusable but they are far less reusable than plastic

You also said that glass is not found in oceans but one can find it scattered all of the
beaches and ocean floors. Unlike plastic glass sinks which is why we can see it in the
water.
Glass contributes much more to climate change when it comes
● How do you feel about causing thousands and potentially millions of people to lose their
jobs?
 ● Alternatives such as glass contribute more to climate change because they are far heavier
therefore contributing more Co2 when being transported.
●
TAKE NOTES

Summary Speech (2 minutes): Summarize the main points in the debate and your side’s main
arguments.

Team member responsible: Evan Wilson

The team member that did the Constructive Speech should do this part!

Draft your summary speech here:

● Alternatives aren’t a perfect solution
● The economics of plastics are too important to lose

Grand Crossfire (3 minutes): Brainstorm questions that you will ask the opposition to drive home
the rightness of your argument and wrongness of their argument.

BOTH Team members will be responsible for this part!

TIP: You may want to take your 2 min to organize just prior to this part!

Add questions in here during the debate!

You also mentioned that glass is not found in oceans but one can find it scattered all of the
beaches and ocean floors. Unlike plastic glass sinks which is why we can see it in the
water.
Paper accelerates deforestation one of the biggest prob

Final Focus Speech (2 minutes): Tell the judge why your side won the debate. For this part, you
will speak directly to the judge.

Team member responsible: Frederick Alfonso-Frank

The team member that did NOT do the Constructive Speech should do this part!
TIP: You could also take your 2 min to organize just prior to this part, if you didn’t take it before!

Add some ideas in here prior to the debate, but you will likely need to draft this section as you
listen to the debate.
Mr. Mayo, My partner, and I won this debate without a question. Our opponent’s arguments may
have contained some valid points, but we hope you feel differently about switching to non-plastic
solutions after hearing what we had to say about the economic and environmental effects of the
alternative solutions. I would like to end by saying
● The only reason single-use plastics are having such a great effect on the environment is
that people are being irresponsible when it comes to disposing of or reusing these helpful
tools. If everyone disposed of their waste in the correct ways while reusing what they
already have the negative effects of plastics could be mitigated. In time, less
environmentally-impactful means of production and better disposal methods will eventually
prevent this from being an issue at all. In the end, single-use plastics are not the problem,
it's the people.
Thank you
STEP 4: Debate Team Check-in! - January 6 (@ assigned time)
On Wednesday, January 6, you will check-in with your debate teacher during your assigned check-in time.
Prior to this time, make sure to check in with your debate partner via email, text, zoom, etc to get organized
and discuss your goals for the day. During your meeting with your debate teacher, be prepared to run through
major arguments with the teacher grading you. You should have final speeches and lines of reasoning to
show them, even if there is a part of it that you are unsure of.

Notes from meeting with your debate teacher:

STEP 5: Debate Day! - January 7 (9 am)

Welcome to Debate Day, Thursday, January 7. Prior to class on Thursday, make sure to format, revise, and
polish. Make changes based on the feedback from your teacher. Adjust thoughts, formats, etc. and seek out
any additional research you may need. Think about questions you may ask the other side, and questions they
might ask you. Practice improvising questions, answers and rebuttals.

● 9:00am Meet in our Interdisciplinary Zoom to get instructions for the day

Debate Grading Rubric: