NASA ASTROBIOLOGY DEBATES

The NASA Astrobiology Debates

National Debate Championship

High School Division

The NASA Astrobiology Debates National Debate Championship (High School Division) challenges high school students from across the nation to research and debate the ethical and political questions raised by the 2015-16 NASA Astrobiology Debates Topic, "Resolved: An overriding ethical obligation to protect and preserve extraterrestrial microbial life and ecosystems should be incorporated into international law."

The NASA Astrobiology Debates National Debate Championship (HS) tournament will be held at The George Washington University on February 27-28, 2016.

All debaters attending the tournament are asked to attend the awards ceremony and championship round scheduled for 2:00 on Sunday, February 28, at NASA Headquarters.

To register, please go to www.tabroom.com. There are no entry fees.

Schedule

Saturday

Check in & Breakfast 9:00

Opening address & Pairings 9:30

Round 1 9:45

Round 2 11:15

Lunch 12:30

Round 3 2:00

Round 4 4:00

Breaks announced asap

Octafinals (if necessary) will be held Saturday night

Sunday

Check in & Breakfast 9:00

Pairings 9:30

Quarterfinals 9:45

Semifinals 11:15

Awards & Finals 2:00 (at NASA Headquarters)

Rules

The debates will employ a cross examination “civic debate” format. Late elimination rounds will be judged by panels possessing topic and/or advocacy expertise including astrobiologists, philosophers, and environmental ethicists. Judges in preliminary rounds and pre-finals elimination rounds will be asked to judge in a manner that prepares the debaters for adapting to and engaging the judges scheduled for late elimination rounds.

Each round will involve two teams of two debaters each. One team will be assigned to affirm the 2015-16 NASA Astrobiology Debates topic. The other will be assigned to negate the topic.

The debates will employ a 6-4-6 cross examination format with one rebuttal from each team and two minutes of preparation time before each speech (excluding the opening affirmative speech). This means each speaker in each round will present a six minute speech followed by a four minute cross examination by the opposing team, each speaker will conduct a four minute cross examination of an opposing debater, and one speaker on each team will present a six minute closing rebuttal as follows:

1st Affirmative Speaker: 6 minutes

Cross examination by 2nd Negative Speaker: 4 minutes