Evidence and Curriculum
WUDL Core Files
WUDL provides starter sample cases that lets new students hit the ground running and provides an array of arguments about the year's topic. Participants in the Rookie and Novice Division are limited to using evidence from the core files, while JV and Varsity debaters may use any evidence they wish and write their own cases.
***New for 2023***
Rookie, Novice, and JV will now stagger the release of their full files. Please see below for details
Affirmative:
- Reparations Aff / Neg (Camp)
Negative Off Case:
- Novice Disadvantage: Spending Trade-off (Camp)
- Novice Topicality (Camp)
- Aff / Neg: Green Jobs Guarantee (Camp)
- Aff / Neg: Social Security for the Incarcerated (Camp)
- Aff / Neg: Child Tax Credits (Camp)
Negative Off Case:
- Topicality Toolbox
- Inflation Disadvantage
- Populism Disadvantage
- 2024 Elections Disadvantage
- Coercion Disadvantage
- State Governments Counter Plan
- Criminalization of Poverty Counter Plan (Coming Soon)
- Conditional Cash Transfers Counter Plan (Unformatted)
- Capitalism Kritik
- Abelism Kritik / Affirmative (Post Camp)
- Victimization Kritik (Unformatted)
- Automatic Stabilizers CP (Answers Coming)
- TBD (Come To Camp And Find Out!)
- 2015-2016 Surveillance Topic
- 2016-2017 China Topic
- 2017-2018 Education Topic
- 2018-2019 Immigration Topic
- 2019-20 Arms Sales Topic
- 2020-21 Criminal Justice Reform Topic
- 2021-22 Water Topic
- 2022-23 NATO / Emerging Tech Topic
Files are designed to build upon one another to develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the topics and help students understand different argument structures. As you advance from one division to the next (Novice to JV, for example) you should not get rid of the arguments you used previously but add to them. For example:
Rookie:
1 Affirmative
Negative On Case Argument
Novice:
2 Affirmatives (1 new, plus Rookie)
Negative On Case Arguments
Introduce “Off Case” Arguments (2 Disadvantages and Topicality)
JV:
5 Aff (3 new plus Rookie and Novice)
Negative On Case Arguments
Negative Off Case Arguments
More Disadvantages and Topicality
Introducing Counterplans and Kritiks
Varsity:
No evidence rules, just disclosure.
Outside of Novice, students are encouraged to write their own cases and do their own research (while using proper citations for your evidence). Judges will reward creativity.
Students using any evidence outside the WUDL Core Files should maintain an updated disclosure on our website. For more information about disclosure, click here.
Debate in a Box Curriculum
WUDL has put together everything that a coach could need to run a highly successful team, including checklists about what to do to get novices ready for their first tournament, how to transition students to a new division, recruitment tips, and tricks.