Welcome to the DAV Website
The DAV is a non-profit association which exists to promote debate. It
is the peak debating body in Victoria and runs large competitions for
adults and for schools across Victoria. It provides training and
resources for debaters, teachers and adjudicators.
A premium collection of reading materials organised by subject
This is a work in progress, but we aim to collect the best resources for case preparation and wider reading purposes - let us know if you find something worth including here!
NEWS SEARCH
Google.com
http://news.google.com
This tool launched in September 2002 could be accurately described as 'the debater's secret weapon'. It combines news stories from a gigantic range of respectable international and Australian news services. The most useful feature is the ability to keyword-search for material in news stories, which you can use to find material for debate preparation. Given the enormous range of opinions it covers, you're bound to find something, but pay attention to how you 'colour' the language of your search.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Frontline (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
and http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/
Frontline shares its name with the ABC satire of current affairs, but that's where the similarity ends. PBS is America's ABC, and Frontline is its flagship in-depth current affairs program. The Frontline websites present detailed, easy-to-read material about a wide range of important social issues (eg drugs, gun control, capital punishment, literacy, Islam, etc). For every episode devoted to a particular issue, Frontline creates a website to present its research and interviews.
DAILY READING
Slate.com
http://slate.msn.com/
A daily online news journal with good thoughtful coverage of important issues in the United States, including international affairs. Will Saletan, Dahlia Lithwick, and Michael Kinsey are authors especially worth reading. The 'Today's Papers' column provides an excellent 'reader's digest' summary of different perspectives on important issues in the American media.
-- difficulty: moderate (about the same as The Age or The Australian).
Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/
Like Slate, a daily online journal with indepth features analysing different issues of politics and popular culture, with a distinctly liberal perspective. Salon has gone 'off' a little in the past year - while Slate is owned by Microsoft and has seemingly-endless resources, Salon depends in part upon restricting some content for subscribers only. Its Technology features are terrific, however, and it has an excellent thematic index of archived articles. -- difficulty: easy reading to moderate difficulty -- age: M15+
The Age or Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Australian
http://www.theage.com.au or http://www.smh.com.au
The Age and SMH are available online and The Australian is worth purchasing, particularly for the Media guide on Thursdays. These are the only newspapers worth reading if you want balanced coverage of important issues in Federal and State politics as well as international affairs.
-- difficulty: moderate difficulty
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NewScientist & Greenpeace Debates
http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/sciencedebates
Four debates on important topics in science and technology: 'What is Natural?', 'The search for perfection', 'Technology: taking the good without the bad?' and 'Can science be directed?' -- difficulty: easy reading.
This is a work in progress, but we aim to collect the best resources for case preparation and wider reading purposes - let us know if you find something worth including here!
NEWS SEARCH
Google.com
http://news.google.com
This tool launched in September 2002 could be accurately described as 'the debater's secret weapon'. It combines news stories from a gigantic range of respectable international and Australian news services. The most useful feature is the ability to keyword-search for material in news stories, which you can use to find material for debate preparation. Given the enormous range of opinions it covers, you're bound to find something, but pay attention to how you 'colour' the language of your search.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Frontline (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
and http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/
Frontline shares its name with the ABC satire of current affairs, but that's where the similarity ends. PBS is America's ABC, and Frontline is its flagship in-depth current affairs program. The Frontline websites present detailed, easy-to-read material about a wide range of important social issues (eg drugs, gun control, capital punishment, literacy, Islam, etc). For every episode devoted to a particular issue, Frontline creates a website to present its research and interviews.
DAILY READING
Slate.com
http://slate.msn.com/
A daily online news journal with good thoughtful coverage of important issues in the United States, including international affairs. Will Saletan, Dahlia Lithwick, and Michael Kinsey are authors especially worth reading. The 'Today's Papers' column provides an excellent 'reader's digest' summary of different perspectives on important issues in the American media.
-- difficulty: moderate (about the same as The Age or The Australian).
Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/
Like Slate, a daily online journal with indepth features analysing different issues of politics and popular culture, with a distinctly liberal perspective. Salon has gone 'off' a little in the past year - while Slate is owned by Microsoft and has seemingly-endless resources, Salon depends in part upon restricting some content for subscribers only. Its Technology features are terrific, however, and it has an excellent thematic index of archived articles. -- difficulty: easy reading to moderate difficulty -- age: M15+
The Age or Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Australian
http://www.theage.com.au or http://www.smh.com.au
The Age and SMH are available online and The Australian is worth purchasing, particularly for the Media guide on Thursdays. These are the only newspapers worth reading if you want balanced coverage of important issues in Federal and State politics as well as international affairs.
-- difficulty: moderate difficulty
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NewScientist & Greenpeace Debates
http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/sciencedebates
Four debates on important topics in science and technology: 'What is Natural?', 'The search for perfection', 'Technology: taking the good without the bad?' and 'Can science be directed?' -- difficulty: easy reading.