HOW TO RUN ACLASS DEBATE

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STUDENT SPEECH STRUCTURESTUDENT SCORE SHEETSTUDENT CHEAT SHEET

HOW TO RUN A CLASS DEBATE

1. CHOOSE A ‘RESOLUTION’ - The topic which the debate will be centered around. To save time, make the ‘resolution’ quite specific and within your subjects context. Example :

a. ENGLISH – “Mark Twain was a Racist.”b. SOCIAL STUDIES – “Napoleon was bad for France.”c. MATH – “Pi does not exist.”d. ART – “Jackson Pollock was a charlatan.”e. SCIENCE - “Gravity?”

2. BRAINSTORM WITH THE CLASS – hand out the ARGUMENT SHEETS to every student in the class. The sheet has space for the students to write the resolution, then space for 3 – 4 possible arguments on each side. Remind the students that there are no ‘right’ answers, just better arguments.

3. EVIDENCE / RESEARCH – Once you have brainstormed with the

class, ask them where/how they could find evidence to prove their ‘case’. Have them collect evidence for their side.

4. CRAFT SPEECHES – at this point the students should have a loose speech assembled. Depending on their age and level of ‘showmanship’, most will be fairly nervous and unaware how to write a speech. I’ve drafted a loose framework for the kids to use. It stresses all the aspects of formal speaking manners and effective structure for the students to mimic. This is merely a suggestions rather than a requirement.

5. TEAMS – There are 2 sides in a debate – AFFIRMATIVE and NEGATIVE. There are 2 students per side – 4 in total. Divide the students into teams and debate groups. This will help them focus. Supplied is how the classroom should look for the debate.

6. TIMES – Speaking times can vary depending on your class age-range and topic depth. A general guideline is between 3 – 5 minutes. If students are reaching 3 minutes on their first try, that’s great. Senior students may have longer speaking times, between 5- 8 minutes if desired.

7. TYPES OF SPEECHES - Each of the 4 students have their own chance to speak for 3 – minutes. The order is as follows

a. AFFIRMATIVE # 1 : 3- 5b. NEGATIVE #1 : 3 – 5c. AFFIRMATIVE # 2 : 3 – 5d. NEGATIVE # 2 : 3 – 5e. BREAK : 1 – 2 MIN.f. REBUTTALS

i. NEGATIVE # 1 : 1 – 2 MIN.ii. AFFIRMATIVE # 2 : 1- 2 MIN.

8. OPTIONS – SPEECHES FROM THE FLOOR - During the break you can also run “Speeches from the Floor”. This is a great way to have the rest of the class become involved. As the 2 teams prepare their rebuttals, you ask if any students in the audience would like to make a SFTF. The students then go up in front of the class and state which side, at this point of the debate, they support. They must then describe why they agree/disagree with the arguments.

Students also have the option to say that they have not yet decided or agree with neither, and explain why. To do this, a student declares that they “sit on cross-benches”. It means to be neutral.NOTE : DURING REBUTTALS SPEAKERS MAY NOT RESPOND

TO ANY SPEECHES FROM THE FLOOR

9. REBUTTALS – Speakers give rebuttals to refute the other teams main arguments one more time, then remind the audience why they are right. They are meant to be short and effective.

10. CROSS THE FLOOR – Once the debate is over, the

moderator brings it to a close and then encourages the debaters to cross the floor. This means that each sides must shake hands with the other team. It shows good sportsmanship and creates a more collegial feel to the classroom. It is up to you whether to take a HOUSE VOTE – have the students raise their hands to see who they would vote for, or no-one at all.

ALL DONE – NICE JOB!

CLASS DEBATE - ARGUMENT SHEET

NAME CLASS

RESOLUTION

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE 1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

C L A S S D E B A T E - S P E E C H S H E E T

NAME CLASSSIDE AND SPEAKER

NUMBER

INTRODUCTION

Thank you very much. The resolution before us today is “-----“ [ONLY IF YOU ARE THE FIRST SPEAKER] We define this resolution as

“----“ I will speak about [however many] points as to why this is true These points are [list them as subtitles] My partner will then have [however many] points [list as subtitles] Now, to begin my constructive speech

BODY

My first point is [state point] Explain why this point relates to resolution Give your evidence as to why this is so My second point is [state point] Explain why this point relates to resolution Give your evidence as to why this is so My third point is [state point] Explain why this point relates to resolution Give your evidence as to why this is so

SUMMARY

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to conclude my speech with a review of my points

Restate your points as subtitles, stressing their core intentions For these reasons we believe that this resolution must STAND[if you

are affirmative] FALL [if you are negative] Thank you very much

C L A S S D E B A T E – M O D E R A T O R S C R I P T

The house will come to order. The resolution before the house is:______________________________________________________

Arguing in favour of the resolution are the Leader of the Affirmative __________________ and the Second Affirmative __________________

Arguing against the resolution are the Leader of the Negative __________________ and the Second Negative __________________

I, _________________, am your moderator and the timer is __________________.

Speeches may be no longer than [5] minutes and rebuttals may be no longer than [2] minutes. The timer will indicate how much time has elapsed. Heckling or interrupting the speaker is not allowed.

I now call upon the honourable the Leader of the Affirmative to deliver his /her speech...

I thank the Leader of the Affirmative and call upon the Leader of the Negative to deliver his /her speech...

I thank the Leader of the Negative and now call upon the Second Affirmative to deliver his /her speech...

I thank the Second Affirmative and now call upon the Second Negative to deliver his /her speech...

There will now be a 1 minute break before rebuttals or speeches from the floor

I call upon the Leader of the Negative to deliver his/her rebuttal...

I call upon the Leader of the Affirmative to deliver the final rebuttal...

I thank all of the members for their speeches. The house is adjourned. I encourage the speakers to cross the floor and

shake hands.

CLASS DEBATE - SCORESHEETNAME CLASS

RESOLUTION

AFF #1

________name

AFF #2

________name

CATEGORIES[RATE OUT OF 10]

NEG #1

________name

NEG #2

________name

Opening statement was clear, well organized, and relevant. It is clear as to

what they are going to speak about.

Arguments are factual and relevant to the resolution and debate.

Evidence for arguments is relevant and effectively supports their stance on the

issue.Refutation – Speakers effectively

challenge what the other team may say or has said regarding the issue.

Closing statement was stated clearly, was relevant, and effectively

summarized the team's position.Overall preparedness, effectiveness,

and delivery of information. Eye-contact and voice volume and delivery was

effective and helped deliver the speech well.

TOTAL [max 60]TEAM TOTAL [max120]

C L A S S D E B A T E – S T U D E N T C H E A T S H E E T

What is a definition ? The definition is a statement of what the resolution actually means. For example in the resolution "Hockey is the best sport", "Hockey" could mean professional hockey or amateur hockey or high school hockey, and "best" could mean most enjoyable to watch or most enjoyable to play. In order to have a good debate both sides must be arguing about the same thing, so it is essential to define the resolution. A good definition is one which defines all of the terms and which is debatable. For example in the resolution "Hockey is the best sport", you should break the phrase up into two parts, i.e. you could define "Hockey" and then " "is the best sport". You should then put the two parts together and paraphrase your definition to make it absolutely clear.

How should I deliver my speech ? There are four keys to good delivery. The first is that you should have good eye contact, which means looking up at your audience. The second is that your voice should be effective. This means that your tone and pace should be appropriate and should vary. The third key is that you should stand straight and should not shift from foot to foot or wave a pen around. The final and most important key is that you should sound and look confident, even if you do not feel confident — you will be amazed at how many people you can fool.

How should I come up with my arguments if I am the government ? If you are arguing in favour of a resolution, just ask yourself the question "Why". The answers will be your reasons. Each debater should try to have two to three reasons. You should then come up with two examples or pieces of evidence for each reason. Examples can be real or hypothetical stories that should contain a lot of detail. The detail will mean that they will be more effective and will help to make your speech longer. Evidence can be statistics, facts or quotes. You should always state the source of your evidence. Good sources include magazines, books and interviews with experts.

How should I come up with my arguments if I am the opposition ? If you are arguing against a resolution, the process is similar to arguing in favour of the resolution but you should ask yourself "Why not" rather than "Why". When you are the opposition you do not need to prove the opposite of the resolution, although of course that would disprove the resolution. You only need to prove that the resolution is not generally true (i.e. that it is not true for some people or in some circumstances), or that the government’s reasons are not valid.

How can I refute my opponent’s arguments ? The first thing that you should do is to go back to the definition and consider what the debate is actually about. If you do this you may see that your opponents have missed some important aspect or area of the resolution. The second way to attack their argument is to attack their reasons and show that they are irrelevant or insufficient (i.e. even if true, they are not significant enough to prove the resolution) or questionable (i.e. they are not true or are unproven).

What should I do in my speech ? All speeches should have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should state what the affirmative must prove and summarize the reasons presented by both sides so far. In the body you should first refute your opponent’s reasons, as well as defending your partners, and then explain your own. In the conclusion you should either give a summary of your reasons or you should restate and emphasize your strongest reason.

What do I do in a rebuttal ? In a rebuttal you are not allowed to introduce new arguments. You may only bring up arguments that have already been made by either side. This is to ensure that the person who speaks last does not have an unfair advantage. You should summarize and refute your opponents’ arguments and restate your strongest reasons.

GREAT JOB!