Debates in Middle School

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Debates in Middle School
Focus on Critical Literacy through Reading,
Writing, Speaking, and Performing
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Debate Overview

• Debate provides students with the opportunity to
  practice the art of persuasion (Turning Points,
  28).
• Know the material well enough to anticipate
  arguments
• Be able to debate both sides of an issue
• Collect evidence to find adequate support
• Debates are great for helping students perform
  and become better speakers

I speak Well!!!
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Research Based Study

• Diaz-Gemmati, Griselle M. (1995). And Justice
  for All. Occasional Paper No. 41. (ERIC document
  392037)
• Teacher from Puerto Rico did a debate in an
  eighth grade classroom
• Read To Kill a Mockingbird and Roll of Thunder
  Hear my Cry which engage in issues of race.
• Conducted a debate on Race, Prejudice and
  discrimination.
• Debates led to heated arguments, conflicts and
  physical violence
• Class bonded while sharing common experiences
  over debate
• Concluded that debate and discussion did work
  because it was student led and it wasnt
  pre-rehearsed lines on a make-believe stage

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Activity--DEBATE

• STEPS to FOLLOW
• Discuss what a debate is and how one conducts it
  (taking turns debating your issue, being
  respectful of speaker, time) Also telling them
  that they may not get on the side that they want.
• Select a topic (South VS North in the Civil
  Warwho was right?)
• Divide class into groups
• Research topic as their assigned group
• Set guidelines and post rules in visible area
• Assign a timer and mediator
• DEBATE
• Evaluation and reflection of debate (what did you
  learn about this?)

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Activity we can do

• Nothing helps the debate process than to do
  debates!
• Do a mini debate to teach students the rules of
  debate (apples vs. oranges).
• Divide students up into two groups (apples on one
  side, oranges on the other).
• Give the students about ten minutes to talk as a
  group and get as many arguments or facts as they
  can about their topicbe sure to tell them to
  think of any way to counter argue the other side.

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Activity Cont...

• Have students face each other
• Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes for debate time
• Remind students of guidelines and rules (be
  respectful of others, stay on task, raise hand to
  make a comment).
• Debate for 10 to 15 minutes
• Evaluate debate by reflection for next debate
  (what could we do better?)
• Form larger debate over issue being studied (for
  example, Rights and Wrongs of Manifest Destiny).
  

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Bloomin' it

• Have students answer the following questions
• What about the debate was interesting or helpful?
  (analysis)
• What could we do better to help the debate?
  (evaluating)
• Write your side of the topic and explain why you
  wrote this. (Generating)
• Summarize the debate, in a narrative form.
  (Integrating)

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Four Areas

• Math? Debate Circles vs. Squares
• Science ? Debate Global Warming (problem or not?)
• Language Arts ? Debate Drama vs. Romance books
• Social Studies ? Slaves (to have, or not to have)