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Cool Teacher · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:32 am Post subject: How does one do debate?

Hi Y'all!

I have to plan a debate class and I think I will debate topics that hgh school kids are interested in so that doens't mean politics but things they like. Does anyone have some good topics they can think of? Confused

Also, I think I need to teach the debate language, so they can say things like, "Well, I believe that..." and "Yes, I see what you mean, but..." and "I am sorry but I just don't agree with you..." etc... Wink

Does anyone know any resources on the internet I can check or any great books that will give imformation about topics and vocabularly useful for debates in class? Confused

Thanks to all in advance! Very Happy

ssjup81 · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:56 am Post subject:

How about music groups? Debate why one music group is better over the other or either a music artist. I know that's a lame topic, but not sure of what type of a debate can be held without being a serious topic.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Teaching debate is a huge, horrendous can of worms. Done it. Still do it. Never like it.

So, you have HS kids. What age group?

Is the format set up already, or do you have free reign over whether it's formal style, semi-formal, or casual style?

Will there be point-counterpoint-rebuttal, or just point-counterpoint?

How many people will be in each debating team?

How long will each debate last?

What is the academic purpose of the debating process?

Most importantly, how long do you have to plan for this?

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Pushing my previous comments aside for a minute, try to make the debating process as simple as possible for the students.

Here are a few things to think about beforehand when planning:

--what would be the preferred method of debating: using prepared written statements or having an "impromptu" style debate?

--would there be time limits involved?

--after the initial speeches, would there be time for rebuttals?

--will you provide them with a model first to demonstrate to the students how it can work (between you and a JTE, for instance)?

--would you require that students be able to learn BOTH sides of the topic in order to better understand their own argument and justify their own points of view?

That was just a short list of a few possible things to think about. Again, I contend that with high level, motivated-to-debate students, the process can work. Keep it simple, be very very clear in your explanations and demonstrations, give them handouts detailing the language that they can use, and provide the students with lots of feedback and encouragement.

Ganbatte!

Regards,
fat_chris

Cool Teacher · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:35 am Post subject:

Thankyou all! Very Happy

The format isn't decdied completely yet and thats part of my reason for asking "How does one do debate?" I think that mostly I just want to get students to be able to put forward an idea nad explain the reasons . Then other students can learn how to say, "Hmmm....I see what you mean but..." and then give their reasons.

So, what I really wnat to do is just encourage Ss in how to politely give their opinions and politely disagree with other opinions and maybe get them brainstorming two sides of an idea.
Cool

My stuednets are high school, third year. So they are the oldest group and some of them can speak pretty well. I tried today to set up a theme to debat. We debated school unifroms.

Here's what I did:

I showed pictures of a US high school and a Japanese high school and said, "Okay what's different?" They said the things that are different and also pointed out school unifroms. I asked Ss what they thougt. Are school uniforms a good idea or a bad idea, and then got a show of hands for each one.

Then I introduced "Pros" and "Cons" and asked Ss to get in pairs and decide on postive and negatives about school unifroms and I walked around and looked at their answers.

Some of them were really pretty good, like one of them said "We can't express our personlaity with school unifroms" and "school unifroms are expensive" and "we can feel part of a group with school unifroms" etc..

So, I think they have the ideas and I thought I would introduce, "peer-pressure" and "bullying" and "conform" and many other ideas about the subject and then try and get them to debate. The problem is...just how do I find the magic formula to move from good ideas to heated debate??? Cool

ssjup81 · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:42 am Post subject:

Wow, I think that's a good idea. Now that's a lesson I'd love to sit in on, just to see how the students debate it.

Cool Teacher · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:09 am Post subject:

Hay, thanks for the encurragement ssjup! Smile

I think you must be a good teacher to offer nice praise like that.

I have only done the prelimianaries so far not the debate so I dont know if it will be a disaster Shocked

Help me pleeeeeease!

Cool Teacher · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:13 am Post subject:

oh, and the point is really just to try a new thing for a change. these are tailend lessons with a freedom from tests. so I though hay lets see what the kids can do Wink

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

If you'd like to use a text, the 'Speaking of Debate' text is a good one. I teach two classes, higher level and lower level debating classes, and if you give students some examples and give them time to prepare, they can usually come up with some ideas. Work on statement-reason-support structures as well as being able to construct rebuttals (this are highlighted in the text). My lower level classes have talked about;

school uniforms
cats vs. dogs
traveling in France vs. Japan
being single vs. being married
nuclear power vs. alternative energy sources
vegetarians vs. meat eaters
home education vs. public education
classes on Saturday
playing sports
city vs. suburb living
smoking in public
etc..

You have to find subjects that are approachable depending on the level of your students. I had my high level students debating terrorim issues, with the class opening on discussions on whether the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were acts of terrorism or not. Some things might depend on your/your student interests and current hot topics.

ssjup81 · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:37 pm Post subject:

Cool Teacher · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:14 am Post subject:

Hay, thanks gaijinalways for the book choice! I will search for it nice topics too! Cool

I like the cats vs dogs one and city vs country one and Saturday classes one because I thnk the students can have opinions about that. Very Happy

I think the nuclear poewr one would have them scratching their head. (Certainly I wouldnt have a clue what to say !!! Laughing

)

sjup: I hoep you get a job soon. Japan will do well with you!!! Very Happy

Cool Teacher · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:45 am Post subject:

Yikes! Gaijinalways I can't find the book you said about online! Shocked

Do you have alink or someting to the book you suggested? Cool

Anyway, here is a new part to the debate class. Some students might have difficulty coming up with ideas to I made some points and will give them to students larter, what do you think?

Yona Yona · Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 26

Cool Teacher can't be real.

ssjup81 · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:13 am Post subject: