Class poll
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Class poll • Go to www.menti.com and use the code 19 17 8
Harriet.Scott@insearch.edu.au Classroom Debates
FAE001 Advanced English 1 Workshop 4A Introduction to debates and arguments
Why debate? Debates encourage skills in • Developing effective arguments • Research • Critical thinking • Communication • Collaboration • Students build disciplinary knowledge while preparing for debates • Debating skills are highly valued at university, in politics, in professional fields • Debates are fun!
Decide on learning objectives • What do you want your students to learn from the task? • How to assess students? • What weightings to give each criteria? • Sample debate grading criteria:
Choose your topics Topics should be • Relevant to the field of study • Contemporary • Controversial • Have clear negative and affirmative sides • Presented as statements that are contestable, for example: Driverless cars should replace human drivers Nursing homes are the best place for the elderly Money buys happiness Australia should introduce a sugar tax
Prepare your students • Pre –teach: • what makes a good argument • the rules of debate, and the roles of each speaker. • target language – introductions, rebuttal, conclusions. • Have students watch debates and read transcripts • Provide opportunities for practice to build confidence. Include fun, low-stakes practice. • Allow time for team research, reading and note-making • Have students draft their speeches
Convince your students • Tell your students why they are debating • Let them know how they will benefit • It might change their lives! • Debating can change your life: Lucinda David at TEDx Lund University
Access resources There are some excellent resources available online to assist you and your students • Video: University debates, NSW Premier’s Debating Challenge • New York Times Room for Debate • New York Times Learning Network ’Great Debate: Developing Argumentation Skills’ • Debaters Association of Victoria • Debating SA • University websites
Monitor progress • In class you can check and provide feedback on written evidence of work, including • Notes and references • Team plan: list of key arguments and evidence • Draft speeches • Give students opportunities to practice in teams, allowing you to give feedback on • Verbal and non-verbal communication, including pauses, gesture, eye contact • Team work • Be aware of any potential cases of performance anxiety, and have a back up plan.
Plan the logistics Decisions include: • How many topics, how to allocate topics • Number of teams, number of students on each side • Timing – how long for each speaker? Should you include a pause for rebuttal? • Who is acting as judiciary? Who is keeping time? • How will the classroom furniture be arranged? • Will a winning team be determined? By whom? • Communicate these logistics with students – flow charts are helpful.
Encourage reflection • I learned to initiate a debate. I learned how to prepare for a good debate. I built up my confidence level to speak in front of the audience. Also, I learned how to cooperate in a group and make good team. I have also developed some writing skills and to make notes. It also helped to do the referencing which follows the UTS Harvard Style. I also learned some computer skills such as putting the voice recordings in e-portfolio. • I struggled with writing 1000 words essay because I could not easily think of my opinions and arguments about the given topic. I think organizing my opinions with appropriate evidences is also very important challenge to me.
debate and argument essay has been great task for me as I got the opportunity to work in team and do researches. This subject has been a vast subject not only based on English but also on the technologies as well as health. Debate built my self-confident and now I can deal with any presentation and can talk on any topic with pause and pace.
Play debating games • Class polls using mentimeter.com • Speed debating • Rebuttal tennis • Choose topics/statements that don’t require research
Speed debating • Class forms two lines facing each other • Each person reads their statement • Pairs debate for two minutes • Rows move in opposite direction, so that everyone has a new statement and a new partner.