How to use debate as a teaching tool...

The art of debate has been used for centuries to challenge the minds of scholars and to entice the development of bodies of knowledge and theories. Greek scholars like Plato and Aristotle were noted for their use of debate in their teaching methodologies. Modern teachers can also use debate as a very effective teaching tool.

Exploring the Basics of Debate in the Classroom

Debate is a very structured methodology of arguing two sides of an issue. One person is assigned the affirmative side of the issue and one is assigned the contention of the issue. Arguments from both sides need to be supported with facts and examples.

The structure of a basic debate includes an opening remarks by the affirmative side, opening remarks by the contention side, rebuttal by the affirmative, rebuttal by the contention, closing remarks and redirection by the affirmative side and then closing remarks and redirection by the contention side. This basic format can be modified to fit classroom needs. Generally each debate will last between 15 and 60 minutes, depending on how much time you want to spend on each topic.

Debates can be set up in several ways. The first option is to have a one-on-one debate. This is a good option for evaluating individual students. The second option is to set up team debates. The teams can be made of between two and five students. Each member on the team will need to play a role in the debate, and you will need to set rules as to who has to talk during the debate. The final method is to have students debate against you, the teacher. They will need to support their arguments and respond to the counterpoints that you make.

Using Debate as a Teaching Tool

There are many projects that you can use debate to enhance. The first option is to develop lesson plans to teach science fair projects. In one of the final lesson plans you can use a debate format to give students the chance to practice defending their project's design and findings. This will help to prepare them for their interview with science fair judges.

Another option is to assign students topics and a position to take on the topic, for example, you can give a student the topic "microbes science fair projects are unethical" and pro. The student will then have to conduct research and develop an argument that demonstrates how these projects can be considered unethical. The students assigned the con side will need to provide evidence that demonstrates that these projects are ethical.

Critical thinking skills can also be developed using debate strategies. For example, you can provide students with a fact sheet and some basic inferences. Then you can ask a student a question and have them answer it. You can then engage with them in a short debate in which you challenge their answer and have them defend what they said.

Conclusion

Debate is an experience that few students get. Many schools no longer have speech and debate teams and many teachers no longer utilize debate as a teaching tool or as a learning activity. This is unfortunately as students can learn a great deal about developing empiricle arguments that support their answers or their work.

Written by :

Shimo