Debate

Debate at CSS provides students with the opportunity to develop the critical thinking skills needed to understand and dissect complex issues in today’s world.

Debate allows students to develop the skills and tools needed to play an active role in the world they live in. In 2005, CSS was chosen to host a round of the World Schools Debating Championships.

Informal Debate

[NOTE: to CSS Staff Admin - the following text seemed appropriate and was sourced from http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/mla/listen.html#debate ]

Students who participate in debates have an opportunity to explore, listen, and enjoy learning. Debates give students additional opportunities to hear their classmates’ views and to express opinions regarding topics that matter to them. They also help students make important decisions and become critical listeners. The informal debate helps students to work together to understand common problems.

Informal debate has a number of advantages:

1. Debating reflects the learning process. Debate establishes extremes, allowing the viewers and participants to see the areas in between more clearly.
2. Debating allows students to explore ideas and arguments in a non-threatening atmosphere, because presentational guidelines are provided.
3. Debating is an effective method of acquiring knowledge, as arguments need to be supported by relevant, accurate, and complete information.
4. Students who debate informally learn to recognize the elements of a good argument and to develop further their abilities to speak confidently.

Before an Informal Debate

Some guidelines include the following:

1. Teachers and students decide on a topic related to material being studied in English language arts. Brainstorming is one way to generate ideas.
2. When a number of ideas have been discussed and a topic has been chosen, two groups of students may be formed. Within each group, individual students or pairs might be responsible for certain tasks (e.g., developing analogies or rebuttals). Students who watch the debate on one occasion will have a chance to be the debaters next time.
3. Draw up a checklist of guidelines for preferred debating practice (e.g., a suggested time limit for each speaker, the importance of listening carefully to the other side’s arguments, the need for close co-operation within the group).
4. Research and learn some basic types of arguments often used in debate. For example:

1. The Straw Person Argument – the practice of supporting a weak viewpoint that is opposite to your own for the purpose of revealing its weaknesses.
2. Argument Using “Definition” – the practice of persuading an audience that your definition of a particular term is the correct or accepted one, and then basing your argument on that definition.
3. Admission of Uncertainty – giving up “a little” where it will not harm your argument in order to win a more conclusive point where it will benefit you the most.
4. Clarifying through Analogy – describing a situation or event by comparing it to another situation or event which is immediately relevant to your audience.

The goal of informal debate should be to achieve the fullest possible explanation of both sides of an issue.

During an Informal Debate

Some guidelines for informal debate follow.

1. Students join their groups (composed of six or less people) and take 15-20 minutes to prepare arguments.
2. They should choose presenters for each of the arguments. The presenters speak in turn, after each member on the other side makes a point.
3. Students should be sure not to repeat arguments previously presented, and ensure that a recorder is making a list of all points being made.
4. Debaters must remember to focus on the arguments, not the participants, as they listen to the debate.
5. Students from both sides continue the rounds of debate until no new arguments can be made.
6. When all arguments from both sides have been presented, a teacher-led discussion should take place. Some of the suggested topics for discussion are as follows:

1. Of what quality were the presented ideas?
2. Which arguments seemed most convincing?
3. What ideas were raised (in the group debate) that individuals may not have considered?
4. Which ideas may have changed certain students’ thinking?

It is not necessary, and in many cases not advisable, to declare a “winning” group for an informal debate. However, if the teacher and students decide they will declare a winner, then the following way of establishing a winner could be followed:

1. Every valid and original argument made by each group should receive a mark.
2. No marks are gained for repeating an argument.
3. The group with the greatest number of marks wins.

After the Informal Debate

Students may react to the debating activity in an individual manner. This might best be done in written form, because much discussion will already have taken place. Students might:

1. compare what they learned during the debate to
   what they knew before
2. research a topic of interest that has arisen due to hearing
   the debate
3. comment on the advantages or disadvantages of the
   informal debate
4. write a letter to a teacher or friend explaining the
   concerns they have after listening to the debate.