Circus animals
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
What words do you associate with `the circus’?
Describe the role animals have played in circuses over the years.
The use of circus animals has been banned across Australia. True or false?
What arguments does the owner of Stardust Circus make about animals being
used in the circus?
5. Animal liberation is opposed to the use of animals in any way that inhibits
their ability to live their life naturally. What do you think that means?
6. Describe the conditions in which the animals are kept.
7. Do you think animals are an important part of a circus? Explain your answer.
8. Which side of the argument was more convincing? Why?
9. Explain your position on animals being kept in zoos.
10. Has your opinion about the use of circus animals changed since watching the
BtN story?
Circus row
Students will research and debate the following statement:
`Animals should be banned from the circus’
Divide the class into teams of 6, 3 speaking for the affirmative and 3 against. Other
roles that can be assigned are chairperson, time keeper and the remaining class
members can adjudicate using the rubric at the end of this activity. Discuss with
students the length of time each speaker talks for. Students will need sufficient
time to research the topic.
The debate can be structured in the following way:
Speaker 1 Introduce the topic and team’s argument. The 1st speaker for
the negative can also rebut (argue against).
Speaker 2 Rebuttal and continue team’s argument
Speaker 3 Rebuttal and summarise/conclude debate
When analysing the issue, students need to consider both sides of the argument as
outlined in the BtN story. They may also find it useful to research arguments for
and against on the internet. Some key issues/questions students can explore for
the debate include:

Animals are not in their natural habitat

Conditions which animals are kept it meet the requirements by law

Consider physical and behavioural needs

Bred in captivity (is it the only life they know?)
© ABC 2012
EPISODE 12
15TH MAY 2012
Learning Area
Society and Environment,
English
Key learning
Students will research, plan,
write and present a debate
on the topic of animals being
used in circuses.
Peer adjudication rubric
Levels of performance
Criteria
Needs
improvement
Satisfactory
Good
Excellent
Information
Information
was inaccurate
and unclear
Some
information
was accurate
and clear
Most
information
was accurate
and clear
All information
was accurate
and clear
Organisation
Arguments
were illogical
Most
arguments
were illogical
Some
arguments
were illogical
All arguments
were logical
Rebuttal
Counter
arguments
were not
accurate or
relevant
Some counter
arguments
were accurate
and relevant
Most counter
arguments
were accurate
and relevant
All counter
arguments
were accurate
and relevant
Examples and
facts
Few or no
relevant
examples or
facts
Some relevant
examples or
facts
Many examples
and facts given
– most relevant
Many examples
and facts given
– all relevant
Presentation
(tone of voice,
body language,
enthusiastic,
convincing)
Poor
presentation
style
Satisfactory
presentation
style
Good
presentation
style
Excellent
presentation
style
Reflection
Ask students to think about how difficult it was to think of arguments to support
their case. Do they think they could have created a stronger argument if they
were speaking for the opposing view?
 Related Research Links
ABC 730 – Circus row
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-07/circus-row/3995284
Children’s BBC Newsround – Should animals be banned from the circus?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4620000/newsid_4624300/4624372.
stm
PBS – History of the circus
http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/in-the-ring/history-circus/
© ABC 2012