Debate Club
• pair, group, and whole
class debating
activities
• formal debate sample
lesson plans
• materials appendix
Dave Clark
Pair, Group, and Whole
Class Debating Activities
Pass the Buck! (15 minutes)
Materials:
• Impromptu Speech Topics (Appendix i)
• Fake Money (Appendix ii)
Context: Debating requires a high level of speaking fluency. It usually requires you to speak at length,
even when you are not prepared for the topic. Which is why it is good practice for presentations or
business meetings. Right now, we are going to practice speaking on a topic for as long as we can.
Instruction:
Divide the class into pairs
Provide topic cards and money
Each pair needs a smartphone with a stopwatch app
Step 1: Person 1 picks up a topic card and has about ten seconds to think about it. When they
are ready, their opponent says GO! and begins the clock. They have to talk for 1 minute.
Step 2: At one minute, stop the clock. If they got to one minute without stopping, they take one
dollar, and pass it to their opponent, and he/she must keep talking about the same topic for an
additional minute.
Step 3: This continues, the growing pile of money going back and forth, until someone gets
stuck and can’t think of anything to say for at least five seconds. Their opponent gets the money.
Step 4: Pick another topic card and begin again, starting at one dollar.
1
Rebuttal Tennis (20 minutes)
Materials:
Quick debate statements (Appendix iii), cut up and put into cups.
Students’ smartphones (stopwatch)
Context: EFL students often have difficulty grasping that a pro position can be in favour of a negative
concept. To help wrap their minds around the language, board, ‘Summer is the best season.’
Underneath, write ‘Pro’ and ‘Con’ Elicit a short statement from each. Then, board ‘Summer is the
worst season.’ Elicit a short statement for pro and con, highlighting that the pro side is arguing in
favour of a negative statement.
Instruction:
• Groups of three - two players and one referee (rotating after each round)
• Ask one student in each group to take out their smartphone and open up the stopwatch function
of their clock app
• Explain that the student who picks a statement out of the cup is Pro. This student reads the
statement and the opposing player, who is Con, provides a rebuttal
• Debate until:
• A player gets stuck for ten seconds
• Or the two minutes are up
The
referee will decide a winner or a draw based on the points made or if a player gets stuck for
•
ten seconds
• The winner collects the statement paper.
• Rotate to the left and a new referee takes the clock
• The student with the most slips of paper at the end of the activity is the winner
Feedback: Monitor students and board good examples of language usage, paying special attention
to expressions used that are useful for arguments (e.g. I couldn’t disagree more). Also, listen for any
mistakes in their usage, board them and elicit corrections from students.
2
Devil’s Advocate (20 minutes)
Materials: Devil’s advocate position cards (Appendix iv)
Context: Board, devil’s advocate. Elicit a definition.
In debating, we often have to take on a position that we don’t agree with ourselves. This is
often useful in business as well. Maybe our boss has asked us to write or speak on something that
we don’t agree with. We are going to practice this right now.
Instruction: Divide students into groups of 4
The devil’s advocate takes one side, and everyone else in the group takes the other.
5 min or less per argument; everyone gets a turn, but volunteer.
3
Two Person Clash (25 minutes)
Materials:
Position cards (Appendix iv)
Scrap Paper
Stopwatch (teacher) and bell
Context: To win a debate, listening is almost as important as speaking. If one team is making an
argument, what should we be doing?
Elicit: taking notes
Why?
Elicit: for rebuttal to counter their argument
Instruction:
The students break into pairs.
Give topics. Rock Scissors Paper to decide who is Pro.
Step 1: Two minutes to prepare ideas.
Step 2: Pro speaks for two minutes.
Step 3: Con takes notes; speaks for two minutes (makes con points
and criticises Pro.
Step 4: Pro takes notes; speaks for one minute.
Switch Pro and Con roles, go again.
4
Useful Language Practice (25 minutes)
Materials:
Activity 1a Handout (Appendix v)
Activity 1b Debate Topic Cards (Appendix vi)
Context:
A)
On the whiteboard write: Dogs are better than cats.
Elicit a pro or con statement and board the opening line to their statement. (e.g. I think that…, I
believe…) If a student does not lead into their statement with such a statement, board their statement
and draw a blank in front of it to elicit an opening line.
B)
Draw a speech bubble around the statement and an empty speech bubble next to it.
Elicit an opposing statement that speaks directly to what was previously said, but does so
politely. Board or elicit a lead in to their statement (e.g. I see your point, but…).
Note: emphasise that they need to disagree without actually saying they disagree.
Instructions:
Put students into pairs. They will perform quick debates for twenty minutes. Present and
provide debate topic cards (Activity 1a) to students.
1. Instruct them that one person will pick up a card and make a statement (either for or
against).
2. Their opponent will respond with an opposing statement.
3. The first person to speak can respond to what was just said.
4. Pick a new card and repeat.*
Before beginning, present the handout of expressions (Activity 1b).
Students should practice using the statements on their handout in their quick debates.
Note: Point out that some of the expressions used for responding to the opposition (the final
four) are for the first speaker. It may help to draw a third speech bubble on the board to illustrate this.
*students can debate longer if they find a topic interesting, but make it clear that they should practice
using the target language.
5
1.1 Interrupting Expressions (10 minutes)
Materials: Interruptions Handout (Appendix vii)
Context: If I'm talking, and I keep talking, but you want to say something, what can you do?
Elicit: interrupt
What are some different reasons for interrupting?
Instruction:
Handout
PW: Ss write the type of interruption above each group of expressions.
Feedback: Check answers and field any questions
1.2 Interrupting Practice (40 minutes)
Material: Scrap Paper
WB:
Best kind of Holiday
Elicit Ideas for each category
Vote on the best three or four (depending on the size of the groups)
Instruction: Divide the class into groups of three or four students
Assign an idea (point of view) for each student.
Three Groups
Ss write the idea at the top of their scrap paper. They have one minute to write as many
good points as they can think of for their point. Then switch papers and try to add to it.
After four turns (or three, depending on the size of the group), the paper each student has is their
position.
Role-play Debate for ten minutes. —————> PRACTICE INTERRUPTING
Rotate Ss to go through the exercise one more time with a new group
WB: Best form of Entertainment
6
Summarising Skills (30 minutes)
Materials:
Summarising expressions and Summarising note cards (Appendix viii)
Debate Cards (Appendix ix)
Context: Elicit the final step of a debate (summary)
Elicit what to focus on in a summary (strongest points of your own; weakest points
of the opposition)
Instruction: Provide summarising expressions
Provide summary note taking paper
Place debate cards upside down between pairs (groups of four)
Pairs face off
Round 1 (12 min)
Ss choose a debate card and debate (5 min)
Ss are given time to prepare a summary, one of the pair summarising their own pro/con
argument, while the other prepares a summary critical of their opponents’ argument (3 min)
Ss present their summaries (4 min - 1 min/student)
Round 2 (12 min)
A repeat of Round 1, but partner’s will switch summarising roles.
7
Rebuttal Practice (20 minutes)
Materials: Dialogue Handout (Appendix x)
Context: Elicit a couple expressions for both agreement and disagreement
Instruction:
Step 1: “Work with a partner to fill in the gaps. Note: there can be more than one answer for some”
Step 2: Hand out the answers for partners to check.
Step 3: “Practice the dialogue with your partner.” If there is time, have students switch roles.
Rebuttal Practice
Agreement
a. I admit that…
b. I grant you that…
c. I will concede that point…
d. You got me there…
e. That may be true…
Disagreement
f. I don’t agree that…
g. That’s beside the point…
h. That’s not always the case…
i. I couldn’t disagree more…
j. I beg to differ…
Bob: Let’s go see an action movie tonight.
Doug: I like movies with good stories. Action movies are all about the special effects.
Bob: _________h, i, j___________. Sci-fi films like ‘Looper,’ ‘Minority Report,’ and ‘Planet of the Apes,’
are known for having well written stories.
Doug: ________e____________, but there are so many action films with just terrible acting.
Bob: _______________i, j______. There are just as many comedies and dramas with bad acting.
Doug: Fine. ____________a, b______ bad acting is not limited to action movies. However, you have to
admit that too much attention is placed on special effects.
Bob:____________a, b,________ that in advertising the emphasis is often placed on special effects, but
__________h____________ with the actual film.
Doug: _____________i, j_________. What about ‘Avatar’? It had a recycled story that was all about the
special effects.
Bob: __________d___________. But it was still a cool movie, and that was an exception. ‘Lord of the
Rings’ and ‘Titanic’ were huge movies with stories that people loved, but were only possible because of
the huge special effects.
Doug: ___________f__________ those movies couldn’t have been made without big special effects.
Directors should focus more on the acting.
Bob: Special effects are a tool to help tell stories. Do you want every movie to look the same and tell
the same stories? Without special effects, there is no context for the story to take place.
Doug: _________c____________. I’m just not a big fan of big budget films.
Bob: __________g___________. The size of the budget has nothing to do with the quality of the film.
Doug: Fine, you’ve made your point. Let’s go see an action movie.
Bob: Actually, now I feel like watching a comedy.
8
Conflict at the Office (15 minutes)
Materials: Conflict Role Play Cards (Appendix xi)
Context: Set up the situation for a company that is losing money and elicit some options to reduce
the budget or increase productivity.
Instruction: Hand out role play cards. Pairs of students should read their cards and debate till they
reach an agreement.
Feedback: Discuss the different agreements reached.
Conflict at Home (20 minutes)
Materials: Conflict cards (Appendix xii)
Context: Ask students if they have ever had a roommate. Ask them if they have ever had any
disagreements with their roommates (alternatively, ask those married if it was easy at first). Elicit a
few examples of conflict at home (e.g. not cleaning up)
Instruction: Each pair receives a set of ‘conflict cards.’ They take turns picking up a card and
attempt to resolve the situation. The person defending themselves should try not to give in too easily.
Once an agreement is reached, switch roles, picking up a new card.
Feedback: Discuss the different agreements reached.
9
Zombie Apocalypse (30 minutes)
Material: scrap paper
Context (5 min): On the whiteboard write ‘zombie’ and ‘apocalypse.’ Elicit definitions for each
(images may also be useful). Establish the following context of the scenario for the students: They
are hiding out in a large department store (e.g. Wal-Mart, Costco, Hyundai Department Store, etc.)
within their city. It has been many weeks since they have seen or heard from any living people.
They are isolated and alone, and they’re surrounded by zombies. They only have a couple weeks of
food left, and everyone agrees that they should leave now, together, while they still have supplies
to take with them, since they don’t know when they will next find some.
Elicit a few ideas that students would need to think of if they were actually in that
situation. (e.g. what problems would you face?)
Right now, they must decide on the following four things (write on the whiteboard):
1. Where should you all go? (1 answer)
2. What set of clothing should you wear? (feet; head; upper and lower body - one set to
wear, one set to change into)
3. What kind of survival equipment must you take? (four items)
4. What kind of food/drink should you take? (four items)
Instruction: divide the class into two teams and provide instructions on the next step. Note: warn
students that there will be strict time limits
• Step 1 (4 min): students work individually to come up with four ideas related to the scenario
established by the teacher
• Step 2 (4 min): students work in pairs to debate which four, of the eight ideas they now have,
to move forward with
• Step 3 (4 min): students work in groups of three or four to debate which four, of the eight
ideas they now have, to move forward with
• Step 4 (4 min): if the class size is large enough for another merger, do so again, until there
are only two teams fully merged
• Step 5 (4 min): each team elects a spokesperson, who will now debate/compromise on the
final four ideas on behalf of the entire class.
• Step 6 (2 min): If a compromise can’t be reached, the class votes on a leader, based on how
persuasive they were in the final debate, to make a final decision. Note: Before the leader
makes the selection, point out to him/her that they will be representing the entire class, and
to keep favour with the opposing team, showing some compromise may earn some trust
Feedback (2-3 min): Monitor students and board good examples of language usage, paying special
attention to expressions used that are useful for arguments (e.g. I couldn’t disagree more). Also,
listen for any mistakes in their usage, board them and elicit corrections from students.
10
1.1 Impact Statements Intro (10 minutes)
Context:
WB - Chocolate is better than ice cream.
Point out that there are two sides to the topic. Elicit Pro/Con. Then elicit affirming argument and
refuting argument. Elicit examples (e.g.):
Chocolate is better because it is an ingredient in a wider selection of food.
Is that enough?
Elicit more detail for affirming arguments (e.g.)
Since chocolate is a key ingredient in so many more products, it is more valuable to the
economy than ice cream.
Stores like 7/11 would lose more value if there was no chocolate rather than ice cream.
Point out that these are impact statements.
Repeat for refuting arguments.
1.2 Pass the Buck - Impact Statements Practice (20 minutes)
Materials:
• Impromptu Speech Topics (Appendix i)
• Fake Money (Appendix ii)
Round 1 - Impact Statements
Instruction:
Divide the class into pairs
Provide topic cards and money
Each pair needs a smartphone with a stopwatch app
Step 1: Person 1 picks up a topic card and has about ten seconds to think about it. When they
are ready, their opponent says GO! and begins the clock. They have to talk for 1 minute.
Step 2: At one minute, stop the clock. If they got to one minute without stopping, they take one
dollar, and pass it to their opponent, and he/she must keep talking about the same topic for an
additional minute.
Step 3: This continues, the growing pile of money going back and forth, until someone gets
stuck and can’t think of anything to say for at least five seconds. Their opponent gets the money.
Step 4: Pick another topic card and begin again, starting at one dollar.
Round 2
Same as before but Ss make refuting arguments and statements
11
Discussion Pyramid - Survival (20 minutes)
Material: scrap paper
Context (2 min): Board - desert island. Elicit meaning. If you lived on a desert island, what problems
would you face?
Elicit and board ideas
e.g. food
shelter
Instruction: divide the class into two teams and provide instructions on the next step. Note: warn
students that there will be strict time limits
• Step 1 (2 min): students work individually to come up with eight items that will help you survive
on a desert island
• Step 2 (2 min): students work in pairs to debate which four are the most necessary
• Step 3 (4 min): students work in groups of four to debate which four, of the eight ideas they now
have, to move forward with
• Step 5 (4 min): each team elects a spokesperson, who will now debate/compromise on the final
four ideas on behalf of the entire class.
• Step 6 (2 min): If a compromise can’t be reached, the class votes on a leader, based on how
persuasive they were in the final debate, to make a final decision. Note: Before the leader
makes the selection, point out to him/her that they will be representing the entire class, and to
keep favour with the opposing team, showing some compromise may earn some trust
Feedback (2-3 min): Monitor students and board good examples of language usage, paying special
attention to expressions used that are useful for arguments (e.g. I couldn’t disagree more). Also,
listen for any mistakes in their usage, board them and elicit corrections from students.
12
Balloon Debate (55 minutes)
Objectives: practice - persuasive speaking; quick thinking skills; rebuttal skills; listening
skills; handling objections
Materials: Identity / Question-Point cards (Appendix xiii-xxii)
Step 1 (5 minutes):
WB: Draw a picture of a hot air balloon with a few stick figures inside and one being tossed out.
Context: You are all in a hot air balloon. It is quickly sinking because there are too many of you. Each
person must make a speech saying why they should be allowed to stay.
The rest of the class votes someone off.
The other people in the balloon will need to listen carefully to the arguments so that they can vote on
who gets thrown out of the time machine!
This continues, until only two people are left in the balloon.
Provide handout/identities at random
Step 2 (10 minutes):
Ss write notes for their one minute argument.
They may use their smart phones, but emphasise that they shouldn’t spend too much time
reading.
Concentrate on making the best points. (ICQ: Do you need to write complete sentences?)
Step 3 (40 minutes):
(10 minutes) Each S makes a 1 minute statement.
First round of voting.
(5 minutes) First person out can ask a question or make a point. Then the group still in can do the
same
Second round of voting.
(5 minutes) People out have two minutes to ask/make points. People in then have two minutes.
Third round of voting.
(5 minutes) Q&A/4th vote
(5 minutes) Q&A/5th vote
(5 minutes) Q&A/6th vote
(5 minutes) Q&A/7th & 8th vote if there are nine or ten people
Extension: Ss discuss why they made the decision they came to. A discussion can take place about
whether they voted someone off because of the arguments the speaker made or because of
preconceived ideas.
13
WB: Voting Board
Name
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Time Machine - Balloon Debate Variation (55 minutes)
Materials: Identity / Question-Point cards (Appendix xxiii-xxxiv)
Step 1 (5 minutes):
WB: Time Machine
Elicit what it is
Context: You are all together in a time machine, but you’re running out of food. If you want to get
back to your time, you must vote someone else out of the machine. They will be erased from history.
Each person must give a speech explaining why they deserve to live, why the world needs
them, and how the world would be worse off without them.
The other people in the time machine will need to listen carefully to the arguments so that they can
vote on who gets thrown out of the time machine!
This continues, until only two people are left in the time machine.
First, you must choose who you are…(provide handout and the students must select from the
choices available)
Step 2 (see previous page from balloon debate)
14
Soccer Debate (55 minutes)
Objectives: enable students to practice - listening skills; persuasive speaking; making and
responding to objections
Materials:
A method for choosing Pro and Con sides (e.g. a hat and two colours of poker chips to
be drawn)
Two mini ‘goals’ set up in front of the teacher, with a ‘ball in the
middle (two cups
and a coin will suffice).
Yellow question cards and red counterpoint cards (see Appendix)
Note taking cards (Appendix xxxv)
Context (5 min): Ask students questions regarding the topic prior to posting the debate motion you
have chosen. Try to elicit responses that stimulate interest and prior knowledge.
Whiteboard: Board the chosen motion, e.g. This House supports the death penalty.
Draw Pro and Con sides and have students sit with their team.
Instruction (5 min):
• Board and preview each stage of the activity for the students.
• Stage 1 (10-15 min): Students are given time to prepare notes on a 1-2 minute statement they
will make (either Pro or Con) and decide as a group who will make which statements.
• Stage 2 (20-25 min): The Pro side will begin with the first speaker making their first statement.
The Con side will have an opportunity to ask a question or make a counterpoint in reference to
the statement made using their red and yellow cards. Each student gets one set each. They
may only use each card once for the entire stage. After the Pro side has made its first statement
and Q&A is over, the Con side will present its first statement and respond to Pro questions and
counterpoints. This routine goes back and forth until both sides have made all their statements.
Note: students should take notes throughout to help them ask questions or make counterpoints.
• Stage 3 (5 min): Students are allowed to use their red and yellow cards once more during a
Grand Crossfire round. They can ask a question or make a counterpoint to anything that has
been said.
Feedback (5 min): Monitor students and board good examples of language usage, paying special
attention to expressions used that are useful for arguments (e.g. I couldn’t disagree more…). Also,
listen for any significant mistakes in their usage, board them and elicit corrections from students.
Alternatively, discuss with students what they thought the best arguments were and if their
opinions were changed one way or another by the debate.
15
1.1 Expressions of Disagreement (15 minutes)
Materials:
Brainstorming worksheet (Appendix xxxvi)
Context: On the WB write in columns: formal disagreement | formal/informal disagreement | informal
disagreement.
Elicit an expression of disagreement for each column.
Instruction:
• Provide a handout for pairs of students
• Pairs should brainstorm as many expressions they can think of
• Ss have three minutes
• T should monitor
• Have pairs take turns reading out their lists, having each pair check off identical expressions.
The pair with the most unchecked expressions wins.
Feedback: Delayed error correction and provide additional / similar expressions for later use.
I don’t think so.
(strong) No way!
I totally disagree.
I couldn’t disagree more.
That’s not always the case.
I’m afraid I can’t quite agree with your point.
I’m sorry, but I disagree.
I beg to differ.
Not necessarily.
No, I’m not so sure about that.
1.2 Conflict at the Office (20 minutes)
Materials: Role Play Cards (Appendix xxxvii - xxxviii)
Context: Set up the situation for a company that is losing money and elicit some options to reduce
the budget or increase productivity.
Instruction: Hand out role play cards. Pairs of students should read their cards and debate till they
reach an agreement. Then, they choose another card.
Feedback: Monitor Ss usage of language and board good uses of expressions. If Ss aren’t using the
expressions, intervene and prompt them to do so by pointing out the expression on the board and on
their handout.
16
Ethical Debates (40 min)
Materials:
Ethical situation Cards (Appendix xxxix - xli) cut up for pairs
Context: To help establish how similar morality and ethics are and to introduce the debate topics…
WB:
morality - comes from the Roman Latin word moralis
moralis - translated by the Romans from the Greek word ethikos
ethics - comes from the Greek
same?
Morality
set of beliefs that determine what actions are right or wrong
Ethics, sometimes known as moral philosophy,
set of beliefs that determine what actions are right or wrong
investigation of what is right or wrong (the key difference)
Instruction: Divide the class into pairs for one-on-one ethical debates. If there is an odd number of
students make a group of three and with each round members of that group can take turns debating
one-on-two.
Handout the Ethical Situation Cards.
Students should do Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who will take position A or B (note: one of the
cards has a third option). They have five minutes to read the situation and debate their positions.
The teacher can be strict about the time and ring a bell to prompt students to move on to the next
card, or allow for more time if they feel students are skilled enough to debate longer than five
minutes. It is not necessary to go through all the cards.
Extension: If time allows, get feedback on what the students thought were the most difficult situations
to debate and why they felt that way.
17
Formal Debate
Sample Lesson Plans
Discussion Pyramid (20-30min) - Useful exercise prior to any debate
Material: scrap paper
Context (5 min): Establish the context for whichever type of game or debate lesson you are teaching
that requires two teams to organise multiple arguments or statements.
Instruction: divide the class into two teams and provide instructions on the next step. Note: warn
students that there will be strict time limits (the length will vary according to the type of lesson being
taught)
• Step 1 (5-10 min): students work individually to come up with their own ideas/arguments on the
topic (no more than four)
• Step 2 (5-10 min): students work in pairs to debate which four, of the eight ideas they now have,
to move forward with
• Step 3 (5-10 min): students work in their full groups (Pro/Con sides) to decide on which four of
the eight ideas to work with, and then divide them up
• Step 4 (5-10 min / optional): Once the arguments have been divided, students are given some
time to individually work independently to develop their arguments
Students are now ready to participate in whichever debate has been prepared.
18
2.1 Introduction to Public Forum Debate (5 min)
Material: blue and red poker chips and a hat
Instruction:
• Board the debate format prior to beginning the lesson.
• Establish context for the debate topic
• Present the debate format. Explain how this is a formal debate and that they will be debating oneon-one in front of the whole class.
• Make sure students understand the concepts of point, counterpoint, and crossfire.
• Have Ss pull their chip out of the hat to determine if they are pro or con (blue or red)
• They should stand up, move to their side of the room, nominate a final speaker and sit in order so
that the 1st pro speaker is sitting opposite of the 1st con speaker.
Note: if there are six students or less, then the 1st speakers will also be the final speakers. It is their job to listen
to carefully throughout the debate so that they can provide a summary in the final round.
Note 2: If there are eight students, then an additional round of one-on-one debating needs to be included, along
with materials prepared, and the additional time taken into account in lesson preparation.
Note 3: If there are ten students, then four members from each team will do the one-on-one debating and it is the
job of the fifth member to listen and summarize (the opportunity to debate still exists during the Grand Crossfire)
Order of Debate:
Pro 1
Pro 2
Pro 3
Pro 4
Pro 5
Con 4
Con 5
table
Con 1
Con 2
Con 3
2.2 Debate Preparation (20 min)
Materials:
Sample Background information (Appendix xliii - lv)
Sample Note taking materials (Appendix xliii - lv)
Instruction: Provide background material to aid them in organising their points.
Step 1 (15 min): Ss should take notes on their own ideas or from the background material for both
their statement and their counterpoint statements.
Step 2 (5 min): Ss nominate a final speaker who will summarise their arguments at the end. The final
speaker should take this opportunity to ask his/her teammates some questions about what they will
argue so that he/she knows what to listen for. Primarily though, they must listen carefully to them
during the debate.
19
2.3 Public Forum Debate - “The Internet does more harm than good” (55 min)
Materials:
Bell and clock
Speech
Time
What Happens
1st Pro Speech
2 min “The quality of information online cannot always be relied upon”
Con Counterpoint
2 min Con delivers a statement against the Pro position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 1st Pro and Con speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
1st Con Speech
2 min “The Internet has increased economic and creative prosperity in a more balanced way.”
Pro Counterpoint
2 min Pro delivers a statement against the Con position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 1st Con and Pro speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
2nd Pro Speech
2 min “The Internet is a threat to privacy.”
Con Counterpoint
2 min Con delivers a statement against the Pro position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 2nd Pro and Con speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
2nd Con Speech
2 min “The power that the Internet gives to citizens is good for democracy.”
Pro Counterpoint
2 min Pro delivers a statement against the Con position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 2nd Con and Pro speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
3rd Pro Speech
2 min “The Internet has allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive, and discriminatory
information to be easily accessed.”
Con Counterpoint
2 min Con delivers a statement against the Pro position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 3rd Pro and Con speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
3rd Con Speech
2 min “The Internet helps bring communities and the world closer together.”
Pro Counterpoint
2 min Pro delivers a statement against the Con position
Crossfire
3 min Involving the 3rd Con and Pro speakers, each debater is allowed to ask each other
questions and debate the issue.
Grand Crossfire
6 min Involving all eight debaters, debaters are allowed to ask each other questions about the
topic. Debaters will remain seated during this time. Final Speakers get to ask the first
questions.
Prep Time
2 min The Final Speakers will be given two minutes to gather their thoughts for a summary of
their position (focusing on their strongest arguments and/or attacking their opponents
weakest arguments.
Final Pro Speech
2 min The Final Pro speaker will summarise the round into one or two main arguments.
Final Con Speech 2 min The Final Con speaker will summarise the round into one or two main arguments.
20
Stakeholder Debate (2 hours)
1.1 Introduction to the Stakeholder Debate (5 min)
Context: Ask students questions regarding the topic prior to boarding the topic you have chosen. Try
to elicit responses that stimulate interest and prior knowledge.
Explain what a stakeholder is and elicit examples for different situations. Describe the
situation/scenario chosen for this lesson. The debate will end with a vote on one or several
proposals.
2.1 Taking on the Role of a Stakeholder (5-10 min)
Materials: Stakeholder Role Cards (Appendix lviii - sample)
Context: Present the role cards you have prepared for the students. Elicit prior knowledge the
students have of the roles, or ask comprehension checking questions so it is clear they understand
what perspective they are arguing from.
Instruction: Students are given two or three minutes to read their cards. Then each group must
summarise who they are and what their goals are for the class (1 min/group).
2.2 Choosing Proposals - Part 1 (10-15 min)
Materials: Background Information - prepared by the teacher (Appendix lvi - sample)
Proposals - prepared by the teacher (Appendix lvii - sample)
Context: Present the situation/scenario planned. Provide the background information to students,
making it clear that it is not necessary for them to read all of it. They should only refer to it for
reference or inspiration.
Provide students with the proposals that they will be arguing in favour of, referencing the
situation/scenario.
Instruction: Groups should select the proposals they feel would be appropriate for their roles to
argue in favour of. They can also talk with other stakeholder groups that they feel may have a
common interest, so that they are not arguing for the same proposals.
Note: There is a lot of flexibility in how to manage a stakeholder debate. The teacher may wish
to have multiple proposals to vote on, in multiple rounds. Or, there may be one proposal to vote on,
having stakeholder groups vote using a weighted voting system. Whatever structure that is chosen,
the teacher should explain the next few stages of the lesson to the students at this point.
Once students have selected their proposals, the teacher should board which proposals will be
argued by which stakeholders.
2.3 Building Arguments (20 min)
Materials: Presentation Note-taking paper (Appendix lix)
Context: Elicit from the stakeholders why they think the various proposals were chosen from their
opponents. Make it clear to them that it is useful to consider the unique perspectives of each
stakeholder when making their arguments, since they will be trying to earn their votes.
21
Instruction: Stakeholders need to build their arguments for a presentation to the class (which will be
4-6 minutes in length). If a stakeholder is represented by a single student, then that student has
twenty minutes to prepare for their 2 minute statement. If a stakeholder is represented by two or three
minutes, then they have to options. A) They immediately divide the work if there are multiple
proposals to present. B) If there is a single proposal, then they should individually generate ideas for
ten minutes, then come together and spend ten minutes putting together their best ideas.
Remind students not to worry so much about facts and figures (if they have been provided),
but to focus on using strong language that would appeal to their audience.
3.1 Stakeholder Debate - Presentations of Proposals (15-25 min)
Materials: Debate Note-taking paper (Appendix lx)
Context: Set-up the situation/scenario for the students once more. Select the group who will present
first (through rolling dice, or drawing straws, etc.).
Instruction:
First Group Presentation - Present arguments for their proposal(s) (4-6 min)
Repeat for each group
Students should take notes as they listen, to help them debate later.
3.2 Stakeholder Debate - Mini Debates and Grand Crossfire (20-30 min)
Instruction:
Step 1 (5-6 min/round x3): Each stockholder will have five minutes to debate another
stakeholder. They will rotate for a total of three mini-debates. They can question or challenge
arguments, or even negotiate for possible future votes (e.g. if there is a weighted voting system,
stakeholders might want to exchange promises for 2nd or 3rd choice votes).
Step 2 (5-10 min): The floor is open for any stakeholder to question or challenge any other
stakeholder in a Grand Crossfire.
3.3 Stakeholder Debate - Summary and Vote (15-20 min)
Instruction:
Step 1 (5 min): Following the Grand Crossfire, stakeholders are given five minutes to look
over their notes and prepare for a final two minute summary of their position. Depending on how the
debate went, the teacher might want to emphasise that it may be better for one stakeholder to defend
their position or attack another’s.
Step 2 (8 min): Each group presents their final case for their proposals (2 min each).
Step 3 (5 min): Each stakeholder votes on a proposal.
Note: There are different ways to set this up, but a simple method with only four
stakeholders voting is as follows:
1st choice = 3 votes
2nd choice = 2 votes
3rd choice = 1 vote
If this method is chosen, it should be explained earlier, when the proposals are being
22
Whiteboard Plan (to be boarded while students are preparing arguments):
Example - Choosing a host city for the Olympics
Proposal
Role A
Role B
Role C
Role D
Total
Toronto
3
2
2
1
8
Istanbul
1
1
2
4
1
Moscow
Singapore
2
3
3
1
3
11
23
Appendix
24
Pass the Buck - Speech Topics (one set per pair of students)
Korea is the best country in
the world because…
Books are better than
movies because…
Summer is the best season
of the year because…
Money can buy happiness.
English is important to learn
because…
Seoul is better than Busan
because…
A healthy lifestyle is
important because…
Family is essential
because…
Women are better than men
because…
The country is better than
the city because…
i
Pass the Buck - Money (one set per pair of students)
ii
Rebuttal Tennis - Debate Topics (place in a cup for a group of three to draw from)
You can’t have a happy family life
and a successful career at the
same time
Committing suicide should be
made legal
The death penalty is acceptable
in some cases
A man should have a wife for the
family and a mistress for pleasure
Foreigners should be allowed to
vote
Drugs should be legalized.
Celebrities earn too much money
You will be happier if you stay
unmarried
Military service shouldn’t be
compulsory
Downloading software, music, or
movies is not really a crime
War is never an option for solving
international disputes
We do not really need religion
Torture can be acceptable in some
cases
Video games contribute to youth
violence
We are becoming too dependent
on computers
The drinking age should be
lowered
Smoking should be banned
worldwide
Corporal punishment should be
allowed in schools.
A woman’s place is in the home
Females are better students than
males.
iii
Position cards for: Devil’s Advocate, Two Person Clash
Using animals in medical
medical research is morally
acceptable.
You can’t have a happy family
life and successful career at the
same time.
Foreigners should be allowed
to vote.
Celebrities earn too much
money.
Military service should be
voluntary.
We are becoming too
dependent on computers.
The drinking age should be
lowered.
Drugs should be legalised.
Smoking should be illegal.
Luxury cars are a waste of
money.
Couples should only have one
child.
Sports are a waste of time.
There is no point in voting.
Everyone should be vegetarian.
It’s okay to lie.
The world would be better with
one language.
iv
Useful Language Practice 1a
√
Useful Expressions for Debating (check off each one you use)
Making Statements
The first point I would like to raise is this…
My position is the following…
Here’s the main point I want to raise…
The way I see it…
If my honest opinion….
As far as I am concerned…
If you ask me…
To begin with…
First of all…
From my point of view…
Responding to the Opposition Directly (but politely or formally)
I see your point, but I think…
Well, I think that…
Yes, I understand, but my opinion is that…
That’s all very interesting, but the problem is that…
I think I’ve got your point, now let me respond to it…
I see what you’re saying. Here’s my reply…
I already pointed out that…
Let me just restate my position…
Let me put it this way…
Just to be clear, here is what I mean…
v
Useful Language Practice 1b
You can’t have a happy family life
and a successful career at the
same time
Committing suicide should be
made legal
The death penalty is acceptable
in some cases
A man should have a wife for the
family and a mistress for pleasure
Foreigners should be allowed to
vote
Drugs should be legalized.
Celebrities earn too much money
You will be happier if you stay
unmarried
Military service shouldn’t be
compulsory
Downloading software, music, or
movies is not really a crime
War is never an option for solving
international disputes
We do not really need religion
Torture can be acceptable in some
cases
Video games contribute to youth
violence
We are becoming too dependent
on computers
The drinking age should be
lowered
Smoking should be banned
worldwide
Corporal punishment should be
allowed in schools.
A woman’s place is in the home
Females are better students than
males.
vi
Interruptions Handout
Interruptions
Different Types of Expressions for
Different Situations:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Interrupting by asking permission
Interrupting to insert a brief comment or correction
Interrupting to provide a rebuttal
After accidentally interrupting someone
After being interrupted by someone
Returning to the topic
•
With a partner, quickly look through the sets of interruptions, and decide
which is the correct type for each set. Write the type of interruption on the
provided line.
1) Type:_____________________________
4) Type:____________________________
You didn’t let me finish.
Excuse me, but you have to let me finish.
Hold on, I’m not finished.
Excuse me, would you mind letting me
finish?
I’m sorry, but can I finish?
Is it okay if I jump in for a second?
May I ask something?
Can I throw my two cents in?
Can I add something here?
I’d like to say something if I may.
2) Type:_____________________________
5) Type:____________________________
Can I add here that…
If I might add something…
If you would allow me to add a comment
here...
Excuse me, but that’s not quite correct.
Hold on a moment, that’s not correct.
3) Type:_____________________________
In any case, ...
To get back to what I was saying, ...
Now where was I?
Where were we?
If I may continue…
Sorry, go ahead.
Sorry, you were saying…
Sorry, please continue.
6) Type:____________________________
Forgive me for interrupting, but I must
respond to that.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to take issue
with what you just said.
Sorry to interrupt, but…
Let me just respond to that, please.
I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’ve
misunderstood our point.
vii
Summarising Cards
Summarising Arguments
Your own argument:
There are two points that we have succeeded in establishing…
Let me summarise our position in this debate.
In summary, our position is…
Your opponents argument (remember to be critical):
To sum up, our opponents have not adequately addressed…
Our opponents have claimed that…
In summary, we want to point out that our opponents have failed to…
Both arguments:
Let’s see which arguments are still standing.
Let’s take stock of where we are in this debate.
To recap the main points…
Let’s sum up where we stand in this debate.
Summarising Arguments
Summarise your own argument (two or three best points):
Summarise your opponents argument (two or three points to criticise):
viii
Summarising Skills - Debate Cards
Women are better than
men.
Buying the latest
smartphone is a waste of
money.
A small town is a better
place to live than the city.
TV is a waste of time.
Money can buy happiness.
Teenagers should be
allowed to vote.
Friends are more important
than family.
Reading is the best hobby.
ix
Rebuttal Practice
Rebuttal Practice
Agreement
a. I admit that…
b. I grant you that…
c. I will concede that point…
d. You got me there…
e. That may be true…
Disagreement
f. I don’t agree that…
g. That’s beside the point…
h. That’s not always the case…
i. I couldn’t disagree more…
j. I beg to differ…
Bob: Let’s go see an action movie tonight.
Doug: I like movies with good stories. Action movies are all about the special effects.
Bob: ___________________________. Sci-fi films like ‘Looper,’ ‘Minority Report,’ and ‘Planet of the
Apes,’ are known for having well written stories.
Doug: _____________________, but there are so many action films with just terrible acting.
Bob: _________________________. There are just as many comedies and dramas with bad acting.
Doug: Fine. ______________________ bad acting is not limited to action movies. However, you have to
admit that too much attention is placed on special effects.
Bob:________________________ that in advertising the emphasis is often placed on special effects, but
_______________________ with the actual film.
Doug: __________________________. What about ‘Avatar’? It had a recycled story that was all about the
special effects.
Bob: ______________________. But it was still a cool movie, and that was an exception. ‘Lord of the
Rings’ and ‘Titanic’ were huge movies with stories that people loved, but were only possible because of
the huge special effects.
Doug: ______________________ those movies couldn’t have been made without big special effects.
Directors should focus more on the acting.
Bob: Special effects are a tool to help tell stories. Do you want every movie to look the same and tell
the same stories? Without special effects, there is no context for the story to take place.
Doug: ______________________. I’m just not a big fan of big budget films.
Bob: ______________________. The size of the budget has nothing to do with the quality of the film.
Doug: Fine, you’ve made your point. Let’s go see an action movie.
Bob: Actually, now I feel like watching a comedy.
x
Conflict at the Office - Role Play Cards
Student A
Student B
You are a vice-president in a large
marketing company whose sales are in a
steep decline.
You are a vice-president in a large
marketing company whose sales are in a
steep decline.
The CEO wants to either increase
productivity and/or reduce expenses.
The CEO wants to either increase
productivity and/or reduce expenses.
Your CEO has asked you and another vicepresident to discuss the matter to give her
a proposal. You must come to an
agreement with your partner.
Your CEO has asked you and another vicepresident to discuss the matter to give her
a proposal. You must come to an
agreement with your partner.
You think it would be better to cut
salaries by 10%, eliminate dental
insurance, and eliminate the annual
bonus.
You think it would be better to extend
working hours by five hours/week,
require workers to work one Saturday
per month, and reduce paid vacation
time from three weeks/year to two
weeks/year.
Student A
Student B
You are a vice-president in a large
marketing company whose sales are in a
steep decline.
You are a vice-president in a large
marketing company whose sales are in a
steep decline.
The CEO wants to either increase
productivity and/or reduce expenses.
The CEO wants to either increase
productivity and/or reduce expenses.
Your CEO has asked you and another vicepresident to discuss the matter to give her
a proposal. You must come to an
agreement with your partner.
Your CEO has asked you and another vicepresident to discuss the matter to give her
a proposal. You must come to an
agreement with your partner.
You think it would be better to cut
salaries by 10%, eliminate dental
insurance, and eliminate the annual
bonus.
You think it would be better to extend
working hours by five hours/week,
require workers to work one Saturday
per month, and reduce paid vacation
time from three weeks/year to two
weeks/year.
xi
Conflict at Home - Role Play Cards
Your%roommate%has%had%a%houseguest%stay%
for%2%weeks%now.%%You%have%no%idea%when%
they’ll%be%leaving.
You%bought%some%whisky%at%a%foreign%market%
the%other%day%because%you%wanted%
something%from%home.%%It%was%quite%
expensive%($60.00%a%boCle).%%Your%roommate%
drank%it%with%some%friends.%%You%usually%
don’t%mind%sharing%drinks,%but%this%one%was%
special%to%you.
Your%roommate%owes%you%rent.%%You%paid%2%
days%ago%and%need%some%cash%for%your%
weekend%plans.
Your%roommate%always%has%friends%over%late%
at%night.%%You%like%having%company,%but%you%
have%to%wake%up%early%in%the%morning.
You%want%to%have%a%party%this%weekend%and%
invite%10%friends%over.
You%are%shopping%for%a%new%television%for%
your%living%room.%%You%want%to%buy%a%cheap%
used%tv,%but%your%roommate%wants%to%get%a%
really%expensive%new%tv.
Your%roommate%is%watching%a%movie%with%the%
volume%way%too%loud%and%you%can’t%sleep.%%
Ask%them%to%turn%it%down.
You%think%your%roommate%is%too%messy%and%
you%want%to%organize%a%cleaning%schedule.%%
Get%them%to%agree%and%then%organize%a%
schedule.
Your%roommate%borrowed%a%dvd%from%you%
and%you%need%it%back.%%He/she%lost%it,%but%
won’t%admit%it.
You%want%to%renegoLate%one%part%of%your%
Roommate%Contract.%%Ask%your%roommate%to%
discuss%it%with%you%and%come%to%an%
agreement.
xii
I am the leading candidate in an election next week for the Korean Presidency.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xiii
I am the new CEO of Samsung.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xiv
I am Korea's best soccer player and the World Cup begins next week.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xv
I am a talented scientist researching a cure for cancer.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xvi
I am the most popular singer in Korea.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xvii
I am a new mother/father.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xviii
I am the richest man/woman in Korea.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xix
I am a psychiatrist and I have many patients that depend on me.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xx
I am Korea's most talented brain surgeon.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxi
I am a talented inventor and I am working on a way to provide clean and free energy for the world.
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxii
I am (choose one, circle):
William Shakespeare
Yi Hwang
Charles Darwin
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxiii
I am (choose one, circle):
Albert Einstein
Kim Daejung
Leonardo da Vinci
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxiv
I am (choose one, circle):
Isaac Newton
Park Chung-hee
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxv
I am (choose one, circle):
Christopher Columbus
King Sejong
Thomas Edison
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxvi
I am (choose one, circle):
Ghengis Khan
Admiral Yi Sun-shin
Michelangelo
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxvii
I am (choose one, circle):
Gandhi
General Kim Yushin
Vincent Van Gogh
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxviii
I am (choose one, circle):
Steve Jobs
King Taejong Muyeol (Kim Chunchu)
Leonardo da Vinci
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxix
I am (choose one, circle):
Sigmund Freud
King Taejo (Yi Seong-gye)
James Watt
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxx
I am (choose one, circle):
Jane Goodall
Queen Sondeok
J.K Rowling
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxxi
I am (choose one, circle):
Queen Elizabeth I
Kim Man Deok
Madonna
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxxii
I am (choose one, circle):
Rosalind Franklin
Yu Kwan Sun
Mary Shelley
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxxiii
I am (choose one, circle):
Marie Curie
Hawang Jini
Jane Austen
Take some notes as to why you should be kept alive. You will make a statement to the group.
Take notes as you listen to other speakers. You might want to ask them a question, make a point against them, or
think of an idea to defend yourself.
xxxiv
Soccer Debate
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Q
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C
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t
e
r
!
p
o
i
n
t
Q
u
e
s
t
i
o
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!
C
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u
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r
p
o
i
n
t
xxxv
Expressions of Disagreement Brainstorming Handout
Formal Disagreement
Formal / Informal Disagreement
Informal Disagreement
Office Conflict - Role Play Cards
xxxvi
Office Conflict - Role Play Cards
Situation: Business Partners
You are part owner of a successful cafe. Your shop is earning $50,000 more per year
than expected. You and your partners have to decide what to do with the money.
Things to consider:
• You still owe $30,000 to the bank.
• You have a lot of regular and new customers, but another cafe recently opened
nearby and their prices are lower.
• The cost of coffee beans has been steadily rising for the last three years and may
continue to rise.
• For the last five years you’ve been working six days a week and you haven’t yet had
a raise in salary.
Student A
You are proud of all the hard work you’ve done, but it’s time to enjoy life a little more.
You want to hire a new employee so you can have more time off work and/or you want
more money.
Student B
You are pleased with how successful your shop is doing, but are concerned about the
future. You want to pay off the last of your debt to the bank. You also want to reduce
your prices or save some money for any future problems.
Situation: Visiting Clients
Your boss has asked the two of you to show a couple visiting clients around Seoul.
Your boss wants them to have a really great time. All you know about them is that they
are from New York, they are in their mid-30s, and it is a man and a woman. It is their
first time visiting Asia.
They arrive Wednesday evening and you will meet them at their hotel Thursday at
noon. They have an important meeting at your company Friday afternoon.
You must decide with your partner what to do with them Thursday afternoon and
evening. Your boss wants a detailed itinerary.
You should consider: food, shopping, sightseeing, and entertainment.
Student A
You want to show your clients the modern side of Seoul.
Student B
Your want to show your clients traditional Korean culture.
xxxvii
Office Conflict - Role Play Cards
Situation: Travel Plans
You and your friend have decided to go on a two week holiday to Europe in January.
You have to decide on where to visit, but you didn’t realise you and your partner have
opposite interests. So, you have to compromise.
Things to decide:
• Which countries/cities you will visit over the two week period
• What kind of accommodation you will stay at
• What kind of transportation you will use
Student A
You love adventurous holidays where you can go skiing, biking, hiking, etc. You love
exciting modern cities. You enjoy staying at hostels, where you can meet lots of new
people. You don’t like flying unless you have to because airports are inconvenient and
boring. You prefer renting a car so you can go anywhere you want and see the sights
as you travel.
Student B
You love relaxing holidays where you can relieve stress. You love seeing the cultural
sights of old cities and visiting museums. You enjoy staying at resorts, where you can
enjoy the many facilities. You like flying because you don’t have to worry about
directions.
Situation: Pub Debate
You and your friend are enjoying some drinks at a local pub. You’ve had a few too
many beers and find yourself debating passionately about a ridiculous topic. You can’t
believe that your friend actually believes what they are saying.
Choose a topic (If you can’t pick sides, do rock, scissors, paper to decide):
• Which is worse; an alien invasion or zombies taking over the world?
• Which is better; chicken or beef?
• Which is more entertaining; watching TV or playing computer games?
• Who is better for marriage; a handsome man/pretty woman or smart man/woman?
• Who would win in a fight; a vampire or werewolf?
• Which would you rather fight; a bear or a shark?
• Which came first; the chicken or the egg?
• Who are more complicated; men or women?
• ______ is the only good kind of music.
• Ghosts are real.
xxxviii
Ethical situation Cards (Appendix xxxix - xli) cut up for pairs
Ethical Dilemma - Robin Hood
You are an eyewitness to a crime: A man has robbed a bank, but
instead of keeping the money for himself, you learn he has had donated it
to a poor orphanage that can now afford to feed, clothe, and care for its
children.
You know who committed the crime. If you go to the authorities with
the information, there’s a good chance the money will be returned to the
bank, leaving a lot of kids in need.
What do you do?
A. Turn the robber in to the police.
B. Say nothing.
Ethical Dilemma - The Lifeboat
You are on a cruise ship when there is a fire on board, and the ship
has to be abandoned. The lifeboats are carrying many more people than
they were designed to carry. The lifeboat you are in with twenty other
people is sitting dangerously low in the water – a few inches lower and it
will sink.
The seas start to get rough, and the boat begins to fill with water. A
group of old people are in the water and ask you to throw them a rope so
they can come aboard the lifeboat. You fear the lifeboat will sink if it takes
on any more passengers.
What do you do?
A. Refuse to throw them the rope to preserve the lives of those on board
the lifeboat.
B. Throw them the rope and risk sinking the lifeboat.
xxxix
Ethical Dilemma - Taking the Blame
You’re involved in a two-car crash on your way to work one morning in
which you accidentally hit and kill a pedestrian. As you get out of the car,
you are intercepted by a tearful woman who seems to think that she hit and
killed the pedestrian.
You’re not sure why she thinks she hit the person, but she is
convinced. There’s only you, the woman, and the person you hit on the
road; there are no witnesses. You know that whoever is deemed
responsible will probably be sent to jail. What do you do?
What do you do?
A. Confess your responsibility.
B. Let the woman take the blame.
Ethical Dilemma - Niece or Daughter?
Your family is vacationing alone on a private stretch of beach with no
lifeguard. Your daughter and your niece, both 7, are best friends and eager
to get into the water. You caution them to wait until the water calms some,
but they defy you and sneak in anyway. You soon hear screams and find
them both caught in a strong current. You are the only swimmer strong
enough to save them, but you can only save one at a time.
Your niece is a very poor swimmer and likely won’t make it much
longer. Your daughter is a stronger swimmer, but only has a 50% chance of
holding on long enough for you to come back for her. Who do you save
first?
What do you do?
A. Save your daughter first; you know that your niece will probably die.
B. Save your niece first and hope that your daughter can hold on long
enough for you to come back for her.
xl
Ethical Dilemma - A Doctor's Dilemma
You are a doctor at a top hospital. You have six gravely ill patients,
five of whom are in urgent need of organ transplants. You can’t help them,
though, because there are no available organs that can be used to save
their lives.
The sixth patient, however, will die without a particular medicine. If s/
he dies, you will be able to save the other five patients by using the organs
of patient 6, who is an organ donor. What do you do?
What do you do?
A. Allow patient 6 to die in order to save the other five patients.
B. Save patient 6 and let the other five die.
Ethical Dilemma - Teacher’s Responsibility
You are a teacher at a high school. One of your students is a very
bright and gifted girl, whom you have always enjoyed teaching. She has
always been one of the school’s top students, and is now in her final year
and getting ready to apply to university.
Unfortunately she has been very ill this term, and missed several
weeks of schooling. She has just turned in a report which is worth 40% of
her final grade, but you realise that she did not write it herself – she has
copied a report found online and tried to pass it off as her own work.
What do you do?
A.
Report her plagiarisation to the school; though she may not be
accepted by any good universities.
B. Refuse to accept the report; her final mark will be very poor and may
harm her chances of being chosen by the top schools in the country.
C. Mark the paper as though you believed it was her own work; she will
do very well, and probably get accepted by the university of her choice.
xli
Public Forum Debate - Sample Materials (content inserted is copied from idebate.org)
You are the
1st Pro
Speaker.
Here is your point: “The quality of information online cannot always be relied upon”
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Point: The Internet has become a major source of information for many people.
However, online information has usually not gone through the same checks as
newspaper articles, books or factual television programming. There is a higher risk
that some of the facts or quotations from a particular source in an article are false.
Whereas newspapers might lose customers if people find out they have been
‘selling lies’, a blog and other online content can be easily created and uploaded as
well as just as quickly being deleted. If people base their opinions on the
information they find online, they could well be basing their opinion on false
information. Take for example the 2006 conspiracy film Loose Change which has
had millions of views. A report from the think-tank Demos in a report titled “Truth,
Lies and the Internet: A Report into Young People’s Digital Fluency”state that the
film contains a “...litnay of errors, misattributions, vague insinuations, subtle
misquotes, and outright falsehoods...” Since the Internet gives equal space to
material of greatly varying quality, the degree to which the internet can been
viewed as being a total force for good is drawn into question. If an informed society
is an empowered society it therefore stands to reason that a misinformed society is
disempowered society.
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
You will listen to the 3rd Con Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet helps
bring communities and the world closer together.”
Counterpoint: This image of the Internet drawing people being closer together is
simply an illusion. Sitting in front of computers rather than getting out in the world in
fact isolates people from one another. Some academics argue that narcissism is
the glue that keeps social networks together. If people didn’t believe that their
views were important and needed to be heard, then social networks would be
unable to function. Social networks encourage people to express what they are
doing rather than reading what others have to say. If people want to feel integrated
into their communities, they should get out and about and do something active for
it. Complaining about things online will not result in direct action solving the
problem. Although it is true that people all over the world are now theoretically able
to communicate with one another more easily, that is not how the Internet is
actually used most of the time. Many Internet users either read digitized versions of
traditional information sources, and when they are on social networking sites, they
engage most often with real-life friends, with whom they could easily spend face-toface time. Language is the other major barrier to worldwide integration. While there
are translation tools online, most people online will stick to communicating in their
native language, and this is particularly true of English speakers. The idea that the
Internet is bringing new people together is on the whole a myth.
xlii
You are the
1st Pro
Speaker.
Here is your point: “The quality of information online cannot always be relied upon”
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
You will listen to the 3rd Con Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet helps
bring communities and the world closer together.”
Notes:
xliii
You are the
1st Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 1st Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The quality of
information online cannot always be relied upon”
Here are some
ideas to help
you make your
statement
against the
Pro Speaker’s
argument.
Counterpoint: The Internet gives millions of people access to information they
would not otherwise have had, which is a huge benefit. People who read the news,
offline or online, are not inherently dupable, they like all people do not simply
accept messages they are, to varying degrees, critical of what they read and not
simply passive. When people spend a lot of time reading online content they can
differentiate between bloggers who are untrustworthy or extremely biases from
bloggers who carefully refer to legitimate sources. The problem of bad information
in news-making is not unique to the Internet; there are lots of trashy magazines
and poorly researched news content in traditional print channels of communication
as well. We learn in formal education to double-check our sources and not believe
everything we read, and we can apply that skill while surfing the Internet.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
It is not enough to say that the internet contains falsehoods to dismiss the value of
the internet. All mediums contain falsehoods whether intentional or unintentional
but there is a much broader picture that needs to be considered in terms of the
ability of the internet to provide people with freedom of expression and freedom of
information, if it being a free for all has the downside of some falsehoods then
that’s is a price worth paying.
Here are some
ideas to help
you give a 2
min statement
in favour of
this point.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here is your point: “The Internet has increased economic and creative prosperity in
a more balanced way.”
Point: The Internet has brought greater prosperity, allowing not only established
business more distribution channels over a wider geographical area but it has also
allowed individuals through e-bay, for example, and small independent businesses
to flourish. This has brought a lot more choice to ordinary people, and also driven
down prices as people find it easier to compare different companies’ products. The
main advantage to small businesses is that they can cheaply set up online and find
a global market for their goods and services. By making it easier to work anywhere
with an Internet connection, the internet has also allowed many more people to
work from home and to share projects with co-workers across the whole world
which has allowed for greater economic efficiencies.
The Internet has also provided a cheap and wide-reaching platform for
independent creative people to share and distribute their work. This is done via
self-promotion similar to small business, in the form of digital portfolios and selfhosted blogs as well as sharing content more generally, take for example the vast
array of independent movies gets regularly posted to video-hosting websites such
as Vimeo. The Internet has given anyone creative equal footing by which to
compete as everyone has the potential to reach the same global audience.
xliv
You are the
1st Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 1st Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The quality of
information online cannot always be relied upon”
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Here is your point: “The Internet has increased economic and creative prosperity in
a more balanced way.”
Notes:
xlv
You are the
2nd Pro
Speaker.
You will listen to the 1st Con Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet has
increased economic and creative prosperity in a more balanced way.”
Here are some
ideas to help
you make your
statement
against the
Con Speaker’s
argument.
Counterpoint: The Internet has certainly allowed many new small businesses and
independent creative people to win international exposure at a low price. However,
the Internet is, on the whole, dominated by big companies taking most of the
business while smaller organizations struggle. The Internet has in fact damaged
independents more than it has helped, as offline shops struggle to compete with
the financial savings of operating entirely online. This is also true for art and other
creative pursuits, because independent offline art projects are being harmed by the
convenience of simply posting work online digitally. The economic benefits being
spoken of do exist, but they favor the already powerful conglomerates over
independents, as those conglomerates can use their vast income base to
dominate. It is especially bad when these big companies migrate online, because
they shred important jobs, to the detriment of society. The lowered barrier to entry
means that anyone can setup business online, but on the whole the majority will
struggle to survive and only a rare few will flourish.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here are some
ideas to help
you give a 2
min statement
in favour of
this point.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here is your point: “The Internet is a threat to privacy.”
Point: Everyone’s privacy can be greatly harmed by the Internet. Some websites
store information. Some ask us to fill in information which can be sold to other sites
for commercial purposes. As the Internet gains more and more users the
temptation for criminals to gain our private information becomes greater. Hackers
can hide their true location when engaging in illegal activities online, so the
likelihood of their being brought to justice is low. Whenever people post something
online, it becomes almost impossible to erase, and with the proliferation of social
networks posting personal information online is becoming second nature, this is a
dangerous precedent. Take for example the posting of our locations online via
geotagging, this for many is an action which doesn’t take much consideration,
however, to demonstrate the danger of this designer Barry Borsoom setup the
website PleaseRobMe.com which would grab geocaching data and tell people
when a person’s house was potentially empty.
With the aid of the Internet then, we are symbolically sleepwalking into a big
brother style existence, in an information age all data about ourselves is an
important asset and one which needs defending. The infringement and degradation
of our privacy as a side-result of the Internet should be of great concern, and it is
potentially one of the most detrimental effects the Internet could have on society.
xlvi
You are the
2nd Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 2nd Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet is a
threat to privacy.”
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Here is your point: “The power that the Internet gives to citizens is good for
democracy.”
Notes:
xlvii
You are the
2nd Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 2nd Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet is a
threat to privacy.”
Here are some
ideas to help
you make your
statement
against the
Pro Speaker’s
argument.
Counterpoint: Privacy online is a big concern, but an educated citizen can
navigate the Internet in a safe and sensible manner with minimal privacy issues,
although as with being offline a the threat of crime can never be entirely eliminated.
When we go online no-one forces the user to share private information, it is
volunteered by the user in exchange for a free service, it is often a small price to
pay for the services that can be received in return, such as free e-mail or free
webspace. Of course privacy can be infringed in other ways, by unlawful access to
personal files for example, but if protection such as firewalls are setup and users
are careful about what they download privacy online can be easily maintained. It is
misleading to say we are sleeping walking into a big brother existence, it gives in
impression that the effect the Internet is having on society is conspiratorial, this is
clearly not the case, people like the way the Internet can bring people all over the
world together. Privacy is no more of a problem online than privacy is in the offline
world, the issue is being overstated by the proposition.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here are some
ideas to help
you give a 2
min statement
in favour of
this point.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here is your point: “The power that the Internet gives to citizens is good for
democracy.”
Point: People often complain that their opinions are ultimately pointless as nothing
will change. This trend can be demonstrated with the numbers of people going out
to vote consistently falling, however with the rise of the Internet this trend could
reverse. What the Internet has enabled is for everyone, in one way or another, to
have the chance to truly have their voice heard. It has given them the ability to fully
engage in topics that matter to them on a personal level. As this website and this
very debate show, people can debate, share opinions, and start petitions in ways
that were never truly available before. Not only is democracy being revived, it is
also being demanded in countries that do not have democracy due to Internet
access. This can be seen in what has been described as the Arab Spring, whereby
the Internet was used as a tool to organize pro-democracy protest in a number of
Middle-Eastern countries including Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, to name a but a few.
xlviii
You are the
2nd Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 2nd Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet is a
threat to privacy.”
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Here is your point: “The power that the Internet gives to citizens is good for
democracy.”
Notes:
xlix
You are the
3rd Pro
Speaker.
You will listen to the 2nd Con Speaker make a statement on: “The power that the
Internet gives to citizens is good for democracy.”
Here are some
ideas to help
you make your
statement
against the
Con Speaker’s
argument.
Counterpoint: It is overly hopeful to suggest that simply because people now have
another medium through which to discuss their views and opinions that they will
necessarily go out and vote. The decrease in voting is a concern for western
countries, but the Internet should not be seen as the panacea that will
singlehandedly solve the problem. In reality, the situation is much more complex.
Of course the Internet provides a unique platform to discuss ideas, but it is not
revolutionary. The opposition paints a picture suggesting that grassroots
movements could not happen without the Internet. This clearly is not true, as a
brief look at history will show. While the Arab Spring shows a positive use of the
Internet in aiding democracy, the same tools can be applied toward negative goals.
Indeed, the Internet is not intrinsically geared towards aiding democracy. For
example, much of the organization for the attacks and looting of at the UK riots in
August 2011 was organized via social networks and blogs.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here are some
ideas to help
you give a 2
min statement
in favour of
this point.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here is your point: “The Internet has allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive,
and discriminatory information to be easily accessed.”
Point: The ability for anyone to be able to publish anything online without barriers
resulted in a large amount of information which could not only be incorrect but
could also be criminal, offensive or discriminatory if it were available to the general
public. This sort of information would not usually be widely published via offline
channels, but with the advent of the Internet it is very easily accessible by anyone
like never before, and this is a dangerous president. A cavalcade of propaganda
from extremist groups such as religious zealots or Neo-Nazis for example can be
accessed by anyone around the world. This is dangerous as vulnerable people
could easily be taken in and exploited if the discovered this material. It is quite
often found that ‘lone-wolf’ terrorists, for example, have gotten their information and
inspiration from the Internet. Garry Reid, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for
Special Operations and Combating Terrorism in the USA states that “Enabled by
21st-century technology, extremists have optimized the use of Internet chat rooms,
Web sites and e-mail chains to spread their virulent messages and reach a global
audience of potential recruits”.[1] But it is not only terrorists who are utilizing the
Internet at a detriment to society. Various reports have linked a sharp rise in
paedophilia with the growth of the Internet[2] as it is an easy and often anonymous
way to share such material with the world. The ability for anyone to publish
anything online could clearly do considerable harm to society, which would have
otherwise been much less prevalent and easier to control and regulate.
l
You are the
3rd Pro
Speaker.
You will listen to the 2nd Con Speaker make a statement on: “The power that the
Internet gives to citizens is good for democracy.”
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Here is your point: “The Internet has allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive,
and discriminatory information to be easily accessed.”
Notes:
li
You are the
3rd Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 3rd Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet has
allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive, and discriminatory information to be
easily accessed.”
Here are some
ideas to help
you make your
statement
against the
Pro Speaker’s
argument.
Counterpoint: Freedom of information should mean freedom of all types of
information, even if it is extreme propaganda from fringe groups such as neo-Nazis
or Al-Qaeda. The public must be trusted to be able to make its own decisions on
the value of such texts. What is great about the Internet is that points of view that
would not necessarily get much publicity in traditional media can be aired and
discussed online, from serious issues such as capital punishment to less serious
ones like aliens. Of course one of the downfalls of such freedom is that illegal
content such as child pornography can be made available in a way which it could
not have before, but highlighting this issue is not entirely fair as it is greatly
outweighed by the information available online that is perfectly fine and legal. This
does not of course excuse the publication of such images. It is, however, a slight
misnomer to suggest that the Internet is entirely free from the restraints of law. In
issues of legality, governments can take action: they can either trace the origin of
the images or force web space providers and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to
take down the content. On the whole, having ready access to such a large amount
of information, and being able to freely add and discuss it, is beneficial to society,
because it is both liberating and educational.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here are some
ideas to help
you give a 2
min statement
in favour of
this point.
But, feel free
to use your
own ideas.
Here is your point: “The Internet helps bring communities and the world closer
together.”
Point: With the ability for anybody to easily and quickly share rich information
online, via a whole host of tools, the Internet serves bring people together. Firstly
take for example social networks. Friends can remain connected to each other
when miles apart. People can maintain and even create friendships without the
barrier of geography. Additionally, social networks have a capacity to distribute
news in a timely and targeted manner, directed at the people whom it mostly
concerns, that is far greater than that of traditional media cannot compete.
Secondly there are many instances of hyper-local news communities springing up
online in which people can truly engage in their community, and help improve it.
This model can and is extended to bigger areas, helping to engage society for its
greater good. For example Fillthathole.org.uk, provides a nationwide portal for U.K.
citizens to report road potholes. Thirdly the Internet brings the world together by
not only encouraging direct communication with people from other countries, but
also by being able to share and distribute information in a way which traditional
forms of communication could not do.
lii
You are the
3rd Con
Speaker.
You will listen to the 3rd Pro Speaker make a statement on: “The Internet has
allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive, and discriminatory information to be
easily accessed.”
You will give a
2 min
statement
against this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Notes:
You will give a
2 min
statement in
favour of this
point. Write
notes on your
ideas or from
the extra
material.
Here is your point: “The Internet helps bring communities and the world closer
together.”
Notes:
liii
You are also the Final Pro Speaker. You will give a 2 min summary at the end of the debate. As
you listen to your team, take notes on their strongest points. Or, listen for and summarise the
weakest points the Con side makes.
2nd Pro Speaker’s Point: “The Internet is a threat to privacy.”
Notes:
3rd Pro Speaker’s Point: “The Internet has allowed a large amount of criminal, offensive, and
discriminatory information to be easily accessed.”
Notes:
Summary Notes:
liv
You are also the Final Con Speaker. You will give a 2 min summary at the end of the debate. As
you listen to your team, take notes on their strongest points. Or, listen for and summarise the
weakest points the Pro side makes.
2nd Con Speaker’s Point: “The power that the Internet gives to citizens is good for democracy.”
Notes:
3rd Con Speaker’s Point: “The Internet helps bring communities and the world closer together.”
Notes:
Summary Notes:
lv
Stakeholder Debate (Sample) - Teacher should provide material for the situation
Background information
lvi
Stakeholder Debate (Sample) - Teacher should provide proposals for students to debate
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)
lvii
Stakeholder Debate (Sample) - Teacher should provide roles for the students. Students should note what they
think their goals are.
Role A
What’s my role?
• I am a representative of…
What do I hope to achieve?
•
Role B
What’s my role?
• I am a representative of…
What do I hope to achieve?
•
lviii
Stakeholder Debate (Sample) - Students should take notes to prepare for their presentation
Presentation Notes
Proposal:
______________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
Proposal:
______________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
Proposal:
______________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
lix
Stakeholder Debate (Sample) - Students should take notes as they listen to the other presentations
Debate Notes
Stakeholder: _______________________________ Proposal(s):
________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
____
Notes:
Stakeholder: _______________________________ Proposal(s):
________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
____
Notes:
Stakeholder: _______________________________ Proposal(s):
________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
____
Notes:
lx
Additional topics for debate activities like Rebuttal Tennis
Too much money is a bad thing.
Elementary school homework should be banned.
Spam mail should be outlawed.
Short hair is better than long hair.
All students should study abroad.
Yearly driving tests should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license.
Mobile phones should never be used while driving.
Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine.
Pregnant couples should receive parenting lessons.
Aliens probably exist.
Athletes are paid too much.
Medical testing on animals is immoral.
Safety is more important than privacy.
We should provide food for the poor.
We should populate the moon.
Sharing music online should be allowed.
CEOs are paid too much.
All citizens should be required to vote.
We should have more holidays and longer vacations.
Junk food should have a ‘fat tax’ placed on it.
lxi