Immigration Debate
Over the next 2 days the class will be working in groups. Each group will be responsible
for researching and preparing arguments to be used in a classroom debate. The topic of
the debate is: “Should the United States close its borders to immigrants from Mexico?”
One group will defend the idea of having an open border while the other will build a
case to keep new immigrants out.
At the conclusion of this activity the two panels will present their case to a committee
who will decide which side built a better case and in doing so won the debate.
Debate Teams
Each team member should fulfill ONE of the following roles:
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Lead Debater -- presents the opening statements for the group
Cross-Examiner -- poses questions about the opposing team's arguments. There will
be only one cross examiner for the entire group. Choose someone who can think on
their feet and is comfortable talking in front of the class.
Argument 1 – Presents the first argument
Argument 2 – Presents the second argument
Argument 3 – Presents the third argument
Argument 4 – Presents the fourth argument
Each person who is assigned an argument will be the ONLY one to respond to the
cross examiners statements or questions.
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Summarizer -- closes the debate by summarizing the main points of his or her team's
arguments.
All group members are responsible for researching and formulating your team’s case.
BE PASSIONATE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE