Silent Debate Rules and Guidelines
Silent Debate Rules and Guidelines
Today, you will be having a silent debate. Your topic/question is “Did Jonas and Gabriel live or
die?” When you enter the classroom, you will be assigned a seat and a side of the debate.
Please make sure to follow the rules below as it will impact your grade:
1. There can be no talking during the silent debate. All arguments must be written down on
paper.
2. You may use the book to gather textual evidence to support your answers.
3. The prosecution (LIVED) will begin by writing down their argument. The defense (DIED) will
then write down their response directly below the first person’s argument.
4. The paper will be passed back and forth across the desks throughout the class period.
Students should use what they have learned and their opinions about the topic to DIRECTLY
RESPOND to each argument. Students must not get off topic, and they must always respond to
the previous statement.
a. Students should use phrases such as “I disagree with you because…” and “I agree with
you but…”
b. All comments must be respectful.
5. If a group of students feels that they are finished with the debate and that both sides have
fully argued their point, the group should silently raise their hands. Students will be given a
worksheet to debrief from the debate.
6. The two students debating should use different color pens/pencils to make it easy to see who
“said” what.
*If there are an odd number of students, there will need to be instances of 2 against 1. If this is
the case, there can still be no talking and the debate will still alternate back and forth between
the two teams. The team with the extra person will have to alternate writers back and forth.
Silent Debate Rules and Guidelines
The rubric for this debate is below. Grades will be individual, not group:
CRITERIA
TOTAL POINTS
Logistics: You are silent throughout the debate. You are respectful of your opponent.
/5
Content: You use information from class discussions or textual support in your debate.
/5
You fully address the arguments for your side of the debate.
/5
It is clear which side of the debate you are on.
/5
You will not stray from the topic. You will make arguments for your side the topic.
/5
You will directly respond to the statements made by your opponent.
TOTAL POINTS
______ /5__
/30
Post Silent Debate Reflection
1. What side of the debate were you on? (10)
2. Would you have chosen that side? (10)
3. What do you think was the best argument that you made? (10)
4. What do you think was the best argument that your opponent made? (10)
5. Did your opponent change your mind at all based on what he/she wrote? (10)
6. Do you think you changed your opponent’s mind based on what you wrote? (10)
7. What did you learn from this silent debate? (10)