Santa Claus Debate Team Planning
Student Name: __________________________________________________ Affirmative ___ Negative ___
Resolution: Parents should encourage their children to believe in Santa Claus.
Brainstorm 5 possible arguments for the Affirmative and 5 possible arguments for the Negative:
Affirmative
Negative
1. _________________________________________
1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
4. _________________________________________
4. _________________________________________
5. _________________________________________
5. _________________________________________
Develop your case – As a group decide on three points (contentions) to support your argument.
Contention 1: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Person delivering argument: _______________________________
Evidence:
Contention 2: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Person delivering argument: _______________________________
Evidence:
Contention 3: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Person delivering argument: _______________________________
Evidence:
Santa Claus Debate Opposition Rebuttal
Resolution: Parents should encourage their children to believe in Santa Claus.
Write down what you think the top five arguments from the other side will be and come up with a rebuttal for those
arguments.
Contention 1: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuttal:
Contention 2: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuttal:
Contention 3: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuttal:
Contention 4: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuttal:
Contention 5: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuttal:
Who on your team will be responsible for delivering rebuttals?
1. _____________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________
4.______________________________________________________
5.______________________________________________________
Santa Claus Debate Cross Examination
As a group, brainstorm at least three questions you may want to ask in the cross-examination part of the debate. Make
sure that they are questions that connect to the topic and are appropriate to ask:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Choose one person to ask the questions for your group: _______________________________________
Choose two people to be the ones to answer questions for your group:
1. _______________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
Structure of the Santa Clause Debate:
Resolution: Parents should encourage their children to believe in
Santa Clause
Affirmative Opening: 2 min.
Negative Opening: 2 min.
Affirmative Argument 3: 2 min.
Negative Rebuttal 3: 2 min.
Affirmative Argument 1: 2 min.
Negative Rebuttal 1: 2 min.
Negative Argument 3: 2 min.
Affirmative Rebuttal 3: 2 min.
Negative Argument 1: 2 min.
Affirmative Rebuttal 1: 2 min.
Affirmative Cross-Examination: 4 min.
Negative Cross-Examination: 4 min.
Affirmative Argument 2: 2 min.
Negative Rebuttal 2: 2 min.
Affirmative Closing: 2 min.
Negative Closing: 2 min.
Negative Argument 2: 2 min.
Affirmative Rebuttal 2: 2 min.