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The Create the Debate pack has been produced by Parliament’s
Education Service with help from the UK Youth Parliament and
BBC Three’s Free Speech.
Learning to debate helps to equip students for a life that will be filled
with challenging decisions. This pack is full of ideas to encourage
debating in secondary schools, ideas that you can adapt and develop
to fit your situation and to help students:
• Form opinions
• Justify their viewpoints
• Listen to and learn from others
• Understand how different types
of debate work
• Learn about Parliamentary debating –
and try it out!
• Take part in Parliament Week
in November
Across the curriculum
Debating can be a powerful learning tool for:
• Citizenship
• Politics and Government
• BTEC Public Services
• Assemblies
• History
• English
• Extra-curricular activities such as debating clubs and competitions
Each year we produce a free poster with
details of exciting debating opportunities
in Parliament Week and more, see
www.parliamentweek.org/schools
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Contents
2 Get warmed up
Debating games and exercises
5 Debating methods
Different types of debate including
House of Commons style
Parliament is not responsible for the content of external websites.
9 C
reate the Debate
and Parliament Week
Great opportunities to get involved
11 O
ur partners
More about the UK Youth
Parliament, British Youth
Council and Free Speech
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Here are some quick warm-up games and exercises to get students
thinking and to lay the groundwork for more formal debating.They
can be used sequentially to build up skills over time, or you can
pick and choose those that are right for your students.
Warm up your voice
Paper review
Debating is a vocal business so use these fun
tongue twisters to get everyone warmed up and
speaking clearly.The class stands in a circle and
you conduct the tongue-twisters, repeating and
speeding up as you go until it all falls apart!
Give each group a copy of a newspaper –
either printed or online, national or local.
Red leather, yellow leather
Allow five minutes more to whittle the choice down to
one subject and to list the main points for and against.
The groups have five minutes to choose three stories
from their paper that they think will make good
debating subjects.
Get each group to report back to the whole class.
Seventy-seven benevolent elephants
She sells seashells on the seashore
Ask each group to describe the method they used to
agree their final choice such as arguing, secret voting,
open voting, coin toss etc.
Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses
Draw out the key elements of: individual ideas, opinion
forming, influencing others, rational argument, citing facts
and accepting the majority opinion.
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Vote with your feet
Get the class up on their feet and assign
one side of the classroom as ‘For’ and one
as ‘Against’.
• School uniform should be compulsory
in all schools.
Flash up on your interactive whiteboard, or
call out a range of quick-fire proposals for
new laws.The class must vote with their feet,
immediately moving to the appropriate side
of the room.
You could choose topics that are relevant
to your school or area, or use ideas from
the ‘Paper review’ activity, or try one of
these topics:
• School uniform should be banned in
all schools.
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• There should be a roughly equal number
of female and male MPs.
• Students should be free to leave school
at 14 and get a job.
• All those aged under 16 should watch a maximum of five hours of television a week.
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• The wearing of cycle helmets should be enforceable by law.
• The working week and weekend should be swapped – a two-day week and a
five-day weekend.
• Tests should be brought in for people wanting to use skateboards as a mode
of transport.
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• Owners of large dogs should pass a test to prove they are able to control them.
• Private car ownership should be banned
to protect the environment.
When everyone has voted, ask one or two people from
either side to explain why they voted that way. Give
students the opportunity to change sides if they wish.
Watch the Commons
or Lords in action
Debate circle
The class sits in a circle. Select an issue such as one
of those above, and send this around the circle.The
first person says ‘Yes, because...’ and comes up with
a reason for the issue, the second person says ‘No,
because...’ and gives a reason against. Carry on
around the circle until you reach the beginning again.
People further around the circle will need to think
more creatively to offer new ideas.
Visit Parliament’s YouTube channel to find recent
debates in both of the chambers and view them
as a class to set the scene.
You can discuss the overall style of the debate, the roles of
the people taking part, (including the Speaker of the House of
Commons or the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords), and the
individual debating styles of the participants. What was effective,
what wasn’t so effective? You’ll find lots of great clips here:
www.youtube.com/user/UKParliament
If anyone gets stuck suggest that they take one of the ideas
already given and develop it, as in: ‘No, because as Mahinda said
it would take all the fun out of skateboarding and I think that
this might lead to more social problems’.
BBC Free speech
Get your message across
in a sound-bite
More topics and great discussion and debate around short
films can be found at the website of Free Speech (BBC Three),
our Parliament Week Create the Debate partner:
www.bbc.co.uk/freespeech
Ask ‘What is a sound-bite’? Discuss the key features,
clarifying that a ‘sound-bite’:
You’ll also find plenty of ideas and viewpoints to get
students thinking at True Tube: www.truetube.co.uk/politicsgovernment
• Is a short phrase
• Gives the essence of your message
• Is easy to remember
• Often creates an emotional response in the audience: ‘I like that’ or ‘I agree’
Ask the students to identify any sound-bites that they’ve
come across and then to work in groups to develop a catchy
sound-bite for or against any issue.
Remind them that a sound-bite is designed to be heard so
encourage them to try it out loud to see how it sounds.They
might find that their sound-bite is harder to say than they
expected and that some phrases that look good on paper
work less well when read aloud.
Development
Some people, particularly professionals such as lobby groups with
a message to get across, favour the 3-9-27 rule.The idea is that
to be short, snappy and effective, a sound-bite should cover three
points in nine seconds using twenty-seven words. Using one of
the ideas above or one of your own, challenge the class in pairs
to create their own media sound-bite for or against.They need to
persuade the listener of their argument in this single phrase, just
like the opening of a debate.
Example:
Women are under-represented in Parliament; they make up
about half the population but are hugely outnumbered by male
MPs. Equality matters – we need deeds not words!
This has three points: women are under-represented, they make
up half the population, there is a call to action (‘deeds not words’
is a suffragette slogan). It is twenty-seven words long and takes
about nine seconds to say. Stress that the 3-9-27 rule can be
used as a guideline; if fifteen words and twelve seconds work
better, that’s fine!
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Use these to build up skills and confidence in a step by step approach
or pick and choose the ideas that are right for your students.
Balloon debate
Development
This well-known debating game can serve as a
fun introduction to debating. It calls on these key
debating elements:
Keep the structure of the balloon debate but replace the
famous people with ideas that the students present and argue
for. They could use the ‘new law’ format (see Vote with your
feet). Further ideas for new laws can be found at Parliament’s
Lights, Camera, Parliament! website where you will find links
to winners of this annual film competition:
http://www.parliament.uk/lightscameraparliament
• Clarity of argument
• Ability to get your point across
• Audience voting
Method
In the classic version a group of students, say five, (but the
number is variable), each pick a famous person to ‘speak as’.
They stand at the front of the class.
They imagine that they are in a balloon basket and the
balloon is losing height so that, one by one, the speakers
must be ‘jettisoned’!
Each student makes a statement as the famous person
explaining why he or she should be saved. When all have
spoken, the class votes on whom to throw out of the basket.
There is then another round and so on until only one person
remains – the winner.
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BBC Three’s Free Speech supports Parliament Week
in November each year with five great short-film
debate starters:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dbmwh/profiles/
create-the-debate
Convince me
This is a small-group debating method. It develops
many of the skills needed in more formal debating
but allows students the safety of group work
without being put ‘on the spot’ in front of the
whole class. It is organised as follows:
Split the class into small groups. It is important that these
have an odd number of members. A group of five will have
one for, one against and three deciders.
A group of seven will have two for, two against and three
deciders OR one for, one against and five deciders.
Method
Development
You could:
• Allow the debaters to each have a further two minutes to refute each other’s argument.
• Allow the deciders to question the debaters after
each round.
• Introduce the idea of ‘giving way’ where anyone in the group can hold up a hand to interrupt the speaker who may agree to ‘give way’ to allow for a question from their opponent or one of the deciders. You will need to allow more time with this approach. You could appoint one of the deciders in each group as a timekeeper who pauses their timer during interruptions.
A topic is chosen. You could give the same topic to all the
groups and, at the end of the session, tally the votes and
use this to initiate a class discussion; or each group can
have a different topic.
The topics can be given in advance with time to prepare
or they can be given with just a few moments thinking
time. The first approach is better for developing in-depth
thinking and research skills, while the second favours
confidence and ‘thinking on your feet’.
Allow the ‘For’ side two minutes to propose the motion
to their group and say why they think it is a good idea.
Set a stopwatch and call time, blowing a whistle or ringing
a bell for changeover. The ‘Against’ person in each group
then opposes the motion, explaining why they do not
support the idea. Call time again after two minutes and ask
the deciders to vote. The odd number will ensure a result
unless you choose to allow abstentions.
If time allows you could then swap around the roles within
the groups with new ‘For’, ‘Against’ and ‘Deciders’.
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DEBATING ME
Formal House of Commons style debate
Running a House of Commons style debate will bring together all of the debating skills your
students have developed and involve everyone in the ‘drama’ of debating important issues.
Students will have to learn to balance their passion for the issue with reasoned and
persuasive argument.
Running a House of Commons style debate in the classroom
Step 1
Step 3
You may wish to set up the room to look like the House
of Commons chamber with rows of chairs facing each
other and the Speaker’s chair centrally placed at one end.
Divide the class into two sides, ‘For’ - the team proposing
the motion, and ‘Against’ - the team opposing the motion.
Give the two teams 10 minutes to discuss their opening
argument and key points (at least three) for their side.
Remind the teams that for this debate it doesn’t matter if
they really are ‘For ‘or ‘Against’ the motion, their challenge is
to argue their case effectively and persuade the members
of the other team to change their mind. To help these large
teams organise, you may wish to subdivide each into three
smaller teams to work out the arguments , and then bring
these small teams together to agree the main points. Some
classes may need additional help at this stage. At the end
of this section the teams should:
• Have a clear grasp of the subject of the debate
• Have their opening argument ready
• Have at least three key points to support their argument
• Know who is going to ‘lead’ on each point
Take the role of the Speaker and bring the House to
‘Order’ before inviting the ‘For’ team to propose their
motion. Next, give the ‘Against’ team a chance to use their
own opening statement in a response. The debate should
now move back and forth between the sides until the
prepared arguments are finished. The team members may
want to amend their arguments as the debate progresses.
Once all the statements have been made, the debate can
be opened up to the floor so that each side may add their
own points. Remind them that they must stand to get the
Speaker’s attention and wait for permission to speak.
Step 2
Before you begin, outline the rules for the debate:
• All arguments must be heard. If anyone shouts out or heckles, you as the Speaker will have to call for silence.
• Once the floor is opened for further comments at the end, those wishing to speak must stand to get the Speaker’s attention and wait to be called to speak.
• All other members on each team should listen carefully to the arguments to decide if they will vote ‘For ‘or ‘Against’ at the end of the debate – has anyone changed their mind?
• Set a time limit for the entire debate at which point the vote must be taken (Guide time – 15 minutes but this is flexible depending on the age and interest of your group as well as the time available).
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Step 4
Once the debate has come to a natural lull or when you
have run out of time, ask each main spokesperson to sum
up their side, beginning with the opposing team, followed by
the proposing team. They can use their opening statement
as a basis for summing up and add any other ideas from
the debate that they feel may persuade people to vote
for their view. As the ‘Speaker’, bring the debate to a close
and propose the question to the house for a final vote.
You can either ‘vote with your feet’ (division) by assigning
two sides of the room as the ‘For’ or ‘Against’ sides,
asking the students to move to the side that gets their
vote, or by the raising and counting of hands.
House of Commons
Procedure for debate made simple
Start
The Speaker brings the House to order
Use ‘Order, order’ to bring a dramatic formality
to proceedings. Invite the Proposer to speak.
The Member proposing the motion speaks
The proposer should make a simple, direct and
clear speech giving just the essence, saving the
detail for later in the debate.
The Speaker ‘proposes the question’
‘The motion before us is ________________’.
Invite the opposing Member to speak.
The Member opposing the motion speaks
Is there a third party involved in the debate?
No
The opposing Member should set their view out
in simple, clear and direct terms.They should think
on their feet and respond to what has been said –
not to what they thought they’d hear!
Introduce the notion of a third party for more
complex debates where ‘For’ and ‘Against’ are
not sufficient.
Yes
The main spokesperson for
the third party speaks
Other speakers give speeches
Invite anyone to speak ‘from the floor’.
In a heated debate you may need further
recourse to ‘Order, order’.
Closing opposing Member speaks
This speech should sum up the strongest
arguments against the motion, responding
to what has been said during the debate.
Closing proposing Member speaks
Go back to the original reason for the motion
and restate its importance. Sum up the ‘For’
arguments taking account of what has
been said during the debate.
Speaker reads out motion and
‘Puts the Question’ to the House
House divides, tellers collate results and
report to Speaker, who declares the result
Finish
Make the vote dramatic – particularly if it is
close and not immediately clear which side has
won. Whether you use a ‘division’ approach or
a show of hands, settle everyone with ‘Order,
order’ before announcing the outcome.
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Create the Debate is a great way to get your school involved in the lead up
to and during Parliament Week every November. From October onwards,
your school can debate the top five issues chosen by young people across the
UK through the ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot run by the UK Youth Parliament.
Check out our Parliament Week website for the latest dates and information
and for details of how to get your Create the Debate poster:
www.parliamentweek.org/schools
In the build up to and during Parliament Week
follow these three steps
1.Watch:
2.Debate:
Visit the Free Speech website towards the end of October
where you will find five short specially made films (around
one or two minutes each) introducing this year’s UK Youth
Parliament big issues, ideal to use as inspiration to kick off
your debate. You’ll find links to all the films here:
www.bbc.co.uk/freespeech
Once you’ve watched the films together, use the tips, ideas
and activities in this pack to lead an effective debate in your
class and vote on one, two or all five of the issues. You may
also want to invite a local Member of Parliament to open
or chair your debate as part of your Parliament Week
activity. You can find details of your local MP by searching
using your postcode here:
findyourmp.parliament.uk
Young people can also get involved in moderated
online debates around the films and topics on
www.facebook.com/BBCFreeSpeech and
www.twitter.com/BBCFreeSpeech
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3.Next steps:
Visit the Parliament Week website to find out how you can
share the results of your debate and get involved in a wide
range of activities for schools:
www.parliamentweek.org/schools
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After Parliament Week
There are many ways to further your students’ interest in debating.
If they are using debating skills as part of a course they may also want evidence
of their work for a project book or similar. Here are a few ideas for next steps:
• A
sk the class to write a letter to their local MP to
explain why they feel passionately about the topic.
Ask for a response and you should receive a reply from
them. You can find the details of your local MP here:
findyourmp.parliament.uk
• You could also ask the class to write to your local Member of Youth Parliament to find out about their experience of debating in the House of Commons, share your own response to the debate, and find out what local campaigning is
being carried out in your area. You can find details
of your local MYP here:
www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/in-your-area
• If the debated topic affects your school (i.e. local transport costs, littering etc), ask the class to devise a school campaign to inform and engage other classmates. This may include a wider vote to garner more opinions, creating a committee to discuss the issues further and explore options for change, creating a poster or communication campaign to educate others or presenting ideas to their Head Teacher, a local councillor or MP.
• T
ake a look at e-petitions on similar themes to your debate
or start your own: epetitions.direct.gov.uk
• If your students are 16 +, remind them they can now register to vote to prepare for the next general election and get their voice heard at a national level: www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
Involve the school council in planning
how to progress the issue both within
and outside of school.
This can be a great way to practice debating
about real issues before ‘going public’.
You might also like to enter Parliament’s
popular Speaker’s School Council Awards:
www.speakersschoolcouncil.org
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What is the UKYP
House of Commons
debate?
Each year the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) holds a
UK-wide ballot called ‘Make Your Mark’, where all young
people can vote on what they think Members of Youth
Parliament should campaign on for the year ahead.
The top five issues chosen by young people are then
debated by Members of Youth Parliament in the annual
House of Commons debate, and the winning issue
becomes the UKYP’s priority campaign for the next year.
You can watch a short film about last year’s House of
Commons debate at www.byc.org.uk/uk-work/ukyouth-parliament.aspx
More about the UK
Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is managed by the
British Youth Council, a youth-led charity that aims to
empower young people across the UK to have a say and
be heard. The British Youth Council also runs the Young
Mayor Network and the Local Youth Council Network.
You can find out more at www.byc.org.uk
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) provides opportunities
for 11-18 year-olds to use their voices in creative ways
to bring about social change. The UKYP is made up of
600 MYPs (Members of Youth Parliament), who are
elected by their peers in youth elections throughout the
UK. Any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote.
Once elected, MYPs organise events and projects, run
campaigns and influence decision makers on the issues
that matter most to young people. Visit the website
to find out about all the fantastic ways in which the
UKYP can support young people to continue their
journey into politics, from supporting their campaigns
through social media and voting in youth elections, to
attending events taking place across the UK or even
standing as a Member of Youth Parliament themselves.
Visit www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/get-involved
or contact info@ukyouthparliament.org.uk
All content correct at time of going to print.
© Copyright Parliament’s Education Service 2013
More about the British
Youth Council
Alongside managing UKYP, The British Youth Council
(BYC) offers a host of other opportunities for young
people to get their voices heard, including getting
involved in campaigning, becoming a member of a local
youth council, taking part in online surveys, and even
standing for election to join the charity’s Trustee Board
which is made up entirely of young people under 26.
Find out more at www.byc.org.uk
What is BBC Three’s
Free Speech?
Free Speech is a live debate and discussion show aimed
at young people. It is broadcast each month from
locations across the UK, where viewers get the chance
to speak up about the big issues of the day either in the
live audience, or by participating online through the daily
Facebook and Twitter debates, all moderated by the BBC:
www.facebook.com/BBCFreeSpeech &
www.twitter.com/BBCFreeSpeech
BBC Learning, who fund the Free Speech TV show,
also have a series of useful resources on their Schools
website, designed to support the teaching of PSHE and
Citizenship in the classroom. You can find them at
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/pshe_and_citizenship/
citizenship
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