Acknowledging my past shortcomings, I must confess that incorporating classroom debates hasn’t been my strong suit. While I grasped the concept theoretically, debates often devolved into a series of unsupported opinions and logical fallacies. This unfortunate trend is all too familiar when scrolling through my Facebook feed.
However, debates hold immense potential as an instructional tool in the secondary classroom, provided they are meticulously structured. In this blog post, I’m excited to share comprehensive insights on how to effectively integrate structured debate techniques into your classroom. For detailed guidance, simply click through to access these teaching strategies.
But what’s the purpose behind all this effort?
A. That’s not what constitutes a genuine debate.
B. Today’s students already encounter an abundance of fallacies in their social media experiences.
I’ve long felt that we could do better. After all, nurturing students’ ability to discern weak arguments is crucial for their development into informed citizens—particularly given the climate of election cycle ads and the whirlwind of social media “debates.” And what better way to cultivate this discernment than by challenging them to construct logical arguments?
Nonetheless, students require multifaceted instruction in this skill, initially through direct teaching and subsequently through trial, error, and reflection. In other words, they need practice.
Allow me to illustrate how I put…
Structured Debate into Action in the Classroom
While this approach isn’t flawless (I’m skeptical of any approach claiming perfection), it necessitates practice, reflection, and constructive feedback. Here’s my step-by-step approach:
- Educate students about the structure of debates. You can find classical structures online, or customize one to suit your classroom needs. The structure I devised resembles this:
- Introduce students to logical fallacies with illustrative examples (I often use film clips). Subsequently, present a series of film clips and task students with identifying the fallacy (or fallacies) showcased in each clip.
- Assign students a topic with distinct opposing sides. I often initiate this with a simulation, a short film, or a podcast. For instance, in subjects like sociology or economics, when debating Universal Basic Income, I begin with a Freakonomics podcast on the topic. While students listen, I prompt them to construct a pro/con or opportunity cost/benefit chart.
Encourage students to briefly research each side and reflect. Then, request them to compose a succinct paragraph expressing their stance.
- The following day, designate corners of the classroom with signs that read “Agree” and “Disagree.” Instruct students to position themselves according to their viewpoint. Allow them to elucidate their choice, and if one side remains unoccupied, assume the role of the “devil’s advocate” to present the opposing view.
- Crucially, have students draw sides randomly for the classroom debate. This exercise isn’t about personal opinions; it’s about constructing a well-organized and LOGICAL argument.
- Upon forming teams, provide each student with a chart outlining their specific role. I typically assign roles such as Recorder/Team Leader (notes and final decision), Head Researcher, and others for Argument Summary, Argument 1, Rebuttal, Closing, and Closing Rebuttal. Allocate five minutes for role agreement (note that the recorder holds the final say).
For larger classes, divide students into four groups for two separate debates, or film them simultaneously if needed.
Allocate one class period for preparation, prompting students to construct arguments and anticipate counterarguments. This fosters reasoning skills, acknowledging that the first attempt might not be flawless, but improvement comes with practice (which can sometimes be challenging).
- On debate day, appoint a timekeeper or fulfill that role yourself (particularly useful for filming). Keep the Debate Structure at hand and monitor time using a screen timer, phone, or stopwatch. My structure resembles the one above, but various structures are available.
- After the debate, reflection is key. Encourage students to reflect through writing or by completing a group and self-reflective rubric. I complete one rubric and have students complete another.
Implementing classroom debates is undeniably demanding, yet I find it imperative. Students acquire reasoning skills and the ability to construct logical arguments. Concurrently, they learn to distinguish the cacophony of social media and election seasons for what it is—noise.
Ideally, they also learn to seek and identify the genuine issues.
Tap into your creativity to devise an approach that aligns with your classroom dynamics. You can also preview my resource for this topic, which is editable for customization according to your classroom’s unique requirements.
