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I'm in a debate club at school and we've been assigned to write an essay that presents a strong argument on a given topic. Anyone got any tips or advice for writing a persuasive debate essay?

When writing a persuasive debate essay, it's important to craft a strong argument that can persuade your audience or readers. Here are some tips and advice to help you write an effective essay:

1. Choose a compelling topic: Make sure to pick a controversial topic that has at least two strong opposing perspectives. This will allow you to present a robust argument and engage your audience.

2. Understand your audience: Before you start writing, consider who your audience is and what their potential biases or beliefs may be. This information will help you tailor your arguments to resonate with them effectively.

3. Research thoroughly: A well-researched essay will provide you with strong evidence to back up your claims. Use credible sources, such as academic articles, books, and reputable news sources to gather facts and statistics that support your argument. This will also help you identify potential counterarguments and anticipate how to address them in your essay.

4. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly convey your stance on the issue and present a roadmap of your argument. Make sure it's concise and specific, so your audience can easily follow your line of reasoning.

5. Utilize the argumentative structure: Structure your essay by presenting an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the body paragraphs, provide a clear topic sentence, followed by evidence to support your claim, and then analyze the evidence to explain its relevance to the topic. Make sure to address counterarguments as well, and explain why your standpoint is stronger.

6. Use persuasive techniques: Employ various persuasive techniques to make your argument more compelling. These can include appeals to emotion (pathos), logic (logos), and credibility (ethos). Using a combination of these methods can strengthen your overall argument.

7. Ensure clear transitions: Make sure to use clear transitions between ideas and paragraphs, so your essay flows smoothly and maintains a logical progression.

8. Edit and revise: Once you have your draft completed, take the time to edit and revise your essay. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Additionally, check for logical consistency, clarity, and the overall strength of your argument.

9. Practice presentation skills: If you will be presenting your essay in a debate setting, make sure to rehearse your delivery. Speak clearly, maintain eye contact, and be confident in your argument. Be prepared to answer questions or engage in a discussion about your topic.

10. Seek feedback: Before submitting or presenting your essay, share it with peers, teachers, or mentors to get their feedback. This can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your argument.

Remember, the goal of a debate essay is to persuade the reader or audience of your position on a particular topic. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to crafting a strong and convincing argument. Good luck!

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10 Benefits of Debating in Classrooms: Importance of Debate in Education

• May 28, 2024
• Classical Homeschooling , Why Homeschool (Reasons)

If you’re in high school or have a child in high school, you may wonder if debating has any benefits. Is it worthwhile spending your time doing this activity? What will you learn? Will it sharpen your thinking and argumentative skills? Or is it a waste of time? I spent many hours debating in my college with other university students. Along the way, I learned many debating benefits I think you’ll love.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want to do my course on how to homeschool, click here .

Contents of the article:

• The Benefits of Debating
• What is Debating
• The Purpose of Debating
• The Benefits of Debating in Detail and
• Tips and Techniques to Help Debate

Let’s get started!

What are the Benefits of Debating?

The benefits of debating are as follows:

Improved critical thinking skills

• Pupils acquire better poise, speech delivery, and public speaking skills

Increased student retention of information learned

• Improved listening and note-taking skills and increased self-confidence
• Enhanced teamwork skills and collaboration

More confidence to stand up for the truth when a discussion is promoting falsehoods or inaccuracies

Learning better ways to state one’s point with gentleness graciously.

• Helping students identify holes in their theories and concocting more balanced arguments
• Helping students better structure their thoughts
• Debating is lots of fun!

Before we examine these benefits in more detail, let’s define debating, explain its purpose, and explain why it is helpful to practice.

What is Debating?

Debating means ‘to fight’.

Today, debating implies a discussion between two parties to form a conclusion .

This skill involves two parties (usually) holding different views about the same topic.

An example of debating is when one person believes in God while another does not.

For example, they might be debating the topic of ‘Does God Exist’.

One person will argue that God exists, while the other will argue that God doesn’t exist.

The ‘winner’ of the debate will be the person who presents the most compelling argument about whether God exists or not.

But I Disagree With That Debating Topic…

Sometimes, people are given topics they disagree with .

When I was at college, I was given a slip of paper with a debate question.

Our team was then told to debate the positive or negative side of that view.

This created an interesting debate when I was asked to argue for abortion, even though I am vehemently against abortion.

This exercise was great for helping me think like a person who supports abortion thinks.

It gave me empathy for those who have an abortion and strengthened my case against abortion as I could learn arguments that I would use later.

What is the Purpose of Debating

The purpose of debating is to succinctly express yourself clearly to those around you using persuasive arguments .

It aims to help you refine and hone your ideas so that they are more acceptable to those listening.

It also aims to poke holes in your theories and point out your inconsistencies so that you eventually develop a more well-rounded argument that is persuasive to listeners.

The importance of debate in education centers around its ability to teach children critical thinking .

In a world where children are passively spoon-fed information, critical thinking is lacking as learning is no longer interest-based .

However, debating can sharpen a student’s critical thinking skills.

It lets them deeply examine the topic they’ve been given.

Instead of passively accepting information, they’re forced to hone their thoughts, discard concepts and theories that don’t make sense, and adopt ones that do.

Debating also helps them question their beliefs and justify why they think a certain way.

Acquire better poise, speech delivery, and public speaking skills

When debating, you learn to have confidence in what you’re saying as you’ve prepared well for your topic and know it.

As such, you learn to hold yourself well with poise.

After you’ve debated for a while, you also learn to deliver your speech confidently and in a persuasive manner.

Better poise and speech delivery mean your public speaking skills will significantly improve .

This is because lousy public speaking is often largely a result of poor topic preparation and practice .

Poor preparation and training also mean you will be more likely to get nervous as you’re more likely to fail because you’re not prepared.

It’s a vicious circle.

Compared to traditional education, debating can increase information retention of the topics studied.

This is because debating is active, interest-based learning that engages the mind thoroughly.

Subjects that require students to learn actively tend to increase information retention.

Therefore, debating helps students remember what they’ve learned longer than passive or rote learning.

Improved listening and note-taking skills

One of the other benefits of debating is that it improves students’ note-taking while listening to others .

When students start, they can struggle to take notes effectively and discern the main points.

When you’re new to debating, you might start by trying to frantically write down large portions of what the opponent is saying.

Then, you lose track of the main argument.

However, if you’ve been debating for a while, you’ll know to listen for the main points and consider how you’ll defend those points more generally.

This teaches you to sift information simultaneously as you listen to your opponent.

In essence, debating improves your listening and note-taking skills .

Increased self-confidence

As previously mentioned, knowing your topic helps you have more confidence when discussing a subject.

If you know what you’re talking about and are confident you have your topic well in hand, your self-confidence will naturally increase .

This can be helpful for adolescents who might struggle with self-esteem in their high school years (and one reason classical educators promote debating in middle and high school years ).

In the video further down this page, one of the students said he suffered from social anxiety.

However, since debating, a lot of this has disappeared entirely.

Enhance teamwork skills and collaboration

The importance of debate in education is evident when you see how much debaters have to collaborate to make a debate go smoothly.

Collaboration isn’t dull when you’re debating.

Instead, it’s a lot of fun, and when you’re in a team, you feel like you ‘have each other’s back’ in an argument as you’re on the same team as them.

This can lead to great team bonding and fun collaboration work.

The importance of debate in education comes into its own when you step into the real world.

If you’ve studied many controversial topics in detail, you can confidently stand up for the truth when pushed . For me, this is the most crucial benefit of debating.

I want to teach my children to graciously but unwaveringly defend the trut h when a discussion in their workplace or family/friend life promotes falsehoods or inaccuracies.

I want them to gently suggest that the falsehood or inaccuracy is untrue and then indicate the truth of the matter and the evidence they have to support their view.

Unfortunately, many Christians don’t know their Bible, and they don’t know how to stand up for what they believe (1 Peter 3:15), even though the Bible offers many answers.

On the other hand, children who learn to debate can quickly learn to defend their beliefs winsomely.

When the truth is on your side, a defense is easy.

If taught well (and this is the caveat of this point being true), students can learn to express their point in a winsome manner intended to ‘win’ the argument and persuade the hearer.

This will mean judging whether it is the right time to state specific information or waiting until the recipient is more open to hearing the news.

In this way, debating is also about reading the emotions on the other person’s face.

When it comes to telling others about Jesus, discernment is the name of the game.

Those who have verbal diarrhea in this department will soon find they meet vacant stares or (even worse) increasingly hostile countenances.

The wise debater is the one who assesses the countenance of his opponent and argues gently accordingly .

It’s wise to do this, as we see in Proverbs 15 :

A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. (Prov 15: 1-2 KJV)

This may not be the purpose of debate competition, but it’s where the rubber hits the road, and it’s where debate can be used practically in life.

Help students identify holes in their theories and concoct more balanced arguments.

The role of debating is to help us identify bad arguments and refine good ideas .

When we start arguing, we might believe we have a balanced view without holes.

However, putting our theories on the table to be poked and prodded makes them prove whether they can hold water.

When our theories are tested and found wanting in certain areas, it forces us to refine our arguments and make them more balanced and easily understandable.

This is an excellent benefit of debating that students experience as they actively learn through trial and error.

Help students better structure their thoughts

We can also see the importance of debate in education when we see how much it helps students structure their thoughts from the bits and pieces they’ve learned throughout their lives to a more compelling argument .

Students often structure their thoughts proficiently by finding one or more reasons for their beliefs.

They then test that belief as their opponent stands up and tries to make mincemeat of their argument.

This then forces them to structure their theories further so that they can provide  rebuttals for the questions and objections in the first round of debate.

Overall, new debating students learn to develop a well-rounded viewpoint, while experienced debaters learn to start their arguments by anticipating their opponent’s objections.

This makes for an intelligent debate that is lots of fun…which leads me to my last point!

Oh, and Debating is Lots of Fun!

The best thing about debating is that it is plenty of fun !

In the video further up this page, one of the students remarked that debating had made school a lot more fun.

I felt the same way about my debate team in college!

I loved debating at college – indeed, debating night was one of my favorite nights of the week!

It was a great way to connect with other students and bond with them, especially if they were on the same team as you!

You also get an incredible thrill when you’ve done your best on a debate and you’ve succinctly made points.

It doesn’t even matter if you don’t win – so long as you’ve tried, it will be fun.)

Debating Tips and Techniques

In our article, 10 Debating Tips and Techniques: Discover Classical Debating Skills , we discuss the following debate tactics:

• Preparing your debate topic
• Staying on topic
• Speaking slowly, clearly, and charismatically
• Being confident with your topic
• Think about your body language and what it’s telling your audience
• Listening and taking good notes
• Anticipating your opponent’s questions before they’re spoken
• Telling a story or giving an illustration with an example to make your point
• Using a solid conclusion and
• Not taking cheap shots at your opponents.

Click here to read more about classical debating skills .

The value of debating is evident when considering the ten benefits of debating outlined in this post. Debating can encourage students to become more familiar with people throughout their lives as they learn various viewpoints through their debates. Throughout high school years, students have the time to consider several issues they will face consistently throughout their lives. And so, debating is a great idea!

Rebecca Devitt

Most adults don't particularly want to relive their schooling experience on a daily basis. They would gladly move on to a new life devoid of homework and teachers. Very, very few adults will passionately blog about their schooling some 15 years after graduating. This makes Rebecca Devitt somewhat unique. As it happens, she was homeschooled. And she loved it. Still does. And she wishes every kid could get a taste of homeschooling at its very best. Her website How Do I Homeschool , is a springboard for parents to see what a life of homeschooling could be for both them & their children. When she's not blogging Rebecca is still homeschooling her-adult-self by learning Latin, growing weird vegetables and most importantly looking after her two children Luke & Penny. She has a husband Tristan and is a participant at Wollongong Baptist Church. She's also written a book about why parents should homeschool called 'Why on Earth Homeschool' .

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Awesome article.

How to Write a Winning Debate Speech

What is a Debate?

A classroom debate involves students delivering persuasive speeches to present and support their opinions on a given subject. This activity helps develop critical thinking and communication skills, enabling students to gain a more comprehensive grasp of various topics.

Debate speeches are written according to a set of rules so a moderator can assess their effectiveness and allow others to question or challenge their statements within a formal debate.

A classroom debate is not an unruly fight or pointless argument but a structured formal conversation on a chosen topic in which two teams argue for or against it to convince the neutral moderator that they hold the stronger position.

Debating is a form of persuasive communication, and while we will be sticking to the fundamentals of how to write a debating speech, we also have a great guide to persuasive essay writing that elaborates on specific persuasive techniques.

Complete Teaching Unit on Class Debating

This unit will guide your students to write excellent DEBATE SPEECHES and craft well-researched, constructed ARGU MENTS ready for critique from their classmates.

Furthermore, this EDITABLE UNIT will provide the TOOLS and STRATEGIES for running highly engaging CLASSROOM DEBATES.

How To Run A Classroom Debate

Before jumping in headfirst to write your debating speech, ensure you understand how a debate is run to maximise your strategy and impact when it counts.

Debates occur in many different contexts, such as public meetings, election campaigns, legislative assemblies, and as entertainment on television shows. These contexts determine the specific structure the debate will follow.

This guide provides a basic step-by-step debate structure we can comfortably run with students in a classroom. By familiarizing students with this structure, they will effortlessly transition to other debate frameworks.

Running a classroom debate can be an engaging and educational activity that helps students develop critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize and facilitate a successful classroom debate:

1. Choose a Topic For Your Debate.

Also called a resolution or a motion , the topic is sometimes chosen to debate. This is usually the case in a school activity to practice debating skills. 

The resolution or motion is usually centered around a true or false statement or a proposal to change the current situation. Often, the motion starts, ”This House believes that….”

Select a topic relevant to your curriculum and the students’ interests. Ensure that it is debatable and has multiple perspectives. Further down this article, you can find a list of popular classroom debating topics.

2. Form Two Debating Teams

Two teams of three speakers each are formed. These are referred to as ‘ The House for the Motion ’ or the ‘ Affirmative ’ team and ‘The House Against the Motion ’ or the ‘ Negative ’ team.

Preparation is an essential aspect of debating. The speech and debate team members will need time to research their arguments, collaborate, and organize themselves and their respective roles in the upcoming debate.

They’ll also need time to write and rehearse their speeches. The better prepared and coordinated they are as a team, the greater their chances of success in the debate.

3. Assign Roles to Students.

Each team member should have a specific role, such as speaker, researcher , or rebuttal specialist . This encourages teamwork and ensures that each student is actively involved.

4. Research and Preparation:

• Allocate time for teams to research and prepare their arguments. Encourage students to use multiple sources, including books, articles, and reputable websites. Make sure you read our complete guide to powerful student research strategies.

5. Set Debate Format:

• Define the debate format, including the structure of each round. Common formats include opening statements, cross-examination, rebuttals, and closing statements.

6. Establish Rules:

• Set ground rules for the debate, such as time limits for each speaker, etiquette, guidelines for respectful communication, and consequences for rule violations.

7. Conduct a Practice Debate:

• Before the actual debate, conduct a practice round. This helps students become familiar with the format and allows you to provide feedback on their arguments and presentation skills.
• On the day of the debate, set up the classroom to accommodate the format. Ensure that each round has a clear structure, and designate a timekeeper to keep the debate on schedule.

9. Facilitate Q&A Sessions:

• After each team presents their arguments, allow time for questions and cross-examination. This encourages critical thinking and engagement among the students.

10. Evaluate and Debrief:

• After the debate, provide constructive feedback to each team. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, presentation skills, and teamwork. Also, please encourage students to reflect on what they learned from the experience.
• Have a class discussion about the debate, exploring different perspectives and opinions. This can deepen students’ understanding of the topic and enhance their critical thinking skills.

Consider integrating the debate topic into future lessons or assignments. This reinforces the learning experience and allows students to delve deeper into the subject matter.

Remember to create a supportive and respectful environment throughout the debate, emphasizing the importance of listening to opposing views and engaging in constructive dialogue.

Each speaker takes a turn making their speech, alternating between the House for the Motion, who goes first, and the House Against the Motion. Each speaker speaks for a pre-agreed amount of time.

Ensure your debate is held in front of an audience (in this case, the class), and occasionally, the audience is given time to ask questions after all the speeches have been made.

Finally, the debate is judged either by moderators or by an audience vote. 

Download our Debate Organizer

Stay fousssed with this handy template to keep all your ideas organized.

How To Write A Debate

How to start a debate speech.

In highly competitive speech and debate tournaments, students are only provided the topic on the day, and limited time is allowed for preparation, but this is not recommended for beginners.

Regardless of the stakes of your classroom debate, the speechwriting process always begins with research. Thorough research will provide students with both the arguments and the supporting evidence for their position on a topic and generate forward-thinking about what their opponents might use against them.

Writing Your Introduction

The purpose of the introduction in a debate speech is to achieve several things:

• Grab the attention of the audience,
• Introduce the topic
• Provide a thesis statement
• Preview some of the main arguments.

Grab The Attention Of Your Audience With Strong Hooks

Securing the audience’s attention is crucial, and failure to do this will have a strong, negative impact on how the team’s efforts will be scored as a whole. Let’s explore three proven strategies to hook your audience and align their thinking to yours.

Introduce Your Topic With Efficiency and Effectiveness

Once the audience’s attention has been firmly grasped, it’s time to introduce the topic or the motion. This should be done straightforwardly and transparently to ensure the audience understands the topic of the debate and the position you are approaching it from.

For example, if the topic of the debate was school uniforms, the topic may be introduced with:

Provide Your Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a concise declaration summarizing the points and arguments of your debating speech.

• It presents a clear stance on a topic and guides the reader on what to expect in the content.
• A good thesis statement is debatable and allows for opposing viewpoints and discussion.
• It serves as a roadmap for the writer, ensuring coherence and focus in the piece.
• It helps the audience understand the purpose and direction of the work from the beginning.

The thesis statement should express the student’s or the team’s position on the motion. Clearly explaining the speaker’s side of the debate. An example can be seen here.

Provide A Preview Of Your Arguments

The final part of the introduction section of a debate speech involves previewing the main points of the speech for the audience.

There is no need to go into detail with each argument here; that’s what the body of the speech is for. It is enough to provide a general thesis statement for each argument or ‘claims’ – (more on this to follow).

Previewing the arguments in a speech is especially important as the audience and judges only get one listen to a speech – unlike a text, which can be reread as frequently as the reader likes.

debate introduction examples for students

Attention grabbers task.

After explaining the different types of attention grabbers and the format for the rest of the introduction to your students, challenge them to write an example of each type of opening for a specific debate topic. 

When they’ve finished writing these speech openings, discuss with the students which one best fits their chosen topic. Then, they can continue by completing the rest of the introduction for their speech using the format described above.

You might like to try a simple topic like “Homework should be banned.” you can choose from our collection further in this article.

Writing T he Body of the Speech

The body paragraphs are the real meat of the speech. They contain the in-depth arguments that make up the substance of the debate, and How well these arguments are made will determine how the judges will assess each speaker’s performance, so it’s essential to get the structure of these arguments just right.

Let’s take a look at how to do that.

How to structure an Argument

With the introduction out of the way, it’s time for the student to get down to the nitty-gritty of the debate – that is, making compelling arguments to support their case.

There are three main aspects to an argument in a debate speech. They are:

• The Warrant

Following this structure carefully enables our students to build coherent and robust arguments. Ttake a look at these elements in action in the example below.

Brainstorming Arguments

Present your students with a topic and, as a class, brainstorm some arguments for and against the motion.

Then, ask students to choose one argument and, using the Claim-Warrant-Impact format, take a few moments to write down a well-structured argument that’s up to debate standard.

Students can then present their arguments to the class. 

Or, you could also divide the class along pro/con lines and host a mini-debate!

Concluding a Debate Speech

The conclusion of a speech or a debate is the final chance for the speaker to convey their message to the audience. In a formal debate that has a set time limit, the conclusion is crucial as it demonstrates the speaker’s ability to cover all their material within the given time frame.

Avoid introducing new information and focus on reinforcing the strength of your position for a compelling and memorable conclusion.

A good conclusion should refer back to the introduction and restate the main position of the speaker, followed by a summary of the key arguments presented. Finally, the speaker should end the speech with a powerful image that will leave a lasting impression on the audience and judges.

Examples of strong debate Conclusions

The Burden of the Rejoinder

In formal debates, the burden of the rejoinder means that any time an opponent makes a point for their side, it’s incumbent upon the student/team to address that point directly.

Failing to do so will automatically be seen as accepting the truth of the point made by the opponent.

For example, if the opposing side argues that all grass is pink, despite how ridiculous that statement is, failing to refute that point directly means that, for the debate, all grass is pink.

Our students must understand the burden of the rejoinder and ensure that any points the opposing team makes are fully addressed during the debate.

The Devils Advocate

When preparing to write their speech, students should spend a significant proportion of their team collaborating as a team. 

One good way to practice the burden of the rejoinder concept is to use the concept of Devil’s Advocate, whereby one team member acts as a member of the opposing team, posing arguments from the other side for the speaker to counter, sharpening up their refutation skills in the process.

20 Great Debating Topics for Students

• Should cell phones be allowed in schools?
• Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• Is social media more harmful than beneficial to society?
• Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be embraced or rejected?
• Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
• Should schools implement mandatory drug testing for students?
• Is animal testing necessary for scientific and medical advancements?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory?
• Is censorship justified in certain circumstances?
• Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Is homeschooling more beneficial than traditional schooling?
• Should the use of plastic bags be banned?
• Is nuclear energy a viable solution to the world’s energy needs?
• Should the government regulate the fast food industry?
• Is social inequality a result of systemic factors or individual choices?
• Should the consumption of meat be reduced for environmental reasons?
• Is online learning more effective than traditional classroom learning?
• Should the use of drones in warfare be banned?
• Is the legalization of marijuana beneficial for society?

These topics cover a range of subjects and offer students the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking debates on relevant and impactful issues.

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO DEBATING

The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

Top 5 Persuasive Writing Techniques for Students

5 Top Persuasive Writing Lesson Plans for Students and Teachers

23 Persuasive writing Topics for High School students

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

Debating strategies for students.

Research and preparation are essential to ensure good performance in a debate. Students should spend as much time as possible drafting and redrafting their speeches to maximize their chances of winning. However, a debate is a dynamic activity, and victory cannot be assured by pre-writing alone.

Students must understand that the key to securing victory lies in also being able to think, write (often in the form of notes), and respond instantly amid the turmoil of the verbal battle. To do this, students must understand the following keys to victory.

When we think of winning a debate, we often think of blinding the enemy with the brilliance of our verbal eloquence. We think of impressing the audience and the judges alike with our outstanding oratory.

What we don’t often picture when we imagine what a debate winner looks like is a quiet figure sitting and listening intently. But being a good listener is one of our students’ most critical debating skills.

If students don’t listen to the other side, whether by researching opposing arguments or during the thrust of the actual debate, they won’t know the arguments the other side is making. Without this knowledge, they cannot effectively refute the opposition’s claims.

Read the Audience

In terms of the writing that happens before the debate takes place, this means knowing your audience. 

Students should learn that how they present their arguments may change according to the demographics of the audience and/or judges to whom they will be making their speech. 

An audience of retired school teachers and an audience of teen students may have very different responses to the same arguments.

This applies during the actual debate itself too. If the student making their speech reads resistance in the faces of the listeners, they should be prepared to adapt their approach accordingly in mid-speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The student must practice their speech before the debate. There’s no need to learn it entirely by heart. There isn’t usually an expectation to memorize a speech entirely, and doing so can lead to the speaker losing some of their spontaneity and power in their delivery. At the same time, students shouldn’t spend the whole speech bent over a sheet of paper reading word by word.

Ideally, students should familiarize themselves with the content and be prepared to deliver their speech using flashcards as prompts when necessary.

Another important element for students to focus on when practising their speech is making their body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures coherent with the verbal content of their speech. One excellent way to achieve this is for the student to practice delivering their speech in a mirror.

And Finally…

Debating is a lot of fun to teach and partake in, but it also offers students a valuable opportunity to pick up some powerful life skills.

It helps students develop a knack for distinguishing fact from opinion and an ability to assess whether a source is credible or not. It also helps to encourage them to think about the other side of the argument. 

Debating helps our students understand others, even when disagreeing with them. An important skill in these challenging times, without a doubt.

Debating Teaching Strategies

Clearly Define Debate Roles and Structure when running speech and debate events: Clearly define the roles of speakers, timekeepers, moderators, and audience members. Establish a structured format with specific time limits for speeches, rebuttals, and audience participation. This ensures a well-organized and engaging debate.

• Provide Topic Selection and Preparation Time: Offer students a range of debate topics, allowing them to select a subject they are passionate about. Allocate ample time for research and preparation, encouraging students to gather evidence, develop strong arguments, and anticipate counterarguments.
• Incorporate Scaffolded Debating Skills Practice: Before the actual debate, engage students in scaffolded activities that build their debating skills. This can include small group discussions, mock debates, or persuasive writing exercises. Provide feedback and guidance to help students refine their arguments and delivery.
• Encourage Active Listening and Note-taking during speech and debate competitions: Emphasize the importance of active listening during the debate. Encourage students to take notes on key points, supporting evidence, and persuasive techniques used by speakers. This cultivates critical thinking skills and prepares them for thoughtful responses during rebuttals.
• Facilitate Post-Debate Reflection and Discussion: After the debate, facilitate a reflection session where students can share their thoughts, lessons learned, and insights gained. Encourage them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and engage in constructive dialogue. This promotes metacognitive skills and encourages continuous improvement.

By following these tips, teachers can create a vibrant and educational debate experience for their students. Through structured preparation, active engagement, and reflective discussions, students develop valuable literacy and critical thinking skills that extend beyond the boundaries of the debate itself.

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The Power of Speech & Debate Education

Debate is a valuable activity for students of all skill levels.  Debate teaches useful skills for other academic pursuits and life more generally.   Most obviously, debaters build confidence speaking in public and expressing their ideas eloquently.  That comfort speaking in front of others is useful in so many areas of life, from interviews to school presentations to discussions in college seminars.

But the benefits of debating are not limited to the skills built while students are speaking—the preparation for competition teaches critical thinking and research skills, as well.  As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”  Debate tests and builds that ability by forcing students to see both sides of issues.  Debaters flex their analytical muscles, learning to find the weak points in opponent’s arguments.  They learn to explain their own ideas and assess different viewpoints, whether in a debate round, a political discussion, a classroom, or a written essay.  And debate requires students to research their ideas and support them with evidence, teaching them to conduct research and assess sources.  According to Arne Duncan, then-Secretary of Education , debate is “uniquely suited” to build skills required of a modern citizen, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Those skills help students express their thoughts better in their academic work and their college applications (not to mention around your dinner table!).   The College Board recently revamped the SAT test to focus more on exactly the sorts of skills debate teaches.  As the New York Times explained , students taking the new version of the test must write “a critical response to a specific argument” based on analysis rather than personal experience.  Debaters are used to responding to unfamiliar arguments in time-sensitive situations; thinking critically about a written passage on the SAT is not so different from responding to an opponent’s argument in a debate round.  Debaters likewise outscore non-debaters on every section of the ACT .  Studies across the country have found that high school debate improves reading ability, grades, school attendance, self-esteem, and interest in school.  Duffin, Frank, Latitudes in Learning, “Debate Across the Curriculum Results” (2005).  Many universities even offer scholarships specifically for college debaters .

For those who commit to speech and debate, it offers a lifetime of benefits.  Forbes published an article titled “How to Find the Millennials Who Will Lead Your Company,” suggesting that the leaders of the future are ex-debaters.  As that article notes, debate teaches “how to persuade, how to present clearly, and how to connect with an audience,” exactly the skills businesses look for in their young employees.  You’ll find ex-debaters in every area of public life, from Bruce Springsteen to Oprah Winfrey to Nelson Mandela.  60% of Congressional representatives participated in debate, as well as at least a third of the Supreme Court.  There are ex-debaters excelling in business, law, politics, academia, and many other fields.

Perhaps most important of all, debate is fun!  You may have to cajole your son or daughter to go to their test prep class or do their homework, but debate makes learning a game; students build their critical thinking and speaking skills without it ever feeling like work.   Debate gives students a rare opportunity to take ownership over their own intellectual development.  And throughout the years of practice and competition, debate builds lifelong friendships and community, teaching teamwork as well. 

For help getting started with competitive speech & debate, please visit our how to select the right program & format guide .

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Essay on the importance of debate clubs in school, the importance of debate clubs in school.

Abilities Increases by Debate

Debate formats.

• The topic is discussed and teams take positions (pros and cons).
• The teams discuss their topics and formulate statements expressing their opinions. The teams deliver their statements and summarize the key points.
• Teams discuss the opposition's arguments and prepare rebuttals than they present their rebuttals.
• At the end, Both team have to give their closing statements.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 55 great debate topics for any project.

General Education

A debate is a formal discussion about a topic where two sides present opposing viewpoints. Debates follow a specific structure: each side is given time to speak either for or against the topic at hand.

Many students study debate in high school to improve their speaking skills. As a debater, you learn how to clearly structure and present an argument. The skills you develop as a debater will help you on everything from a college admissions interview to a job presentation.

Selecting debate topics is one of the most important parts of debating. In this article, we’ll explain how to select a good debate topic and give suggestions for debate topics you can use.

How to Select Good Debate Topics

A good debate topic is one that lets the participants and the audience learn about both sides of an issue. Consider the following factors when selecting a debate topic:

Interest: Are you interested in the topic? Would the topic be interesting to your fellow classmates, as well as to the audience listening to the debate? Selecting a topic that you’re interested in makes the preparation part of the debate more exciting , as well as the debate more lively.

Argument Potential: You want to choose a debate topic that has solid argument potential. If one side is clearly right, or if there isn’t a lot of available information, you’ll have a hard time crafting a solid debate.

Availability of Data: Data points make an argument more robust. You’ll want to select a topic with lots of empirical data that you can pull from to bolster your argument.

Now that we know how to select a debate topic, let’s look at a list of good debate topics.

Debate Topics Master List

If you’re searching for your next debate topic, here are some suggestions.

Social and Political Issues Debate Topics

• All people should have the right to own guns.
• The death penalty should be abolished.
• Human cloning should be legalized.
• All drugs should be legalized.
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Juveniles should be tried and treated as adults.
• Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today.
• Violent video games should be banned.
• The minimum wage should be $15 per hour.
• All people should have Universal Basic Income.
• Sex work should be legal.
• Countries should be isolationist.
• Abortion should be banned.
• Every citizen should be mandated to perform national public service.
• Bottled water should be banned.
• Plastic bags should be banned.

Education Debate Topics

• Homework should be banned.
• Public prayer should not be allowed in schools.
• Schools should block sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram on their computers.
• School uniforms should be required.
• Standardized testing should be abolished.
• All students should have an after-school job or internship.
• School should be in session year-round.
• All high school athletes should be drug tested.
• Detention should be abolished.
• All student loan debt should be eliminated.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• All schools should have armed security guards.
• Religion should be taught in schools.
• All schools should be private schools.
• All students should go to boarding schools.
• Sexual education should be mandatory in schools.
• Public college should be tuition free.
• All teachers should get tenure.
• All school districts should offer school vouchers.

Health Debate Topics

• Healthcare should be universal.
• Cosmetic procedures should be covered by health insurance.
• All people should be vegetarians.
• Euthanasia should be banned.
• The drinking age should be 18.
• Vaping should be banned.
• Smoking should be banned in all public places.
• People should be legally required to get vaccines.
• Obesity should be labeled a disease.
• Sexual orientation is determined at birth.
• The sale of human organs should be legalized.
• Birth control should be for sale over the counter.

Technology Debate Topics

• Social media has improved human communication.
• The development of artificial intelligence will help humanity.
• Individuals should own their own DNA.
• Humans should invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets.
• Governments should invest in alternative energy sources.
• Net neutrality should be restored.
• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies should be encouraged or banned.
• Alternative energy can effectively replace fossil fuels.
• Cell phone radiation is dangerous and should be limited.

How to Prepare for a Debate

Once you’ve selected your debate topic, the next step is to prepare for your debate. Follow these steps as you get ready to take the podium.

Read Your Evidence

The most important step to building your debate confidence is to familiarize yourself with the evidence available. You’ll want to select reputable sources and use empirical data effectively.

The more well read on your topic you are, the better you’ll be able to defend your position and anticipate the other side’s arguments.

Anticipate the Other Side’s Arguments

As part of your debate, you’ll need to rebut the other side’s arguments. It’s important to prepare ahead of time to guess what they’ll be talking about. You’ll bolster your own side’s argument if you’re able to effectively dismantle what the other side is saying.

Plan to Fill Your Speech Time

Each speaker at a debate is limited to a certain amount of time. You should plan to use every second of the time that you’re allotted. Make sure you practice your talking points so that you know you’re within the time frame. If you’re short, add in more evidence.

Practice to Build Confidence

It can be scary to take the stage for a debate! Practicing ahead of time will help you build confidence. Remember to speak slowly and clearly. Even if your argument is great, it won’t matter if no one can understand it.

Final Thoughts

Debate is a great way to hone your public speaking skills and get practice crafting and defending an argument. Use these debate topics if you're searching for a focus for your next debate.

What's Next?

Looking for ways to keep the debate going in non-academic life? Then you'll love our list of 101 "this or that" questions to argue over with your friends.

Thinking about how you can use your argumentative skills in a future career? Read up on the five steps to becoming a lawyer to see if that's a path you want to pursue.

Getting ready to take an AP test? Here’s a list of practice tests for every AP exam, including the AP literature exam .

It can be hard to schedule time to study for an AP test on top of your extracurriculars and normal classwork. Check out this article on when you need to start studying for your AP tests to make sure you’re staying on track.

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Join Speech and Debate

In my opinion, speech and debate is the most useful extracurricular activity to participate in during high school.

• You get to advocate about issues that matter to you.  This year, I wrote a speech about being introverted and how our society is constructed to place quieter people at a disadvantage. My teammate, who is transgender, does a dramatic interpretation piece about intersex people. It is quite common for debaters to present cases on structural oppression, racism, and patriarchal norms. You can literally talk about anything, and there are a wide variety of events that you can tailor to fit your interests.
• Your team becomes your family.  I met some of my closest friends on the speech and debate team. We travel all over the country together for tournaments and share plenty of laughs everyday in class. Not to mention, very intelligent people tend to do debate, so you’ll receive plenty of help with your homework!
• You learn how to deal with failure and embarrassment.  Debate tournaments provide a safe environment for learning how to brush off your mistakes, learn from them, and ultimately move forward. People won’t judge you, either, because everyone’s been there at one point or another.
• Writing essays becomes a breeze.  Have to write an argumentative persuasive essay in English? Just think up a rebuttal in your head and you’ll have three pages written down! Have to write a paper that analyzes a current event? You’ll have hundreds of articles already filed for you to choose from. Doing speech and debate drastically improves your linguistic and logical skills, along with your ability to construct strong arguments in a short amount of time.
• You become more adaptable.  One of the most challenging yet exciting aspects of debate is that you can’t foresee exactly how the round will play out (i.e. what case your opponent will read, the judge you’ll get, which side of the debate you’re on). Eventually, you’ll know how to think of responses to multifaceted arguments on the spot and appeal to judges who would normally disagree with your position. In public speaking events, you learn how to quickly adapt to your judge, audience, and room layout. If you forget your speech in the middle of performing it, you learn how to improvise. Adaptability is a necessary skill for success in life, and speech and debate develops it.
• Colleges LOVE students who are in speech and debate.  According to Professor Minh A. Luong of Yale University, students who participate in extracurricular activities that develop “oral and written communication and the ability to organize ideas and present them effectively perform better in college.” After all, other activities, such as sports or music, don’t really engage people’s critical thinking skills as much as debate does. Also, speech and debate is an extremely competitive and time-intensive activity, with tournaments almost every other weekend. Winning awards and having leadership positions demonstrates to colleges that the student has invested a large quantity of effort and time into their events.
• Your public speaking skills improve.  This one is obvious but nonetheless very important. I used to shake with nerves whenever I had to present a short PowerPoint to my class. Now, I’m not only no longer scared to speak in front of my peers, but I actually look forward to it! Public speaking is very self-empowering once you become comfortable with it, and it’s also a very admired skill that you can take with you for the rest of your life.
• You meet cool people at tournaments.  As much as I dislike waking up at 5:30 in the morning on Saturday, getting to see my friends from other schools makes this small sacrifice totally worth it. Since tournaments host such a diverse group of people, they are great for networking and making new friends.
• You become woke af.  Whether it’s doing research on a debate topic about gun legislation or delivering an extemporaneous speech about whether Donald Trump should repeal the Trans-Pacific Partnership, speech and debate truly opens your eyes to what’s happening in the world. You’ll also become informed enough to form your own critical stance on these issues.
• It’s fun!  I’m not going to lie; being in speech and debate is hard work. However, nothing is more rewarding than the feeling of making my audience bust out laughing or having someone come up to me after the round and tell me that my speech really spoke to them. Plus, you get to travel a lot, which is always exciting (and the school pays for most tournaments).

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125 High School Debate Topics To Challenge Every Student

Learn how to argue with logic instead of emotion.

Some teachers shy away from debate in the classroom, afraid it will become too adversarial. But learning to discuss and defend various points of view is an important life skill. Debates teach students to research their topic, make informed choices, and argue effectively using facts instead of emotion. You’ll find plenty of engaging high school debate topics in this list for inspiration. Each topic includes a link to an article from a reliable source that provides pros and/or cons to help kids make their arguments.

School and Education Debate Topics

Life and ethics debate topics, entertainment and technology debate topics, fun and funny debate topics.

• It’s better to be good at academics than to be good at sports.
• Final exams should be abolished.
• Students should be required to wear school uniforms.
• Private schools are better than public schools.
• Year-round school is better for students.
• Standardized tests are effective.
• Every student should have to participate in athletics.
• All students should be required to volunteer in their community.
• Junk food should be banned in school cafeterias.
• Single-gender schools are better for students.
• Schools should be allowed to teach critical race theory.
• Math is the most important school subject.
• Schools should teach sex ed instead of abstinence only.
• Letter grades should be abolished.
• Teachers should be replaced by computers.
• People who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
• Sometimes it’s OK to cheat on homework or a test.
• Students who fail a test should be given the chance to take it again.
• Outdoor recess is important at every grade level.
• Students should be allowed to grade teachers.
• Everyone should be able to bring their pets to school.
• Shorter school days are better for students.
• Schools should eliminate dress codes.
• Everyone should be required to go to college.
• College should be free for everyone who wants to attend.
• Schools should install safe rooms in case of mass shootings or natural disasters.
• Schools should be allowed to ban some books from their libraries.
• Book smarts are better than street smarts.
• Schools should provide free mental health services to students and teachers.
• Schools should teach life skills like cooking and personal finance.
• School vouchers benefit students and schools.
• Religion has no place in schools.
• In-person school is better than online school.
• Traditional school is better than homeschooling.
• Charter schools should receive public school funds.

• Girls face more peer pressure than boys.
• The voting age should be lowered to 16.
• Humans should not eat animals.
• Democracy is the best form of government.
• All Americans should be required to vote.
• Cigarette smoking and vaping should be banned entirely.
• Giving is better than receiving.
• Parents should be punished for their children’s mistakes.
• Animals should not be kept in zoos.
• Happiness is more important than success.
• The driving age should be raised to 18.
• The drinking age should be lowered to 18.
• Plastic bottles should be banned.
• People should have to take a parenting class before having a child.
• If you find money on the ground, it’s automatically yours to keep.
• It is better to be kind than to be truthful.
• Learning about history can stop us from repeating past mistakes.
• It’s important to spend money exploring space.
• White-collar jobs are better than blue-collar jobs.
• The death penalty should be abolished.
• Drug addicts should receive help instead of punishment.
• Euthanasia should be legal.
• GMOs are more helpful than harmful.
• Human cloning should be legal.
• A progressive income tax is better than a flat tax.
• Supreme Court judges should be appointed for fixed terms.
• Vaccines should be mandatory.
• We should ban fossil fuels.
• Marijuana should be legal everywhere.
• All drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed, like alcohol.
• Nuclear weapons should be banned worldwide.
• Police funding should be redirected to social services.
• Religion does more harm than good.
• Testing on animals should be illegal.
• We will never achieve world peace.
• The United States should implement a universal basic income.
• We should require people of all genders to register for the draft.
• Healthcare should be universal.
• Gun safety laws infringe on the Second Amendment.
• Anyone over 12 should be tried as an adult in court.

• Reality television depicts real life.
• Schools should allow students to use phones in class.
• Macs are better than PCs.
• Androids are better than iPhones.
• Social media is making us less social.
• Social media does more harm than good.
• Video games are better than board games.
• Video gaming is a sport.
• Reading books is better than watching TV.
• We should replace all paper documents with electronic versions.
• The book is always better than the movie.
• Parents should use their kids’ cell phones to track them.
• Playing video games makes you smarter.
• Scientists should try to develop a way for everyone to live forever.
• Paper books are better than e-books.
• Schools should have surveillance cameras in classrooms and hallways.
• All museums and zoos should be free to everyone.
• There is intelligent life on other planets.
• People rely too much on technology.
• Everyone should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.
• Net neutrality should be mandatory for internet service providers.
• Expanded use of artificial intelligence will be good for humanity.
• Technology is creating more jobs than it eliminates.
• The United States should provide free internet access for everyone.
• Cryptocurrencies should replace cash.

• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• A taco is a sandwich.
• Summer is better than winter.
• Coke is better than Pepsi.
• Pepperoni is the best pizza topping.
• Fruit counts as dessert.
• The number 13 is not unlucky.
• People should eat to live, not live to eat.
• Monday is the worst day of the week.
• Clowns are more scary than funny.
• Modern music is better than classical music.
• Aliens live among us here on Earth.
• It’s OK to put ketchup on a hot dog.
• Was Robin Hood a thief or a rebel hero?
• It would be better to be able to fly than to be able to turn invisible.
• Pluto should still be considered a planet.
• It’s better to be too hot than too cold.
• We should allow people to go barefoot anywhere if they want to.
• Fiction is better than non-fiction.
• Using profanity is good for your mental health.
• Leftover pizza is better cold than reheated.
• It’s OK to wear socks with sandals.
• Being famous is actually not all that great.
• GIF should be pronounced “JIFF” not “GIFF.”
• People shouldn’t have to go to school or work on their birthdays.

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How to Start or Run a Debate Club: Four Models I Tried

by Isaiah McPeak | Jul 8, 2015 | Coaching a Club | 1 comment

So you were the one voluntold to form or take over leadership of a debate club? Bless you.

I’ve been on the leadership and admin team of 4 clubs, and consulted around 20 over the last 10 years. Here are some lessons learned about four different models, and guiding thoughts on use of club time and what is healthy coaching.

Don’t Forget Leadership

Leadership and communication are inexorably tied. That’s why Toastmasters requires both leadership and public speaking manuals/activities to be a Toastmaster, and it’s why rhetoric throughout the ages was always associated with philosophy and leadership. Communication is about identification with others, and motivation for them to act.

As Leadership Training in Boy Scouts of America says, the number one skill of a leader is empathy. That’s the same for the best communicator: see clearly through the eyes of others.

Since communication is therefore a discipline, not merely a skill, its learning methods are part of the activity itself. In other words, there are two deliverables for the successful debate club: 1. The communication skills, 2. The process of the club and learning environment of those skills.

That’s why, for me, coaching is always about teaching communication and leadership at the same time. That may mean more for the coaches than the students, under different models, but the display of effective leadership is essential:

• delegation,
• safe place to fail,
• transparency,
• effective communication and facilitation,
• non-emotional/vindictive leadership,
• motivation to excel

Model 1: IMPACT, MD – “Startup Club”

This club was founded by myself and my mother, Betsy McPeak, near Baltimore, Maryland. We coached both speech and debate, and ran some NCFCA tournaments. In the first year, which was mostly foundational, we really just focused on teaching, teaching, and teaching.

So the model was this: excellence in teaching.

In terms of bylaws, website, oversight, all that stuff… we didn’t have any of it. Just like in the business world, sometimes I think people look at a club 5+ years in and “startup” a club with all the accoutrements because they think they’re supposed to. I’m here to tell you that your first order of business in starting a business isn’t a logo and business card, it’s doing something valuable and working with customers to put a price on it so you can predict a future brand. Same with a club… it’s not REQUIRED to spend all your time on governance at first, especially if that’s taking away from learning.

Our first year, we placed a team 3rd at NCFCA nationals. We had a great first few years and made some solid partnerships with other clubs locally and nationally.

As far as I know, the club is still in operation, though I don’t know how it is currently governed or structured.

Model 2: PHC Debate – “Leadership Program”

This was a “turnaround” situation. There were around 60 debaters on the squad when I took over as executive coach. Previous administration was roughly one person talking every week, then traveling to tournaments. We transformed this into a LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.

Create leadership roles and leadership team:

• Coaching roles (different specialties, such as value debate, parli, a particular league, or novice vs. advanced focus)
• Admin roles (tournament director, event managers, club/facilities managers)
• Development roles (fundraising, scholarships)

There were initially 8 leaders identified. We had regular management training meetings (e.g. once a month) with Dr. Tallmon, where we learned about Continuous Improvement, Total Quality Management, and other leadership principles. Dr. Tallmon was a professor of rhetoric and formerly directed a majorly successful leadership program along with rhetoric (he thinks these two ideas are closely linked as well).

A key point was this: identify and mentor your possible replacements. Here we practiced habits of working yourself out of a job, whether it be through people, processes, or automations, but mostly it was people.

Sometimes we had failures, leaders learned to negotiate or trade responsibilities, but we grew and managed as a team. The legacy of mentorship and leadership had a pretty high impact on each of these people (and myself), who all were competing while leading. We did well but the leadership lessons are still something we refer to regularly. We navigated challenges like competing in three leagues, leadership turnover, funding changes, and hosting PHC’s first intercollegiate debate tournaments!

Model 3: Vector, VA – “Breakaway Club”

This wasn’t so much a startup as a pivot. While I was still in college at PHC, I was looking for a place to volunteer, and meanwhile Debbie Snyder and her family (three of whom I attended college with at least a year, as they overlapped) was a debate family from California ready to really progress in debate. There was a semi-local club, but it was one of those controlled by a single coach who got offended by outside influences and was very controlling.

So we started this other club, and a bunch of people from different clubs (including the one from the controlling person) came along. This club started with a board, of five families including the coach family (myself and my wife). There were bylaws that we followed, structured board meetings a few times a year, and so on.

This club met for two hours once a week (team policy debate) and eventually added on speech and LD, which met at different times. Team policy was the heart of this club. While I was head coach, over the years I tried to promote students to leadership roles (just like at PHC) while also bringing in many guests, such as Dr. Farris to teach on CX, many topic experts, and other college debaters.

We won the regional championships (and I think every NCFCA qualifier in the region) for 4 years straight, qualified 4–6 teams to nationals each year, and typically broke 4–5 teams at nationals each year. That was, in my opinion, largely a result of the dedicated students we had at the time. Again, you may recognize these names: Dan Pugh, Lydia Bode, Peter Voell, Zach Voell, Chloe Bozarth (now Snyder), Anna and Sarah Snyder. These folks all took on progressive leadership roles over three years, to the point where we had an incredible team captain, delegated research responsibilities, and student-led training. Overall, the educational part of club was really going well.

There was also some grave drama, that had to be handled by the board and I was glad they were there. But the process of handling that drama really tore apart the board and few of the members speak to each other anymore. In addition, I made some mistakes by treating new students as if they were as dedicated to debate as the original students of the club, and was too hard or even offensive to some of them (think Russian gymnastics coach). I wish I had known myself better at that time to identify a “less serious” educational leader and structure – it’s extremely challenging for a club to operate as a single entity when it has a few sizeable cohorts with completely different educational goals and commitment levels.

So while this club was wildly successful at placing SOME of its students into the top levels of competition, teaching them leadership skills, and helping the educational community at large, it didn’t fully adapt to the needs of its newer members.

Because the club was good, we also had to manage this issue: perception by other clubs and folks. Our answer was this: complete openness, and no club protect. We shared research, shared cases, I coached opponents of my teams in outrounds at tournaments, students were encouraged to do that as well, clubs were invited to all our special events, and ALL debaters were held to a high standard of encouragement and training to people who did not have the same coaching access. By and large, this principle went really well, though some people always had a chip on their shoulder. The club’s leaders, students, and coaches all really believed in helping everyone. Our two guiding principles were: 1) Learn and Grow, and 2) Challenge Ourselves. That’s why these debaters really are known for their research: they challenged themselves to succeed with completely open cases and research.

Model 4: APEX, FL – “Professional Coaching”

APEX also adopted the two key principles I insist on whenever I coach somewhere: 1) Learn and Grow, and 2) Self-Challenge. These principles mean that when there is a potential contradiction of one of these values, for some competitive reason, we forego it. Just like Vector, we said no club protect (in fact, we said “this is not a club; you should participate in another club if you want”).

This organization had no formal board, but was organized and run by a small group of parents in Florida and myself. Gary Downing and I set most of the policies and agendas.

Our first year, Ryan Collins (now a coach) won NCFCA TP Nationals, and we’ve had top-ranked parli debaters and LDers on speechranks several times (you may not know it… b/c “APEX” was rarely used as a club name; people competed under other clubs, or ridiculous names like “Han Solo + Utility Vest”).

We tried a few times to start leadership initiatives with the students inside of this group, but it ended up that leadership learning was primarily on behalf of the coaches since we had 3–6 coaches in attendance every time we met (for a whole day on Saturdays for TP/LD and a half day for parli on Fridays, optional). So the primary leadership learning was the leaders, who I’d consider Jr. Coaches / emerging leaders in most cases, and some of whom came from APEX or Vector.

The “all day Saturday once a month” intensiveness is a GREAT model for education. Because debate education always struggles with the tension between teaching and coaching (honestly most clubs spend 80% of time or more teaching, rather than coaching), the all-day model is really great for providing a schedule to both teach and practice without pressure. I highly recommend this model.

As with Vector, we experienced different levels of commitment, but I think we were far more effective at welcoming and celebrating those differences. The people who most “need” communications training aren’t the ones who are already great at it, and a healthy club recognizes and invests in the less serious or less talented.

Use of Club Time

A little less talk and a lot more action. People take notes and even parrot back what they’re supposed to do, but actually experiencing the patterns of success is a completely different story. More and more I try to just get students to where they’re debating, then stop/start them, tell them to go back and do it right (in the moment! not in a debriefing), and teach snippets of debate principles during those moments. No, you won’t say “everything you planned,” but each thing you say will be more valuable and targeted.

DON’T ADMINISTER DURING CLUB.

(This drives me crazy about tournaments too, and I have a hot opinion, so feel free to ignore me. When I run a tournament, the “announcements” 45 minutes at the start is all handled in an email beforehand that takes 10 minutes to read: where are the bathrooms, what happens if/then, be nice to the facility, and here are key points about the schedule.)

That’s an analogy… at a club, don’t spend the first 15 minutes making announcements that can be made via email, to more targeted audiences (e.g. parents), and so on. Your time is valuable.

DO SPEAK WELL

Even if you’re going to make a few lame announcements, always, always, always start with a “hook” – speaking 101 stuff. It’s amazing to me how boring most of the books on rhetoric and communication are. You’ve got to exemplify what you’re teaching! And one of the most important ways to do that is a strong opener, and strong conclusion, to any day or meeting. Doesn’t have to be you speaking, but it really needs to happen.

Evidence Rings

My recommendation is let the students run this, but provide the accountability. If there’s a parent willing to participate in the research facilitation, then that’s awesome, you should empower them to do so!

The key principle of evidence rings is this: be consistent. Students need rhythm and no exceptions. That doesn’t mean “be difficult” and it doesn’t mean “be equal.” I’m ok with novices producing 2 briefs in a year. I’m ok with a warning, , penalty policy or a zero strikes and you’re out policy. Just communicate clearly and follow through.

Need help running an evidence ring? At Vector the students used to help other clubs nationwide to run their evidence rings. It’s easy to find someone willing to help in this way.

Coaching Issues

Some people are living vicariously, some are making a business out of it, some are trapped in a pastime paradise, and some are true volunteers. Whatever the reason, make sure coaches are in it for acceptably “right” reasons: focused on developing the students into more effective, disciplined, wiser people.

Engaging in the World of Ideas . A surprising amount of coaches are “my way or the highway” coaches, tell people not to share/discuss ideas, don’t want students receiving any other coaching, don’t allow students to try or consider certain types of arguments, and so on. These coaches are limiting development, which is a combination of experience and consideration. It’s contradictory to the very thing we’re practicing: debate.

Debate is all about WHY, and WHY is tasted and it’s rational, not a rulebook. That’s why I let my debaters try ridiculous things and help COACH them afterwards to see and commit to a better path, encourage them to seek opinions of other coaches, staff camps with diverse coaches that disagree on key issues, and point to the broader world of ideas. Accept nothing less.

The ultimate goal of debate coaching should be a student/adult who actively self-educates, is self-capable, and mentors others. Controlling minds will not achieve the outcome desired. Instead, push people to broaden their perspective, consider both sides, taste and see, and in the end have a WHY behind their opinions.

No Experience. Having a club is better than not having one. Sometimes the “coach” is really a newbie parent one week ahead. That’s great! It’s not impossible. Just don’t let the debate world intimidate you: the language they use is an utterly foolish construct. The concepts of debate work every day in business, politics, and normal conversations, and if someone teaches you otherwise they’re making the activity less valuable.

You should reach into the community and compare lesson plans and resources to others, consider a few mentoring calls from experienced coaches, and think about pointing your students in effective directions.

But most of all, you should TRY IT. I teach adults to debate all the time (at Leadership Institute, Toastmasters, and the daring few who participate in our camps instead of gabbing in the back). It’s not just for kids… the first time my mom debated (at IMPACT), she wrote two words on her flow and badgered a girl in CX – it made her understand the debater’s point of view so much better and become a better coach. Get a partner, and participate in debate rounds – don’t just watch.

Conclusion: There is no Try, only Do

Just as we say “debate is more caught than taught” to students, the same is true of running a club. The time you spend together will be valuable as long as you’re trying to make it valuable, even if it’s not “the best” it could possibly be. Adopt a continuous improvement mindset, take a deep breath, and just go for it doing the best you can.

There’s a strong educational community around debate, and tons of resources (like all the free videos and blogs here at Ethos, and elsewhere). You can do it!

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Home > Resources

Our lesson plans and activities will help you get talking in class, whatever the subject. Please click here to sign up for our schools’ newsletters

DISCOVER OUR RESOURCES

This page is full of free resources to help you get your students speaking in class. Here you’ll find more on the key skill sets that oracy helps develop, plus activities, lesson plans and a host of ice-breaking games to help with our three national competitions – the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition, the Schools’ Mace and Performing Shakespeare.

If you like what you see, sign up for our schools’ newsletter here to receive regular free resources in your inbox. Don’t forget too that we can provide CPD workshops on oracy teaching , as well as Discover Your Voice sessions fully tailored to your students’ needs.

For handbooks and specific information relating to individual competitions, please see the relevant page .

All our teaching, resources and competitions are underpinned by four key skill sets: Reasoning and Evidence; Listening and Response; Expression and Delivery and Organisation and Prioritisation.

Below you’ll find more information on each skill set, as well as free activity resources to practise each one. So whether you want to improve your students’ questioning skills, or to help them to structure their arguments more clearly, we have the resources you need.

Find out more about the skill sets

Skill sets - Listening and Response

Debate provides a range of opportunities for students to engage with the ideas of others. The skill set 'Listening and response' represents the extent and efficacy of this engagement.

Skill sets - Expression and Delivery

Expression and delivery sets debating apart from competitive essay-writing. Students need to be able to convey their thoughts with their audience in mind.

Skill sets - Organisation and Prioritisation

Debates require quick thinking and the clear articulation of ideas. The organisation and prioritisation skill set reflects students’ ability to convey their ideas clearly and effectively.

Skill sets - Reasoning and Evidence

Reasoning and evidence denotes the argumentation skills students need. It represents the ability of students to explain and justify the positions they take.

Talking games

Need a quick ice-breaker at the beginning of a lesson?

Want the whole class to recap on what was covered last week – and enjoy it? These fun games can be used in any classroom – from maths and biology to history and RE – and are guaranteed to get everyone talking, and listening, to each other. Why not try one today and see how easy it is to bring oracy into your classroom?

Free resources

If I Ruled The World Activity

PDF (309.5KB)

PDF (510.8KB)

Million Pound Top Trumps

PDF (797.8KB)

Cross The Circle If…

PDF (504.9KB)

This House Would Rather Have A Government Of Experts Than A Democratically Elected One

PDF (442.8KB)

World Cup 2022 Oracy Pack

PDF (2.0MB)

Public Speaking Tips

Polls show that many people list public speaking as their number one fear, ahead even of our fear of death. But with a little know-how and, crucially, some practice, speaking in public can become something that anyone, student or adult, can actively enjoy and look forward to.

On the links below, comedian and ESU alumnus Rory Bremner tells us what he learned from the Public Speaking Competition, which he won in 1979, and we share some hints and tips for students taking the competition’s roles of speaker, questioner or chair.

Rory Bremner’s public speaking tips

ESU alumnus Rory Bremner shares his top public speaking tips.

Public Speaking Tips For The Chair

PDF (465.6KB)

Public Speaking Tips For The Questioner

PDF (457.9KB)

Public Speaking Tips For The Speaker

PDF (382.9KB)

NEW TO DEBATING

Any teacher knows that their students have a lot to say but that they don’t always have the skills with which to express themselves.

Debating is a great way of practising speaking and listening skills, either through a debate club or through incorporating debate activities into your lesson plans for other subjects. If you’ve never tried debating before, or you’re not sure how it can help you, here’s where to start!

Oracy In Your Classroom Lesson Plan Template

PDF (756.8KB)

Setting up a debate club - guide for primary schools

PDF (403.1KB)

Setting up a debate club - guide for secondary schools

PDF (1.1MB)

Debating Glossary

PDF (1.5MB)

Debate formats for schools

By asking students to take different sides in an argument and then to justify those sides, debate is a great way of improving speaking and listening skills, as well as critical thought and prioritisation skills.

Debates can be as simple or as formal as you like, from a fun balloon debate on a relevant topic to a more structured town hall meeting which gives students an insight into how many public decisions are made. Competitive debates have an extra level of ‘spice’ or kudos attached, with the prospect of winning a motivating factor for many students.

Preparing Impromptu Speeches

PDF (313.3KB)

Balloon Debate

PDF (315.9KB)

Town Hall Meeting

PDF (277.9KB)

Where Do You Stand?

PDF (305.1KB)

Debate formats

Debating competitions take place in different formats around the UK, and internationally. Find out more here about the differences between them all.

Performing resources

Teaching students to perform, to project their voices and to inhabit and empathise with different characters has so many benefits, on and off the stage.

Below, you’ll find some examples of monologues and duologues perfect for our Performing Shakespeare competition, and we’ve also asked some professional actors to tell us about their favourite speeches too. We hope you find them inspiring!

FREE RESOURCES

Merchant Of Venice Monologue Act 3 Scene 1 Ben Spiller

PDF (517.6KB)

The Two Gentlemen Of Verona Monologue Act 4 Scene 3 Karen Whyte

PDF (351.4KB)

Performing Shakespeare Example Monologues

PDF (460.9KB)

Performing Shakespeare Example Duologues

PDF (642.6KB)

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High School Debate Topics

Illustration: Hugo Lin. ThoughtCo. 

• Teaching Resources
• An Introduction to Teaching
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• M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida
• B.A., History, University of Florida

Debates tend to instantly engage students, but they can also sharpen their research and public speaking skills. No matter your reasons for using them, having debates in your classroom is a sure way to get your students thinking and talking.

You may require your students to research topics before debating them or even prepare speeches to state their point of view. Learning how to productively debate will improve your students' communication skills as they practice speaking and listening. These skills will serve them in college and the diverse career world beyond. 

Debate Topics

The following 50 debate topics  can be used in high school or advanced middle school classrooms. They are organized by genre and some can be modified for use in different subjects. Each item is listed in the form of a question to propose to your students that has at least two points of view.

Watch Now: Ideas for Great Classroom Debate Topics

Science and technology.

• Should human cloning be banned?
• Should renewable forms of energy be subsidized by the government?
• Should the U.S. government fund a space mission to Mars?
• Should social media comments be protected by free speech?
• Should parents be allowed to choose their baby's gender?
• Should animal testing be banned?
• Should the U.S. government provide internet service to every citizen?
• Are video games too violent for children?
• Should the manufacturing of nuclear weapons be permitted?

Laws and Politics

• Is it ever appropriate for the government to restrict freedom of speech?
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Should citizens who do not vote be fined?
• Is the right to bear arms a necessary constitutional amendment today?
• Should the legal voting/driving/drinking age be lowered or raised?
• Should a border fence be constructed between the U.S. and Mexico?
• Should America give foreign aid to other countries?
• Should drone attacks against specific targets be used for modern warfare?
• Should affirmative action be abolished?
• Should the  death penalty  be abolished?
• Should microaggressions be punishable by law?
• Should the cruel treatment of animals be illegal?

Social Justice

• Should partial-birth abortion be illegal?
• Should all parents be required to attend parenting classes before having a child?
• Should parents be required to vaccinate their children?
• Should mixed martial arts be banned?
• Should celebrities be required to be positive role models?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Are progressive tax rates just?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Should marijuana use be considered a crime?
• Should every student be required to take a performing arts course?
• Should homework be banned?
• Should school uniforms be required?
• Is year-round education is a good idea?
• Should physical education be required of all high school students?
• Should all students be required to perform community service?
• Should schools block YouTube?
• Should students be able to leave school grounds for lunch?
• Are single-sex schools better for student learning and mental health?
• Should schools punish cyberbullying that occurs outside of school?
• Should teachers not be allowed to contact students through social media?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?
• Should high-stakes state testing be abolished?
• Should poetry units be removed from the curriculum?
• Is History (or another subject) actually an important subject in school?
• Should schools be allowed to track students by academic level?
• Should students be required to pass algebra to graduate?
• Should students be graded on their handwriting?
• Should all students be required to co-op?
• Should the theory of creation be taught in schools?
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• Middle School Debate Topics
• Classroom Rules for High School Students
• 4 Fast Debate Formats for the Secondary Classroom
• 25 Essay Topics for American Government Classes
• 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
• Why US Public Schools Don't Have a Prayer
• The Best Interactive Debate Websites for Students and Teachers
• 5 Ways to Prepare Your Middle Schooler for High School
• What Is General Education?
• Course Requirements for Homeschooling High School
• Are Cell Phones Allowed in Schools?
• The Laws Governing Homeschooling
• The Importance of Core Courses

Competition Events

Competition Events Guide

Speech  involves a presentation by one or two students that is judged against a similar type of presentation by others in a round of competition. There are two general categories of speech events, public address events and interpretive events.  Public address events  feature a speech written by the student, either in advance or with limited prep, that can answer a question, share a belief, persuade an audience, or educate the listener on a variety of topics.  Interpretation events center upon a student selecting and performing published material and appeal to many who enjoy acting and theatre. 

Debate involves an individual or a team of students working to effectively convince a judge that their side of a resolution or topic is, as a general principle, more valid. Students in debate come to thoroughly understand both sides of an issue, having researched each extensively, and learn to think critically about every argument that could be made on each side.

To learn more about each event, click on the event name.

Interp events.

• Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
• Duo Interpretation (DUO)
• Humorous Interpretation (HI)
• Poetry (POE)
• Program Oral Interpretation (POI)
• Prose (PRO)
• Storytelling (STO)

Public Address Events

• Commentary (EXC)
• Declamation (DEC)
• Expository (EXP)
• Impromptu (IMP)
• Informative Speaking (INF)
• International Extemporaneous Speaking (IX)
• Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking (MX)
• Original Oratory (OO)
• Original Spoken Word Poetry (SW)
• Pro Con Challenge (PCC)
• United States Extemporaneous Speaking (USX)

Debate Events

• Big Questions (BQ)
• Congressional Debate (House & Senate) (CON)
• Extemporaneous Debate (XDB)
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD)
• Policy Debate (CX)
• Public Forum Debate (PF)
• World Schools Debate (WS)

Students are presented with prompts related to societal, political, historic or popular culture and, in 20 minutes, prepare a five-minute speech responding to the prompt. Students may consult articles and evidence they gather prior to the contest. At the National Tournament, students may use internet during preparation. Some other tournaments may not. The speech is delivered from memory and no notes are allowed.

About Declamation

About Dramatic Interpretation

About Duo Interpretation

About Expository

About Humorous Interpretation

About Impromptu

Impromptu is a public speaking event where students have seven minutes to select a topic, brainstorm their ideas, outline and deliver a speech. The speech is given without notes and uses an introduction, body, and conclusion. The speech can be light-hearted or serious. It can be based upon prompts that range from nursery rhymes, current events, celebrities, organizations, and more.

An adapted version of Impromptu, Prepared Prompt Speaking, has been used at online tournaments. In Prepared Prompt, students will be given a list of topics prior to the tournament, select one prompt from the official list, prepare a speech, and submit it through the recording process.

Impromptu is a public speaking event that tests a student’s ability to analyze a prompt, process their thoughts, organize the points of the speech, and deliver them in a clear, coherent manner. Students’ logic is extremely important. They must be able to take an abstract idea, such as a fortune from a fortune cookie, and put together a speech that has a thesis and supporting information.

About Informative Speaking

Informative is a speech written by the student with the intent to inform the audience on a topic of significance. Students in informative may use a visual aid. Informative gives students the unique opportunity to showcase their personality while educating the audience. An Informative is not simply an essay about the topic—it is a well researched and organized presentation with evidence, logic, and sometimes humor to convey a message. Topics are varied and interesting. Whether it be a new technological advance the audience is unaware of or a new take on a concept that everyone is familiar with, Informative is the students opportunity to teach the audience. Types of topics and structure vary greatly.

About International Extemp

International Extemporaneous Speaking, typically called International Extemp, is a speech on current International events with limited preparation time. A student’s understanding of important political, economic, and cultural issues is assessed along with critical thinking and analytical skills. Students report to a draw room (often referred to as Extemp prep) where all of the Extempers gather at tables, set out their files, and await their turn to draw topics. Students may access research brought with them to the tournament during the 30-minute preparation period. Some tournaments, including the NSDA National Tournament, will permit students to use the internet to research during preparation time. When prep time is up, the student reports to the competition room to deliver a 7 minute speech. Students have a lot to do in 30 minutes—they must select a question, review research, outline arguments with supporting materials, and practice at least part of the speech before time expires. Many tournaments prohibit the consultation of notes during the speech in which case speech structure and evidence need to be memorized during prep time as well.

Mixed Extemp

Mixed Extemp combines international and domestic issues (as opposed to two separate events like high school). Mixed Extemp is an event at the NSDA Middle School National Tournament. Students are presented with a choice of three questions related to national and international current events. The student has 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech answering the selected question. Students may consult articles and evidence to help with their preparation. The internet may be used during preparation time at the NSDA Middle School National Tournament, though local events may not allow use of internet.

About Original Oratory

About Original Spoken Word Poetry

The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second grace period. The delivery must be memorized, and no book or script may be used. No more than 150 words of the original poetry may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing. A successful performer will craft a piece that elicits critical thought, reflection, or emotion. As opposed to traditional Poetry, Spoken Word Poetry is created to be performed aloud and may feature rhythmic flow, vivid imagery, word play, gestures, lyrical elements, and repetition. Use the Getting Started with Original Spoken Word Poetry guide as a helpful tool to explore ways to express thoughts and experiences through poetry.

About Poetry

Poetry is characterized by writing that conveys ideas, experiences, and emotions through language and expression. Often Poetry is very creative in terms of vocabulary and composition. While Poetry may tell a story or develop a character, more often Poetry’s focus on language and form are designed to elicit critical thought, reflection, or emotion. Students may choose what the National Speech & Debate Association refers to as traditional Poetry, which often has a formal meter or rhyme scheme, or nontraditional Poetry, which often has a rhythmic flow but lacks formal rhyme or meter. Poetry is different than Original Spoken Word Poetry in that students in Poetry will perform works written by others. In Poetry, students may chose to perform one long poem or create a program of poetry from one source or multiple sources.

Pro Con Challenge

Students select the National Tournament topic for CX, LD, or PF or a piece of legislation in the Congressional Debate Docket and write a 3-5 minute affirmative speech and a 3-5 minute negative speech on that topic. This event allows students to explore debate topics in a new and exciting way while showing off their writing, research, and delivery skills.

About Progam Oral Interpretation

About Prose

About Storytelling

Storytelling consists of sharing a story with an audience, performed as if the audience were a group of young children. Some tournaments have themes that the story selection must fit in; the National Tournament does not have a theme, and any story selection is acceptable. The story must not exceed five minutes. Students may use a full range of movement to express themselves and may incorporate a chair in a variety of different ways, though the chair may not be used as a prop during the performance. Students may be seated but most commonly performers use a full range of stage space available to them. As there are so many different types of stories that can be performed, it is important to observe rounds to see what other students and teams are using. The Association has final rounds of Storytelling from both the high school and middle school level to review. Local and regional tournaments may vary in the selection of stories performed.

About United States Extemp

About Big Questions Debate

Time limits.

*Each team is entitled to three minutes of prep time during the round.

About Congressional Debate

About Extemporaneous Debate

About Lincoln-Douglas Debate

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Bruised Egos, Battles, and Boycott: The 1980 Moscow Olympics

By elise stevens wilson.

Politics and sports have intermingled since the inception of the Olympic Games in Greece, but not until the 1980 Olympics did people fear that politics might destroy the Olympic movement and spirit. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America battled each other ideologically, economically, militarily, culturally, and politically in a very long Cold War that spanned more than forty years (1948–1991). In the midst of the Cold War, the two countries often met in sporting arenas around the world to compete for medals. In 1980, Moscow hosted the Summer Olympics, the first Olympics held in a communist country. Because the United States and the USSR were deep in conflict, especially over the recent movement of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979, the Olympics became an extension of the political arena. The United States did not show up for the games. The 1980 Olympics were not unusual because they were political, but because the extreme degree to which they were politicized had never before been seen. Many Americans and Soviets alike feared that the Olympics would be destroyed if politics infiltrated the games.

In 1980, some Americans believed it their duty to boycott the Olympic Games. Others felt that the Olympics were meant be a de-politicized time when countries could put aside their differences and celebrate something they had in common: sports. These opinions were discussed and debated in the media. Journalists, politicians, athletes, and average citizens expressed their feelings about, and their justifications for or against, the boycott. The 1980 Summer Olympics are significant both in sports history and Cold War history.

In this two-day lesson, students will investigate the various reasons for the boycott and the ways Americans analyzed the 1980 Moscow Olympics at the time. Students will use periodicals as their tools for examining this period in history, and teachers should take the opportunity to discuss media bias. Students will gather information from articles and participate in a debate over whether the US should have boycotted. Additionally, a PowerPoint accompanies this lesson to aid in background information.

• Students will be able to identify various points of view.
• Students will be able to describe why the boycott is significant to both sports history and Cold War history.
• Students will be able to effectively debate using arguments gathered from American periodicals.
• Students will formulate opinions on whether politics should be mix with sporting events.
• 1980 Moscow Olympics: A World Divided  (PowerPoint)
• US periodicals—arguments for and against the boycott (PDF) (Some articles have been shortened to achieve equity in length.)
• US periodicals—coverage of the Moscow Olympics and the boycott (PDF)

Additional Resources

• Opening Ceremony, 1980 Moscow Olympics , YouTube 
• Closing Ceremony, 1980 Moscow Olympics , YouTube

Day One (45–60 minutes)

Use the Think, Pair, Share method or a journal prompt, and ask students the following: Do you think political disagreements between countries should affect their participation in the Olympics? Or: If you were the leader of a country, and the Olympic Games were being held in another country that you believed committed crimes against its people, would you send your athletes to that country? (5 minutes)

Use the 1980 Moscow Olympics Background PowerPoint to introduce the Cold War and the back story to the Moscow Games. (7–10 minutes)

Take some time to discuss media bias with students. Tell students that they will be working with periodicals and that they should take bias into account when reading these sources. (5 minutes)

Divide students into groups of 3–4, and give each group a different article from US periodicals—arguments for and against the boycott found under Materials. Instruct students to read the articles in groups and underline sections that express an opinion about the boycott. (10–15 minutes)

Give each group a large piece of paper and colored markers. Ask each group to discuss their article and write down key ideas. At the top, they should indicate whether are pro-boycott, anti-boycott, or split. (5–10 minutes)

In groups, students should prepare for a debate on whether America should have boycotted the Olympics in Moscow. You can set up the debate in one of two ways.

• Students can take on the personalities mentioned in the articles, such as athletes, politicians, the President, the International Olympic Committee, or even the US Olympic Committee, and debate each other on a television show that is similar to The McLaughlin Group or Meet the Press .
• Students can be members of a presidential advisory committee on the Olympics. Their job is to convince the President which position to take on the boycott.

Some articles will have opposing viewpoints, so you should divide groups into two. Students should create a slogan that best represents their opinions. This slogan can be displayed during the debate. (15 minutes)

Students should prepare for the debate. To make the debate more interesting, students can dress appropriately for their roles.

Day Two (45–60 minutes)

Most of this class period will be spent on the debate for which students have prepared the previous day. Lay down the ground rules for the debate. There are a number of different ways to hold a class debate. (5 minutes)

Here is one suggestion for a class debate:

1) Assign a student to be a moderator or the teacher can be the moderator. If you chose option (a) for the debate, the moderator can act as the television host. If you chose option (b) for the debate, the moderator can be the President of the United States. 2) Only one person may speak at a time. 3) While a person is speaking others should take notes to use to further support their position or to attack the other side. 4) Provide a time limit for each person to speak (1–2 minutes). 5) Make sure each side has an equal amount of time to speak. 6) At the end of the debate, one student from each side gets one minute to provide closing arguments. 7) Remind them that they are not students, but either the personalities from the articles or members of a presidential committee, and they can feel free to take on these roles fully.

Allow students to meet with their sides for a few minutes. They should pick who will give the closing argument and perhaps who should speak first, second, third, etc. (5 minutes)

Proceed with the debate. (15–25 minutes)

Debrief the debate. Ask students how they would feel about the boycott using the barometer method. For this method, students line up on an imaginary line in the classroom with one end of the line representing the choice to boycott, and the other the choice to attend the Olympics. Students can stand anywhere along this spectrum and justify their position. (5 minutes)

Choose one or more of the articles from US periodicals — coverage of the Moscow Olympics and the boycott found under Materials. Read the article(s) as a class, and make sure to point out the media bias. This will give students some closure to the issue of the boycott as well as allow them to see more of the language and rhetoric used during the Cold War. (10–20 minutes)

Ask students to write a response to the following prompts. (5 minutes)

• In this debate, who had the most persuasive argument and why?
• Evaluate whether the Moscow Olympic Games were an appropriate battleground for the Cold War.

Assessments

In addition to the debate and written responses, students can be assessed in the following manner:

• Students can write a letter to President Carter either in support of or in opposition to the boycott of the Moscow Olympics. Make sure they identify the reasons for their opinions.
• Students can research other Olympics that have been politicized and write a comparison paper focusing on whether sports activities should be political.
• Students can research articles from major American newspapers on whether the United States should have supported the Beijing Games in 2008. Many people felt that China, a communist country, had violated human rights and therefore should not be supported. It is an excellent, modern analogy to the Moscow Olympics.

As an extension to this lesson plan, the students can explore how Soviet periodicals covered the boycott and the Moscow Olympics. A good source with an English translation is The Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press .

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