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Lesson Plan
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Dream of a Nation

Congressional Debate

For Teachers 10th Standards
Should junk food be banned in schools? Should the US open its borders to all immigrants? Should the US impose term limits for the House of Representatives and for the Senate? Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debates on Persuasive Language That Extend Outside of Class

For Teachers 9th - 12th
There is no better sight to see than a classroom full of eager young adults, hands raised high, eager to jump into a class discussion. Get your class identifying and discussing rhetorical strategies and then debating long into the night...
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Unit Plan
Speech and Debate Union

Introducing Debate in the Classroom

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Considering organizing a speech and debate club? check out this packet that contains all the information you need to get started.
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Lesson Plan
Channel Islands Film

Restoration Channel Islands Debate

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers (Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format)

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
For a comprehensive overview of debate styles and formats, look at this resource. It details the Lincoln-Douglas debate format (one-to-one debate with specific, timed rounds of points, cross-examination, and rebuttals). You can also find...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Role Play Debate

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Suggested topics for a role play debate include school uniforms and culpability for drunk driving, but any issue of interest to your class will work. What are the hot issues in your community or on the news right now? Class members...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debating the Issues: Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Synthesizing information from a PBS documentary Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, its companion website, and several other resources (links to which are provided), high schoolers evaluate whether Bunche did all he could to advance the...
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Debates

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and high...
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Worksheet
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The New York Times

Great Debate: Developing Argumentation Skills

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Advertising has no impact on whether people buy something." "Looting is morally permissible during national disasters and emergencies." "Gay teenagers should be allowed to take dates to the prom." Considering a class debate? Check out...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Debate to ESL Students

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Language learners use the debate format to practice formulating, expressing, and defending their ideas. Working in teams, class members develop resolutions, use opinion indicators to express their opinions and reasons, and prepare...
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Activity
Worksheet Web

Language – Debating

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Having a debate doesn't mean you're fighting. Introduce middle schoolers to debate with a resource which distinguishes between an quarrel and a debate, describes the debate process and format, and presents some possible debate topics.
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Lesson Plan
Amazon Web Services

Brexit Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Should we stay or should we go? Class members debate whether Britain should exit the European Union. While the resource predates the exit vote, the materials provide class members with an opportunity to explore some of the many issues...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates — Springboard to the White House

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Election Role-Playing Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After watching clips of presidential candidates during debates and speeches, and researching the candidate's position on important issues, young researchers conduct a role-play debate in which they act as one of the candidates.
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Debate Over Gun Laws in the United States – An Introduction

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Gun control is one of the most hotly debated topics in the United States. Learners use a structured conversation to engage around this controversy. Using a scaffolded conversation that relies on a reading and analysis of arguments for...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Electoral College Philosophical Chairs Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Because of the Electoral College, it is possible to win the popular vote in a US Presidential election and still lose the election. After researching the pros and cons of the Electoral College, class members engage in a structured debate...
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Lesson Plan
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Classroom Law Project

What should I watch for in the debates?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Prepare your classes for election year debates with a series of activities that model how to watch televised debates and how to evaluate the moderators as well as the debaters.
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Presidential Debate Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The modern presidency is defined by the development of television—including the use of televised debates in the campaign. Using debates going back to the first one between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, young scholars evaluate...
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Lesson Plan
Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association

Grab ‘N Go Debate

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Here's a resource that provides debaters with the background information and worksheets they will need when planning a policy debate. Templates and sentence frames, as well as a rationale for using debates in the classroom, are included...
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Lesson Plan
Sacramento State Masters of Educational Technology

Tuck Everlasting: Debate Activity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use Tuck Everlasting as a springboard for a debate on big ideas about immortality and the death penalty. Take a week for research and debate by following the steps outlined in this plan. Tapping into technology for help, small groups...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Power of Television Debate

For Students 8th - 10th
After reading a seven-paragraph selection titled, "The Power of Television Debate," the class completes six comprehension tasks. They answer questions, use new vocabulary and adjectives in sentences, and engage in a debate with a peer. 
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Set your environmental studies class up to debate a current topic regarding your choice of six suggested statements about energy use in the United States. Teams read material that you have gathered and then form their arguments. The...
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Organizer
Student Handouts

Debate Notes Worksheet

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Whether your young orators are preparing for an in-class debate, or you are presenting a video of a debate to your class, this is an easy-to-use template that will help them organize the major arguments of each debate position, as well...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...

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