HOW TO RUN A

CLASS DEBATE

Student PACKAGE
RULES
SET-UP
STUDENT SPEECH STRUCTURE
STUDENT SCORE SHEET
STUDENT CHEAT SHEET
HOW TO RUN A CLASS DEBATE
1. CHOOSE A ‘RESOLUTION’ - The topic which the debate will be centered
around. To save time, make the ‘resolution’ quite specific and within your subjects
context. Example :

a. ENGLISH – “Mark Twain was a Racist.”

b. SOCIAL STUDIES – “Napoleon was bad for France.”
c. MATH – “Pi does not exist.”
d. ART – “Jackson Pollock was a charlatan.”
e. SCIENCE - “Gravity?”

2. BRAINSTORM WITH THE CLASS – hand out the ARGUMENT SHEETS to

every student in the class. The sheet has space for the students to write the
resolution, then space for 3 – 4 possible arguments on each side. Remind the
students that there are no ‘right’ answers, just better arguments.

3. EVIDENCE / RESEARCH – Once you have brainstormed with the class, ask
them where/how they could find evidence to prove their ‘case’. Have them collect
evidence for their side.

4. CRAFT SPEECHES – at this point the students should have a loose speech
assembled. Depending on their age and level of ‘showmanship’, most will be fairly
nervous and unaware how to write a speech. I’ve drafted a loose framework for the
kids to use. It stresses all the aspects of formal speaking manners and effective
structure for the students to mimic. This is merely a suggestions rather than a
requirement.

5. TEAMS – There are 2 sides in a debate – AFFIRMATIVE and NEGATIVE. There

are 2 students per side – 4 in total. Divide the students into teams and debate groups.
This will help them focus. Supplied is how the classroom should look for the
debate.

6. TIMES – Speaking times can vary depending on your class age-range and topic
depth. A general guideline is between 3 – 5 minutes. If students are reaching 3
minutes on their first try, that’s great. Senior students may have longer speaking
times, between 5- 8 minutes if desired.

7. TYPES OF SPEECHES - Each of the 4 students have their own chance to speak
for 3 – minutes. The order is as follows

a. AFFIRMATIVE # 1 : 3- 5
b. NEGATIVE #1 : 3–5
c. AFFIRMATIVE # 2 : 3–5
d. NEGATIVE # 2 : 3–5
e. BREAK : 1 – 2 MIN.
f. REBUTTALS
i. NEGATIVE # 1 : 1 – 2 MIN.
 ii. AFFIRMATIVE # 2 : 1- 2 MIN.

8. OPTIONS – SPEECHES FROM THE FLOOR - During the break you can also
run “Speeches from the Floor”. This is a great way to have the rest of the class
become involved. As the 2 teams prepare their rebuttals, you ask if any students in
the audience would like to make a SFTF. The students then go up in front of the
class and state which side, at this point of the debate, they support. They must then
describe why they agree/disagree with the arguments.
Students also have the option to say that they have not yet decided or agree with
neither, and explain why. To do this, a student declares that they “sit on cross-
benches”. It means to be neutral.
NOTE : DURING REBUTTALS SPEAKERS MAY NOT RESPOND TO ANY
SPEECHES FROM THE FLOOR

9. REBUTTALS – Speakers give rebuttals to refute the other teams main arguments
one more time, then remind the audience why they are right. They are meant to be
short and effective.

10. CROSS THE FLOOR – Once the debate is over, the moderator brings it to a close
and then encourages the debaters to cross the floor. This means that each sides must
shake hands with the other team. It shows good sportsmanship and creates a more
collegial feel to the classroom. It is up to you whether to take a HOUSE VOTE –
have the students raise their hands to see who they would vote for, or no-one at all.

ALL DONE – NICE JOB!

CLASS DEBATE - ARGUMENT

SHEET
NAME CLASS

RESOLUTIO
N

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE
 1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

CLASS DEBATE - SPEECH SHEET

NAME CLASS
SIDE AND SPEAKER
NUMBER

INTRODUCTION
 Thank you very much. The resolution before us today is “-----“
 [ONLY IF YOU ARE THE FIRST SPEAKER] We define this resolution as “----“
 I will speak about [however many] points as to why this is true
 These points are [list them as subtitles]
 My partner will then have [however many] points [list as subtitles]
 Now, to begin my constructive speech

BODY

 My first point is [state point]

 Explain why this point relates to resolution
 Give your evidence as to why this is so
 My second point is [state point]
 Explain why this point relates to resolution
 Give your evidence as to why this is so
 My third point is [state point]
 Explain why this point relates to resolution
 Give your evidence as to why this is so

SUMMARY

 Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to conclude my speech with a review of my points

 Restate your points as subtitles, stressing their core intentions
 For these reasons we believe that this resolution must STAND[if you are affirmative]
FALL [if you are negative]
 Thank you very much
 CLASS DEBATE – MODERATOR SCRIPT

The house will come to order. The resolution before the house
is:______________________________________________________

Arguing in favour of the resolution are the Leader of the Affirmative __________________
and the Second Affirmative __________________

Arguing against the resolution are the Leader of the Negative __________________ and
the Second Negative __________________

I, _________________, am your moderator and the timer is __________________.

Speeches may be no longer than [5] minutes and rebuttals may be no longer than [2]
minutes. The timer will indicate how much time has elapsed. Heckling or interrupting the
speaker is not allowed.

I now call upon the honourable the Leader of the Affirmative to deliver his /her speech...

I thank the Leader of the Affirmative and call upon the Leader of the Negative to deliver
his /her speech...

I thank the Leader of the Negative and now call upon the Second Affirmative to deliver
his /her speech...

I thank the Second Affirmative and now call upon the Second Negative to deliver his /her
speech...

There will now be a 1 minute break before rebuttals or

speeches from the floor

I call upon the Leader of the Negative to deliver his/her rebuttal...

I call upon the Leader of the Affirmative to deliver the final rebuttal...

I thank all of the members for their speeches. The house is adjourned. I encourage the
speakers to cross the floor and shake hands.

CLASS DEBATE - SCORESHEET

NAME CLASS
 RESOLUTION

AFF #1 AFF #2 NEG #1 NEG #2

________ ________
CATEGORIES ________ ________
name name [RATE OUT OF 10] name name

Opening statement was clear, well organized, and

relevant. It is clear as to what they are going to
speak about.

Arguments are factual and relevant to the

resolution and debate.

Evidence for arguments is relevant and effectively

supports their stance on the issue.

Refutation – Speakers effectively challenge what

the other team may say or has said regarding the
issue.

Closing statement was stated clearly, was relevant,

and effectively summarized the team's position.

Overall preparedness, effectiveness, and delivery

of information. Eye-contact and voice volume and
delivery was effective and helped deliver the
speech well.

TOTAL [max 60]

TEAM TOTAL [max120]
 CLASS DEBATE – STUDENT CHEAT
SHEET

What is a definition ?
The definition is a statement of what the resolution actually means. For example in
the resolution "Hockey is the best sport", "Hockey" could mean professional hockey
or amateur hockey or high school hockey, and "best" could mean most enjoyable to
watch or most enjoyable to play. In order to have a good debate both sides must be
arguing about the same thing, so it is essential to define the resolution. A good
definition is one which defines all of the terms and which is debatable. For example
in the resolution "Hockey is the best sport", you should break the phrase up into two
parts, i.e. you could define "Hockey" and then " "is the best sport". You should then
put the two parts together and paraphrase your definition to make it absolutely clear.

How should I deliver my speech ?

There are four keys to good delivery. The first is that you should have good eye
contact, which means looking up at your audience. The second is that your voice
should be effective. This means that your tone and pace should be appropriate and
should vary. The third key is that you should stand straight and should not shift from
foot to foot or wave a pen around. The final and most important key is that you
should sound and look confident, even if you do not feel confident — you will be
amazed at how many people you can fool.

How should I come up with my arguments if I am the government ?

If you are arguing in favour of a resolution, just ask yourself the question "Why".
The answers will be your reasons. Each debater should try to have two to three
reasons. You should then come up with two examples or pieces of evidence for each
reason. Examples can be real or hypothetical stories that should contain a lot of
detail. The detail will mean that they will be more effective and will help to make
your speech longer. Evidence can be statistics, facts or quotes. You should always
state the source of your evidence. Good sources include magazines, books and
interviews with experts.

How should I come up with my arguments if I am the opposition ?

If you are arguing against a resolution, the process is similar to arguing in favour of
the resolution but you should ask yourself "Why not" rather than "Why". When you
are the opposition you do not need to prove the opposite of the resolution, although
of course that would disprove the resolution. You only need to prove that the
resolution is not generally true (i.e. that it is not true for some people or in some
circumstances), or that the government’s reasons are not valid.

How can I refute my opponent’s arguments ?

The first thing that you should do is to go back to the definition and consider what
the debate is actually about. If you do this you may see that your opponents have
missed some important aspect or area of the resolution. The second way to attack
their argument is to attack their reasons and show that they are irrelevant or
insufficient (i.e. even if true, they are not significant enough to prove the resolution)
or questionable (i.e. they are not true or are unproven).
What should I do in my speech ?
All speeches should have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. In the
introduction, you should state what the affirmative must prove and summarize the
reasons presented by both sides so far. In the body you should first refute your
opponent’s reasons, as well as defending your partners, and then explain your own.
In the conclusion you should either give a summary of your reasons or you should
restate and emphasize your strongest reason.

What do I do in a rebuttal ?
In a rebuttal you are not allowed to introduce new arguments. You may only bring
up arguments that have already been made by either side. This is to ensure that the
person who speaks last does not have an unfair advantage. You should summarize
and refute your opponents’ arguments and restate your strongest reasons.

GREAT JOB!