Ready to organize your own classroom debates? This helpful guide will teach you exactly how to get started with simple student debate rules anyone can follow!
Debate is a highly engaging classroom discussion strategy you can use to teach argumentative and critical thinking. With a few basic tools, you can organize mini debates and give young learners the opportunity to express their ideas while weighing in on the opinions of others.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to get started in 5 minutes or less, including our free printable resources that will help save time. You’re almost there, so grab a cup of coffee and keep reading as we review the classroom debate basics!
“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.”
– Margaret Heffernan
Benefits of Classroom Debates
Classroom debates can help students learn the art of argumentation, which they will inevitably use throughout middle and high school. Multiple content areas, including ELA and Social Studies, require students to complete writing assignments where they must develop claims, evidence, and reasoning to support their ideas and opinions. Mini debates teach students to think on their feet, create relevant claims, and defend against counterclaims. Thus, facilitating debate in your classroom can help students develop argumentative skills they will use throughout their schooling, across the curriculum.
In addition to the above, classroom mini debates can:
- Encourage students to participate in healthy debates
- Teach public speaking skills
- Support hesitant talkers
- Teach the CER (claim, evidence, and reasoning) method of argumentation
Student Debate Rules & Procedures
Overview
In Classroom Mini Debates, students will take turns going head to head, arguing for either side of a controversial debate topic. After the final speech, students will vote for who they believe presented the best arguments, and a winner will be declared.
Preparation
Download, print, and cut out our list of Classroom Debate Topics. Alternatively, you can create your own list of topics, but we’re confident you’ll love the ones we’ve already created for you! Either way, you should end up with thin strip of paper containing debate topics on each. Fold each strip in half, and place them in a container large enough for students to draw from (hat, bucket, box, etc.).
Materials
- Container
- Debate topic strips
- Foam dice
- Timer
Instructions
- Designate a location at the front of the class where students will draw their topics and stand for the debate.
- Pair students to determine who they will debate against. Use your standard classroom pairing procedure or couple students by ability level.
- Have the first pair of students to roll dice. The lowest number gets to draw from the topic container, and the highest chooses which side they wish to support.
- Ask the student with the lowest number to draw a strip of paper from the topic container and read it aloud to the class.
- Then, ask the student with the high number decide which side of the topic they will support. For example, if the prompt is “Do aliens exist?” they may decide to argue that either “Aliens DO exist” or “Aliens DO NOT exist.” By default, the other student must argue the opposing side.
- Have the debaters stand at the front of the room a few feet apart, facing the remainder of the class. Students not participating in the debate will serve as judges.
- Begin the debate by setting a timer for 1 minute and having Debater 1 (high number) present their arguments to the class. Start the timer once they begin speaking. Some students may not use all of the time allotted to them, and that is okay. Feel free to encourage or prompt students to help them develop their ideas if necessary.
- When Debater 1 is finished, immediately reset the timer and ready Debater 2 (low number) for their speech. Start the timer once they begin speaking and repeat the previous step.
- After each debater has had their turn, repeat steps 7 and 8, giving each student an opportunity to answer their opponents arguments and extend their own arguments.
- Finally, give the debaters a round of applause and conduct a vote (show of hands is easiest) to determine a winner.
Tips for Classroom Debates
- Modify our student debate rules to fit your classroom; they’re not meant to be “one size fits all.”
- Offer rewards such as bonus points, bathroom passes, or candy for the winners. These incentives make excellent buy-ins for reluctant students.
- Encourage accountable talk. Teaching students to use phrases such as “In my opinion…” and “I respectfully disagree” will help your debates remain academic and orderly.
- Have fun! Keep your debates lighthearted and allow students to have fun as they duke it out!
