Five-Week Plan
A week-by-week sequence from the shape of a debate to motions, cases, rebuttal, roles, chairing and a full debate.
Open resource →
Year 9 Power of Speech • Oratory
Debate
A five-week unit on arguing a case with clarity and respect. Students learn how debates work, how to define a motion, how to build and support a case, how to rebut, how to use points of information, how to share roles, how to chair a room and how to persuade an audience without treating opponents as enemies.
What this packet is. It contains 16 public resources, including this overview. Students move from the purpose and structure of debate to motions, definitions, case building, evidence, rebuttal, points of information, team roles, chairing, audience persuasion and ethics. The examples are original and the success criteria are formative and labelled as such.
Unit outcomes
- Explain the purpose and structure of a formal debate.
- Analyse a motion and offer a fair, arguable definition.
- Build a case with a clear thesis, reasons and evidence.
- Test evidence for relevance, accuracy and bias.
- Rebut an opponent's argument rather than their character.
- Use and respond to points of information with composure.
- Share speaker and support roles within a team.
- Chair a debate fairly and keep procedure clear.
- Adapt an argument to an audience without misleading it.
- Debate ethically and include quieter or less confident voices.
The five-week shape
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | What debate is. Learn the shape of a debate, analyse motions and practise fair definitions. |
| Week 2 | Building a case. Thesis, reasons, evidence and the team split; begin research. |
| Week 3 | Rebuttal and points of information. Listen, answer, challenge and stay composed. |
| Week 4 | Roles, chairing and audience. Share tasks, run procedure, adapt to the room. |
| Week 5 | Prepare and debate. Assemble a full debate, chair it, debate it and reflect on one change. |
Public resources
Outcomes and Skills
What a debate asks of a speaker, how a team case works, and what a strong argument sounds like.
Open resource →What Debate Is
The purpose, shape and unwritten contract of a formal debate, and how it differs from an argument or a fight.
Open resource →Motions and Definitions
Reading a motion closely, finding the real clash and setting fair ground for both teams.
Open resource →Building a Case
Turning a definition into a thesis, a small set of reasons and a team split that makes sense.
Open resource →Evidence and Research
Finding support that is relevant, accurate and honestly attributed, and knowing when a claim needs a source.
Open resource →Rebuttal
Answering the argument, not the person: a four-step method for turning an opponent's point back on itself.
Open resource →Points of Information
Asking, answering and declining brief interruptions without losing the thread of a speech.
Open resource →Roles and Teamwork
Who does what before, during and after a debate, and how a team stays coherent under pressure.
Open resource →Chairing and Procedure
Running a fair, clear debate: order of speeches, time signals, points of order and closing the room.
Open resource →Audience and Persuasion
Turning a correct case into a persuasive one by knowing the room, framing the clash and speaking like a person.
Open resource →Debate Ethics and Inclusion
Disagreeing without demeaning, checking evidence honestly and making room for quieter voices.
Open resource →Preparation Workshop
A complete workshop: motion, definition, case, evidence, rebuttal, split, rehearsal and a short debate.
Open resource →Teacher Notes
Planning, differentiation, sensitive motions, evidence checking and participation for the Debate unit.
Open resource →Sources and Provenance
What is original, how evidence and motions are handled, and what the packet deliberately excludes.
Open resource →Planning and support
Read the teacher notes for planning, differentiation, sensitive motions and participation guidance. The sources and provenance page records what is original, what is excluded and how the packet handles evidence and attribution. Differentiation is built into the teacher notes rather than published as a separate student page. The sources and provenance page records what is public, what is linked rather than copied, and what the packet deliberately leaves out.
No assessment instrument. This packet does not publish confidential class briefs, scores, bands, weights, task numbers, due dates or test papers. It is a teaching and formative-feedback resource. Teachers keep their own school instruments offline.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Counts on this page match the public HTML pages in this folder.