Five-Week Plan
This sequence teaches students to debate as a disciplined form of argument, not a contest of volume. It begins with the shape of a debate, then builds motions, cases, evidence, rebuttal, procedure and audience awareness before a full team debate.
The shape of the unit
| Week | Focus | Core moves | Formative evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What debate is | Learn the shape; analyse motions; practise definitions. | A defined motion and a one-minute opening. |
| 2 | Building a case | Write a thesis; choose reasons; find evidence; split roles. | A one-page case outline. |
| 3 | Rebuttal and points of information | Listen, answer, challenge and stay composed. | A rebuttal paragraph and a POI exchange. |
| 4 | Roles, chairing and audience | Share tasks; run procedure; adapt to the room. | A chaired mini-debate and an audience plan. |
| 5 | Prepare and debate | Assemble a full debate; debate; reflect. | A full team debate and a written reflection. |
A typical lesson
| Time | Routine | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Warm-up: one claim, one reason, one question. | Activate argument quickly. |
| 10 minutes | Read or watch a short debate extract and name the moves. | Notice structure before naming it. |
| 10 minutes | Teach one debate skill. | Make the move visible. |
| 15 minutes | Apply it in pairs or teams. | Move from theory to use. |
| 10 minutes | Run a short exchange and receive one specific response. | Test whether the argument landed. |
| 5 minutes | Reflect and record one change. | Make improvement deliberate. |
Week by week
Week 1: What debate is
Begin with the difference between a debate, an argument and a fight. A debate has a motion, sides, rules and an audience. Students learn the basic order of speeches, then analyse a motion for its key terms and likely clash. They practise definitions that are fair, arguable and connected to the motion.
Week 2: Building a case
Students learn that a case is more than a list of points. It has a thesis, a small number of reasons and evidence for each reason. They draft a one-page case outline, test the evidence and divide the material between speakers. The team split should give each speaker a coherent job, not a random pile of points.
Week 3: Rebuttal and points of information
Students learn to listen for the opponent's claim, reason and evidence, then answer the argument rather than the person. They practise short rebuttal paragraphs and respond to points of information. The emphasis is on composure: hear the question, answer it briefly, return to the case.
Week 4: Roles, chairing and audience
Students rotate through speaker, researcher, timekeeper and chair roles. They learn the chair's responsibilities and the conventions that keep a debate fair. They also consider the audience: what they need to understand, what they may find persuasive and what would be misleading.
Week 5: Prepare and debate
Teams prepare a full debate on a known motion, then debate it in front of a small audience. The chair runs procedure. After the debate, students give specific feedback and write a short reflection on one change between preparation and delivery.
Materials
- A room with space for two teams and a chair.
- A timer and a visible clock.
- Printed motion cards and role cards.
- Research notes and source record sheets.
- A bell or clear signal for time.
- Optional microphone for a larger room.
What students produce
| Product | Purpose | Keep it manageable |
|---|---|---|
| Motion analysis | Shows close reading of the topic. | One page, key terms only. |
| Definition | Sets fair ground for debate. | Two or three sentences. |
| Case outline | Organises the team's argument. | One page, three reasons. |
| Evidence record | Records sources and claims. | Four sources per team. |
| Rebuttal paragraph | Practises answering an argument. | One paragraph. |
| POI exchange | Practises composure under pressure. | Two questions each. |
| Role card | Clarifies each speaker's job. | Half a page. |
| Chair's script | Keeps procedure clear. | One page. |
| Audience plan | Adapts the case to the room. | Three bullet points. |
| Full debate | Integrates the skills. | Four to six speakers. |
| Reflection | Makes learning visible. | 100–200 words. |
Debate is a public argument, not a private fight. The audience should leave understanding both sides better than they did at the start.
Routines that save time
- One-minute motion. Define and open a motion in sixty seconds.
- Claim, reason, evidence. Build one paragraph in that order.
- Steel then rebut. State the opponent's point fairly before answering it.
- Twenty-second POI. Ask or answer a question in twenty seconds.
- Chair's count. Practise time signals and order of speeches.
Common planning errors
- Starting with a full debate. Students need isolated skills first.
- Teaching tricks before arguments. Style without substance collapses.
- Ignoring definitions. Teams debate different topics.
- Too many points. Three developed reasons beat eight slogans.
- Skipping rebuttal. Students deliver prepared speeches at each other.
- No chair practice. Procedure becomes chaotic.
- Only confident students speak. Roles must be shared.
Next, read outcomes and skills to see what the unit builds towards. The what debate is page begins the conceptual work.