One of the fastest ways to get students engaged and talking in class is by asking them to discuss and defend their opinions on a topic they care about. Some of my favorite teaching memories are of passionate classroom discussions where the students debated and defended positions they had taken on novels we were reading in class or real-life issues that mattered to them. The discussions only improved if they had first organized the support for their ideas with a debate graphic organizer. To that end, we’ve created organizers that can work at any grade level. They’re a perfect tool to help your students practice their argumentative writing or debate skills.
Take a look at the debate graphic organizer
Elementary
This organizer is perfect for our young students just beginning to practice argumentative/opinion writing or debate. It asks students to provide their reasons for their opinions and prompts them to support their ideas with evidence. The organizer introduces concepts like rebuttals and counterarguments in an easy-to-understand way that’s perfect for elementary students.
Middle and High School
The debate graphic organizer for middle school and high school keep the same format, asking students to take a position and provide support and evidence for that position, but they introduce important vocabulary like “rebuttal” and “counterargument.” The organizers are clean and simple, ensuring that all students will feel comfortable using this tool.
Debate Rules
This printout is so helpful when your class is just beginning to learn how to have class discussions/debates or even if they’re seasoned experts but need a little refresher of the expectations and procedures. It can be displayed in the classroom or passed out to each student so everyone has a copy.
Debate/Discussion Strategies
There are so many ways to get our students practicing their argument/debate skills. Fish bowls, Socratic seminars, silent debates, and think-pair-shares are just a few of the methods we can use in our classroom to hold meaningful conversations. This printable breaks these strategies down into levels, making it easy for you to find the right level of discussion for your class. Just starting with classroom debate? Try out a four-corner activity. Have a classroom of students ready for a full-scale debate? Set up a Socratic seminar and get ready to watch them go!
Get your free Debate Graphic Organizer!
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