Debate Pyramids:

Which is the most important part of your argument? And when do you want to use it? Launch your side of the debate with a powerful point? Or catch the opposing side off guard at the end? That is what our teams decided, choosing out of fifteen points supporting either ‘We cannot blame previous generations for climate issues’ or ‘we can blame them’ and arranging them into a pyramid as above. Teams worked well and considered carefully how different pieces of an argument can help at different times.

Boxing Match Debates

This week, Debate team worked hard to settle a very challenging question: Should young children be allowed to have pets? There were very good reasons ‘for’: learning to take care of others and be kind, outside time and fresh air, feeling calm, education about the passage of life.

There were strong reasons against too: injuries, how suitable homes are, the sadness when we lose them, dangers to children in some cases.

We learnt how to structure our debate into a boxing match. It was very fun. We made sure we listened respectfully and collaborated with our ‘corner’ as well as remembering NO fists!

Overall, we decided it WAS suitable for young children to keep pets, provided we stay cautious and safe.

Wow! Our debaters can get quite competitive! Whilst keeping to all our agreed points of polite debating, including listening with respect, being open to others’ views and speaking when it is our turn, the children turned simple debates practised last week into a tennis match! We decided whether we agreed with a ‘Choice School’ model (a school where children can have freedom to do whatever subject they want all day) or disagreed. Then, in our partners, we gave an opening speech backing up our main reasons for or against, before continuing with the debate rally. There was one extra rule: every time you had finished speaking, you needed to swing the racquet, giving the opponent an indication it was their turn to speak: a serve after our opening speech, a forehand or backhand after individual points, and a ‘winner’ to end our argument! It was a lot of fun.