1+Debate-Able+Learning+Across+the+Curriculum

Debate-Able Learning Across the Curriculum

To Debate or Not?
 * Evidence-Based Argumentation (from the Boston Debate League)**
 * How to Structure a Debate**

Scaffolding Debate Activities
Not Just for the Humanities

__**Concerns**__
 * If I teach debate, then I won't have time to teach my content area's standards!
 * Having a debate about topics which are not in the curriculum - historical debate about mathematicians or a public policy issue such as global warming - is not effective.
 * Some math and science teachers object to the argumentation in disciplines where a single correct answer is valued.

Evidence-based argument enables math and science teachers to create **relevant resolutions** that offer the subjectivity and difference in opinion necessary for exciting debates.

Focus first on the content or methodology that students should recall, compare, contrast, analyze, and/or synthesize. Next, find an evaluation, situation, policy, or application about a subjective topic that would allow for an engaging debate.

For instance, if a physics teacher wanted to have students review for a quiz on Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, instead of debating the interesting but curricularly irrelevant, “Is Sir Isaac Newton the greatest physicist of all time?”; he or she could have three groups of students answer this question in a debate: “The ability to violate which of Newton’s 3 Laws of motion would create the //best// superhero?” Not only is it more fun for most students to discuss superheroes, but also it gets the job done. In addition, it leverages the prior knowledge of a broader range of students who would typically prefer drawing, daydreaming, or writing about superheroes than discussing the concepts of physics.

Debate is complementary, not supplementary. It does not have to be an add-on activity that crowds out other content already in the curriculum. Rather, debate can be viewed as a teaching technique, like the lecture or giving a worksheet. Students must be engaged, however, to participate in the former whereas with the latter options, students often disconnect.

In fact, Boston Debate League's Evidence-based Argumentation (EBA) program specifically does not offer to write curriculum for teachers who participate in the program. Rather it focuses training teachers to use debate to teach the curriculum and content that they were already planning to teach. Once they understand the techniques, teachers, in the math and sciences especially, begin to realize the potential for debate in their classroom.

Debate and Curriculum Design [|Planning Scope & Sequence for Success: Laying the Foundation for Solid Evidence] Research [|Teaching Research Methodology: Laying the Foundation for Solid Evidence] This excerpt from the non-profit Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning think tank outlines standards for research at Level IV (Grades 9-12) within the language arts discipline (substitute “speeches” for “research papers” in standard 8. **These standards are useful because they __sequence the research process in a chronological sequence of steps__. As you teach the research process for debate, this list will be useful.**
 * Articles**

**The student** Formulates question(s) of interest; refines the topic and write a resolution; develops a research plan; organizes what the student knows, what the student needs to know, and how the student might find it out 1. Uses appropriate research methodology (e.g., formulates questions and refines topics, develops a plan for research; organizes what is known about a topic; uses appropriate research methods, such as questionnaires, experiments, field studies; collects information to narrow and develop a topic and support a thesis) Conducts research using a different types of sources 2. Uses a variety of print and electronic sources to gather information for research topics (e.g.,news sources such as magazines,radio, television, newspapers;government publications; microfiche;telephone information services; databases; field studies; speeches; technical documents; periodicals; Internet)

Uses primary (not just secondary sources) to gather information 3. Uses a variety of primary sources to gather information for research topics Evaluates the sources in multiple ways 4. Uses a variety of criteria to evaluate the validity and reliability of primary and secondary source information (e.g., the motives,credibility, and perspectives of the author; date of publication; use of logic, propaganda, bias, and language; comprehensiveness of evidence)

Uses information from multiple sources to draw conclusions 5. Synthesizes information from multiple research studies to draw conclusions that go beyond those found in any of the individual studies Uses study skills to organize information 6. Uses systematic strategies (e.g., [|anecdotal scripting], [|annotated bibliographies], graphics, [|conceptual maps], [|learning logs], notes, outlines) to organize and record information Scans a passage to determine its relevance 7. Scans a passage to determine whether it contains relevant information

Writes a speech/case (in debate) 8. Writes research papers (e.g., includes a thesis statement ; synthesizes information into a logical sequence ; paraphrases ideas and connects them to other sources and related topics; identifies complexities and discrepancies in information; addresses different perspectives ; organizes and converts information into different forms such as charts, graphs, and drawings; integrates quotations and citations into flow of paper; adapts researched material for presentation to different audiences and for different purposes)

Uses a standard format for citing sources 9. Uses standard format and methodology for documenting reference sources (e.g., credits quotations and paraphrased ideas; understands the meaningand consequences of plagiarism; distinguishes own ideas from others; uses a style sheet method for citing sources, such as the Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, or Chicago Manual of Style; includes abibliography of reference material) 