If you've ever felt a little lost when your child has been discussing their Debate Mate lesson or if you just want to find out more about debating, this article is for you! Read on for our debating crib sheet...
This is your one-stop-shop for all things debating lingo!
Read on to learn about the debate format, PEEL structure, rebuttal, Points of Information, SCRAP, summary speeches, defining the motion, PERMS, stakeholder analysis and good speaker style!
Wherever a term is written in bold, refer back to this glossary for a definition!
Debate Format:
Team proposition always opens and closes the debate, and the first speaker must define the motion.
The debate ping-pongs between team proposition and opposition until the first 3 speakers on each team have spoken.
Each of these speakers begins their speech with a rebuttal before delivering their PEEL speech.
The chair will signal the end and beginning of protected time. Outside of this, speakers on the opposing side are encouraged to offer Points of Information to the current speaker.
The white line represents floor questions, which separate the main debate from the summary speeches. These questions are designed to enrich the debate and are not answered at the time. Summary speakers can choose to address some or all of these questions in their closing speech.
After the floor questions, teams can huddle.
Finally, the debate closes with summary speeches, delivered by the remaining speaker on each side. Opposition always goes first to ensure that proposition closes the debate.
No Points of Information can be offered during summary speeches.
PEEL explained:
Depending on the speaking time allocated, students may choose to deliver 1 PEEL speech, or more if they want a challenge! However, they should remember: quality over quantity!
Rebuttal explained:
Points of Information explained:
Preparation time:
Before a debate, teams are typically given 15 minutes to prepare in breakout rooms, after hearing the motion. We suggest that they use SCRAP to ensure that they use this valuable time effectively:
Summary speeches explained:
Defining the motion explained:
PERMS explained:
This is an acronym used to support argument generation during preparation time. It stands for:
Students can use these themes as a prompt to help them think of arguments in response to a given motion.
Stakeholders explained:
During a debate, students should consider who would be affected by the motion in their arguments. Human loss or gain is often the most important aspect of a debate, so arguments about stakeholders are usually the most compelling!
Here's how to include stakeholder analysis in your argument:
Speaker style explained:
The content of what you say will only get you so far in debating. A large part of convincing others of your point of view is the WAY in which you argue it. Good speaker style includes the following:
