CHW 3M1 World History to the 16th Century
Culminating Activity: Great Debates
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of studying history is how different conclusions can be drawn by examining the same events. Being able to analyze data, form an opinion on a controversial issue, and clearly defend that interpretation with evidence is a vital skill.
TASK: Students will research a controversial issue concerning Ancient World History. Working with a partner, they will organize their research in preparation to debate their issue in front of the class.
Students will debate in teams of two or three but will be marked individually
Each student must prepare an opening OR closing statement (one partner does opening; other partner does closing); groups of three can share each responsibility
Each student must prepare ONE main argument for debate
Each student must have a minimum of THREE pieces of evidence (quotes, statistics, speeches, pictures, documents etc.) to be shown as a visual aid during debate (powerpoint, concept map, word document).
Each student must prepare for challenges from opposition and planned rebuttals (WITH EVIDENCE) and participate in the free for all
Great Debates Format (Grade 11)
2 v 2 / 3 v 3Opening Statements Yes: 2 Minutes
No: 2 Minutes
______
1st Argument Yes: 3 Minutes
Rebuttal No: 1 ½ Minutes
1st Argument No: 3 Minutes
Rebuttal Yes: 1 ½ Minutes
______
2nd Argument No: 3 Minutes
Rebuttal Yes: 1 ½ Minutes
2nd Argument Yes: 3 Minutes
Rebuttal No: 1 ½ Minutes
______
Open Debate 6 Minutes
______
Closing Statements Yes: 2 Minutes
No: 2 Minutes
TOTAL = 32 minutes
10 min: Open Question Period
Analysis of Debate
Vote
/ Opening Statements Yes: 1 ½ Minutes
No: 1 ½ Minutes
______
1st Argument Yes: 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal No: 1 ½ Minutes
1st Argument No: 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal Yes: 1 ½ Minutes
______
2nd Argument Yes: 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal No: 1 ½ Minutes
2nd Argument No: 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal Yes: 2 Minutes
______
3rd Argument 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal 1 ½ Minutes
(order by Coin Toss)
3rd Argument 2 ½ Minutes
Rebuttal 1 ½ Minutes
______
Open Debate 8 Minutes
______
Closing Statements Yes: 1 ½ Minutes
No: 1 ½ Minutes
TOTAL = 38 minutes
10 min: Open Question Period
Analysis of Debate
Vote
Great Debates Greek and Rome Style: Topic List
FOR / YES / DEBATE QUESTION / AGAINST / NO1. Was Sparta’s political structure (oligarchy) more stable than Athens (democracy)?
2. Was the fall of Rome inevitable?
3. Who contributed more to culture in the ancient world: Athens or Hellenistic Greece?
4. Who was more important to Greek history: Pericles or Alexander the Great?
5. Which was more successful, the RomanRepublic or the Roman Empire?
6. Who was the greatest Roman Emperor: Constantine, Augustus, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelias? (pick 2 emperors to debate)
7. Who was the greatest general: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar or Hannibal?
*3-way debate
8. Which civilization has left more cultural legacies on the modern world, Greece or Rome?
Helpful Hints
Preparing for the Debate
1) Introduction
-introduce team members
-introduce question
-state your side (thesis)
-give any necessary definitions
2) Tell a story
-provide background information / overview of the topic / issue (dates, key people, impact on society)
-give perspective to the side that you are arguing that may appeal to the audience (“Imagine…”)
-state effects of the issue on history (social, political, economic, military)
-show images / quotes / stats
3) State Arguments
-state the main arguments that your team will be presenting (name or categorize the arguments)
-offer some challenges / questions to the opposition
-restate your thesis / 1) Formulate your argument (name it under a theme or catchy name that is easy for the class to recall-- ie. "My first argument that I will present to you will be called the 'Puppeteer' argument". (this could be an argument as to why Hitler could not have been stopped prior to 1939 because he was a mastermind at manipulating the masses of the people AND world leaders
2) Show specific visual evidence such as images, quotes from speeches, statistics, timeline etc.. in a powerpoint or word document
3) Be clear and concise and convince your audience. Time your argument. Do not read paragraphs to the class--- summarize your ideas and make simple and easy to understand points with evidence to back it up.
Remember, it is not what you think, it is what you can prove!!!
4) Relate back to the thesis / side of the debate you are proving.
/ 1) Before hand:
Prepare potential challenges that you can pose to your opposition. Find evidence to back up your challenges. You may also want to share your main arguments with the opposition (and vice versa) to allow for a more academic debate
2) During the Debate:
a) Rebuttal- Listen to the opening statement and arguments presented. You must make challenges based on what has been presented during the debate. Ask for clarification, pose questions, challenge sources, arguments, evidence (or lack of) and show evidence to prove your own challenges.
b) Free for all- you can challenge / defend and address any points, arguments, evidence etc. made during the debate. Don't let up (no dead air)
/ 1) Conclusion
-restate team members
- restate question and any definitions
-restate thesis
2) Recap the Issue
-restate the major issue, impact, effects and perspective of the topic
3) Recap Arguments and Evidence
-restate the main arguments and highlight all the major evidence used to prove both arguments
-show images / quotes / stats
4) Challenges
-restate the major challenges to oppositions arguments / evidence
5) Closing
-restate thesis
-end with a quote / statistics or image
Definitions
Depending on the topic question, key terms may need to be defined (ie. “justified”, “winner” etc.)
Groups must come to a consensus on all terms that need to be defined. This will avoid the use of different definitions in the debate and keep the question clear and concise.
Debating
Always stand when speaking
Stand as a team to show support of your partner
use visuals (images, quotes, statistics, charts, graphs, maps)
Use LARGE font and bold , underline, italics or highlight tool on documents / powerpoints / visuals
Always include the source under all evidence (or use footnotes)
Organize your evidence so it is easy to read and follow
Have your team help with AV (Smart Board, Smart Ideas, powerpoint, slideshow) while you are presenting your opening / closing, arguments or challenges
Have a pen / pencil and piece of paper to write down notes / ideas / rebuttals / points that you want to make
Always make clear connections and provide analysis and conclusions between your evidence, arguments and your thesis
face your opponents but also open yourself to the audience (do not speak with your back to them- remember they are the ones who are voting)
be confident: eye contact, clear voice, presentation of ideas
be respectful: remember it is an academic debate (not a yelling match)
prepare and practice your arguments (use all your time as most efficiently as possible)
dress professionally
Knowledge &
Understanding
-historical accuracy / -student provides exceptionally detailed and historically accurate information in opening / closing statement and in main argument
-student shows a high to very high degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information / -student provides proficient details and historically accurate information in opening / closing and in main argument
-shows a considerable degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information / - student provides adequate information that is accurate but needs more details in opening / closing and argument
-shows a moderate degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information / -student provides few details or inaccurate or irrelevant information in opening / closing statements and arguments
-shows an insufficient
degree of understanding of ideas/concepts/ themes/information
Thinking &
Inquiry
-connecting evidence / - skilfully draws connections by using more than two pieces of evidence (visually) that overwhelmingly supports argument
-uses critical listening skills (e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; note making; assessing validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases) with a high degree of effectiveness / - makes connections by using two pieces of evidence (visually) that effectively supports argument
-uses critical listening skills (e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; note making; assessing validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases) with effectiveness / - student presents some evidence (visually) to support arguments and conclusions
-uses critical listening
skills (e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; note making; assessing validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases with a moderate degree of effectiveness / - student offers little to no evidence to support argument
-uses critical listening
skills (e.g., identifying main ideas and significant supporting details; note making; assessing validity of arguments and conclusions; making inferences; evaluating implicit and explicit ideas; detecting assumptions, omissions, biases with little or no effectiveness
Communication
-clarity of ideas
-delivery / - student exceptionally expresses and organizes ideas clearly, logically coherently and concisely to audience in confident manner
- student skilfully varies pitch, tone, uses humour and appropriate language to convince audience
-uses academic theoretical language with a high to very high degree of effectiveness / - student speaks clearly and confidently to audiencein an organized and logical fashion
- student uses appropriate language, volume, tone and humour to convince audience / - student needs to speak more clearly and confidently and express ideas more logically
- adequate use of language, volume, tone to convince audience / - often hard to hear student or student seem lost or confused; lack of organized thoughts and research
-student needs to used volume, tone to be more convincing
Application
-rebuttals
-free for all
-academic debate
/ - clear and thorough preparation for opponents points with exceptional challenges / rebuttals with evidence
-excellent applications made to maintain an academic debate (language, demeanor, respect for opponents and audience, tone of voice, appropriate behavniour) at all times / - student has prepared for points by opponent and responds proficiently with evidence
-great applications made to maintain an academic debate (language, demeanor, respect for opponents and audience, tone of voice, appropriate behavniour) / - adequate preparation for opponents’ arguments but needs stronger rebuttals
-moderate applications made to maintain an academic debate (language, demeanor, respect for opponents and audience, tone of voice, appropriate behavniour) / - student seems totally unprepared for opponents’ points and make few rebuttals
-limited applications made to maintain an academic debate (language, demeanor, respect for opponents and audience, tone of voice, appropriate behavniour)
Great Debates: Sample Fact Sheet
NAME:______DATE: ______
DEBATE QUESTION: ______
SIDE: YES NO
Opening / Closing Statement (see instructions):
MAIN ARGUMENT / EVIDENCE / SOURCEFootnoteEVIDENCE / SOURCEFootnote
EVIDENCE / SOURCEFootnote
ARGUMENTS EXPECTED OPPONENTS TO MAKE / PLANNED REBUTTALS WITH EVIDENCE
BIBLIOGRAPHY (proper format please!)Citation BuilderExample of How to Set up Evidence for Debates.
Debate Question: "Is thesituation inDarfur a genocide?"
Section 1: Evidence for Main Argument
Section 2: Evidence for Opening / Closing / Free for All
Section 3: Evidence for Rebuttals
Section 1: Evidence for Main Argument
The genocide in Darfur has claimed 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. More than one hundred people continue to die each day; five thousand die every month.
A pattern of government sponsored actions include:
• Backing Janjaweed militias in systematic attacks against civilians from the same ethnic groups as the rebel forces, primarily the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit ethnic groups;
• Bombing civilians from aircraft;
• Committing massive human rights abuses including: murder, rape, and persecution based on race, ethnicity, and religion;
• Impeding international humanitarian access, resulting in deadly conditions of life for displaced people;
• Harassing internally displaced persons.
Since February 2003, the Sudanese government in Khartoum and the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers and mass murder.
In March 2005, the UN Security Council referred the case of Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide. In July 2008, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested the court issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, charging him with genocide among other crimes for the government's role in orchestrating violence in Darfur.
How many refugees and internally displaced people are women and girls?
Today, of the 2.5 million Darfuri civilians that are displaced and living in refugee camps, around 80% are women and girls.
Are women and girls safe in refugee camps?
Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of all Darfuri civilians. Women and girls are most at risk when they leave the camps in search firewood and water. Chances are highthat they will be subjected to acts of sexual violence and other brutal assaults by Janjawid militia.
Sudan Expels the IRC
Darfur has been described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Now, Sudan's forced closure of IRC aid programs in Darfur, as well as North and East Sudan, puts at risk the lives of 1.75 million men, women and children who depend on them.
Section 2: Evidence for Opening / Closing/ Free for All (used for opening, free for all etc.)
It buys about two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports. About 70% of Sudan's oil revenues go to its military, which is involved in the mass murders. Yet China's involvement is not just indirect. China sells arms and aircraft to Sudan in a manner that is almost certainly in violation of the United Nations's arms embargo
Beijing supports the Sudanese government, which in turn sponsors the Janjaweed militia. The Janjaweed has murdered more 400,000 civilians in Darfur and driven another 2.5 million of them from their homes
Given its history in Tibet -- where, even before the Cultural Revolution, the International Commission of Jurists found "acts of genocide had been committed . . . in an attempt to destroy the Tibetans as a religious group" -- China is more than unlikely to put concern for human rights before its economic self-interest.
Sudanese oil shipments to China increased 63% from 2003 to 2006 and soared 113% last year alone. In 2007, China purchased 40% of Sudan's 25-million-ton annual output of oil, accounting for about 6% of all Chinese oil imports (BusinessWeek.com, 2/13/08). State-owned China National Petroleum (CNPC) is the single largest investor in Sudan through its 40% stake in Greater Nile Petroleum, based in Khartoum.
China sold $3 million in small arms to Khartoum in 2003; that number reached more than $55 million by 2006.
China has thwarted or watered down several Security Council resolutions related to Darfur. China has prevented resolutions that would impose multilateral economic and diplomatic sanctions, and resisted efforts to sanction Sudanese officials charged with war crimes.
China has broken United Nations arms embargo by supplying weapons with attack helicopters, bombers and other weapons for use against civilians in Darfur. Amnesty international has photographed strike aircraft at three airports in Darfur. Their presence violates Un resolution 1591 which banned Sudan form transferring any weaponry to Darfur without security councils official permission.
Section 3: Rebuttal Evidence
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan:
Manuel Aranda da Silva
‘The situation is worse than it has ever been…The violence and the threat to humanitarian workers continues unabated.’
Tears of the Desert
Halima Bashir
United Nations World Food Programme Spokes person
Simon Crittle
“The Humanitarian situation in Darfur remains absolutely critical. At any time we could face a catastrophe If the security situation gets worse than it is already’
Tears of the Desert
Halima Bashir
Medecins sans frontiers (Doctors without Borders/MSF)
More than 2000 staff on ground at Darfur
‘it is very difficult for aid workers to move outside the camps, which means it is hard to do exploder missions to areas where there is need. The situation is very bad and is not getting better.’
Tears of the Desert
Halima Bashir
Aid Agency
Danish Church
‘We continue to work in Darfur despite the worsening security situation…The situation in sudans western Darfur province is worsening day by day.’