Students research, prepare, and participate in structured debates on age-appropriate topics, developing persuasive speaking, critical listening, and logical reasoning skills while learning to respectfully engage with different viewpoints.
Debate Club introduces Grade 4 students to the fundamentals of formal debate in an engaging, supportive environment. Students learn to research topics, organize arguments, use persuasive language, and respond respectfully to opposing viewpoints. Through structured debate activities, students develop critical thinking, public speaking confidence, and active listening skills while exploring topics relevant to their lives and curriculum.
Students engage in a structured debate, practicing persuasive speaking and respectful listening skills.
This simplified debate format is designed for Grade 4 students, providing structure while being accessible for beginning debaters. Each side has equal time to present their arguments and respond to the opposing team.
Each team presents their position on the topic, explaining their main arguments and why they believe their side is correct.
Teams provide evidence, examples, and reasons to support their position. Each team member should contribute at least one point.
Teams work together to prepare responses to the opposing team's arguments.
Teams respond to the opposing arguments, explaining why they disagree or why their position is stronger.
Teams summarize their position and main points, explaining why the audience should agree with their side.
Audience members (other students) ask questions to either team, and teams respond briefly to clarify their positions.
All participants discuss what they learned from the debate, regardless of which side they were on or which arguments they found most convincing.
