Debate

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/debate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the disciplinary foundation?Rooted in logic, rhetoric, and philosophy
2. What is the historical significance?Integral to the development of democratic societies and intellectual traditions
3. Why do we learn debate in school?Debate helps us think carefully, find good evidence, and speak clearly, so we can understand and respect other people's ideas.
4. How does a debate usually happen?In a debate, each side gives speeches, then asks questions, and finally says why their ideas are better, while judges decide who used strong logic and good evidence.

Proposition: A statement or assertion that is put forward by a debating team for acceptance.
Adjudication: The process of making a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.
Fallacy: A mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument.