- State College Area School District
- State College Area School District
Debates develop valuable skills at MNMS
A French essayist and moralist, Joseph Joubert, once stated, “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”
By that measure, Mount Nittany Middle School students followed the right course.
Recently, MNMS teacher Brenda Stout’s Academic Literacy classes debated a variety of questions, settling nothing — but that was the point. Putting their argumentative skills to the test, they explored such topics as school uniform policies, whether to financially compensate college athletes, animal experimentation and police brutality.
“The debates were a great experience for the students, teachers, and judges involved,” Stout said. “It was gratifying for students to see their hard work and dedication during research come full circle into a well-delivered argument for their position on a topic. Students were genuine and passionate in their presentations, and the rebuttals added intensity to the discussion!”
Intense discussions required intensive research.
“Preparation for the debates was key as this was the first time that the majority of the students actually debated,” Stout stated. “I explained that it was like putting an argumentative essay into action. Students critically read a variety of articles, and used the facts they found in their research to construct a strong and valid argument.”
Collaborating with their team to create an assertion statements and reasoning statements was the next step after being assigned a position on the topic. Teams consisted of up to three or four members on each side, proposition and opposition. Students were given time to organize and develop their individual speeches with their team, with rebuttals encouraged.
On top of being prepared, students were expected to come “dressed for success” and then conduct themselves in a mature manner.
“So many valuable skills and strategies were applied during this project as students were immersed in reading, writing, listening, and speaking throughout the debate process,” Stout said. “In addition, students learned how to effectively research both sides of a topic so that they were prepared for rebuttals and possible opposing views. Reading critically during their research was necessary so that they could build a well-constructed argument. Through teacher modeling and practice, they were able to synthesize information and pull valid evidence to support their topic.”
Teachers and administrators helped out with the judging. Stout extended a special thank you to librarian Dotty Delafield “for her expertise and support in setting up an amazing set of resources for students to access during their research.”
In assigning the project, Stout wanted “students to finish the debates feeling a genuine sense of achievement and to build confidence in presenting to their peers.” Judging from two responses, she accomplished her goal.
“Debates lit up the classroom by bringing real world issues and connections to Academic Literacy class,” student Abby Bainbridge said.
Performing the debate speeches, student Victoria Walker said, was “truly an inspiring experience.”
“I enjoyed collecting data and being able to voice my opinion on the topic,” Walker said. “I would love to do a project like this again because I had a lot of fun.”