Students have been working hard during our medieval unit. We've learned about newspapers (and created our own medieval tabloid), we practiced research (and learned more about various aspects of medieval life), and we learned how to conduct a structured argument. During it all, we learned a lot about the Middle Ages!!
We wrapped up our unit by conducting "Medieval Vs. Modern" debates. (Scroll down to see pictures.)
Students were randomly drawn and assigned to argue the following positions:
Issue: Torture
Medieval position: Torture should be used to deal with criminals.
Modern position: It is wrong to torture other people, even criminals.
Issue: Healthcare
Medieval position: Using natural methods is the best way to help and heal the human body.
Modern position: Using manmade drugs and equipment is the best way to deal with healthcare issues.
Issue: Government
Medieval position: It’s best to have only one person in charge.
Modern position: Everyone should have a say in how the government runs.
Issue: Class System
Medieval position: There are certain classes of people, and they should all stick together and not mix with each other.
Modern position: Everyone has the right to try to be who they want to be, regardless of the class they were born in.
Teams then constructed their arguments, and debated the issues using the following format:
Medieval speaker 1: Introduction (state case, two arguments, and why audience should agree) – 1 minute
Modern speaker 1: Introduction (state state case, two arguments, and why audience should agree) – 1 minute
Medieval speaker 2: Restate case, present argument 1, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Modern speaker 2: Restate case, present argument 1, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Crossfire: Audience may ask questions about points 1 – 5 minutes
Medieval speaker 3: Restate case, present argument 2, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Modern speaker 3: Restate case, present argument 2, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Crossfire: Audience may ask questions about points 2 – 5 minutes
Regroup: Speakers compare notes and decide what information to use during conclusion – 5 minutes
Medieval speaker 1: Conclusion (restate case, rebut opposition’s case; say 1 thing they said, and discredit it, say another thing they said, and discredit, wrap up by persuading audience to agree) – 2 minutes
Modern speaker 1: Conclusion (restate case, rebut opposition’s case; say 1 thing they said, and discredit it, say another thing they said, and discredit, wrap up by restating your two arguments and persuading audience to agree) – 2 minutes
Teams were rated by the audience on debate components, and persuasion, and ballots were tallied to determine debate winners. Students discovered that debating effectively is a high level thinking skill, and can be a lot of fun! :)
Pictures: Periods 1, 3 Periods 4, 5 Periods 7, 8
We wrapped up our unit by conducting "Medieval Vs. Modern" debates. (Scroll down to see pictures.)
Students were randomly drawn and assigned to argue the following positions:
Issue: Torture
Medieval position: Torture should be used to deal with criminals.
Modern position: It is wrong to torture other people, even criminals.
Issue: Healthcare
Medieval position: Using natural methods is the best way to help and heal the human body.
Modern position: Using manmade drugs and equipment is the best way to deal with healthcare issues.
Issue: Government
Medieval position: It’s best to have only one person in charge.
Modern position: Everyone should have a say in how the government runs.
Issue: Class System
Medieval position: There are certain classes of people, and they should all stick together and not mix with each other.
Modern position: Everyone has the right to try to be who they want to be, regardless of the class they were born in.
Teams then constructed their arguments, and debated the issues using the following format:
Medieval speaker 1: Introduction (state case, two arguments, and why audience should agree) – 1 minute
Modern speaker 1: Introduction (state state case, two arguments, and why audience should agree) – 1 minute
Medieval speaker 2: Restate case, present argument 1, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Modern speaker 2: Restate case, present argument 1, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Crossfire: Audience may ask questions about points 1 – 5 minutes
Medieval speaker 3: Restate case, present argument 2, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Modern speaker 3: Restate case, present argument 2, give three justifications for it, end with persuasion – 3 minutes
Crossfire: Audience may ask questions about points 2 – 5 minutes
Regroup: Speakers compare notes and decide what information to use during conclusion – 5 minutes
Medieval speaker 1: Conclusion (restate case, rebut opposition’s case; say 1 thing they said, and discredit it, say another thing they said, and discredit, wrap up by persuading audience to agree) – 2 minutes
Modern speaker 1: Conclusion (restate case, rebut opposition’s case; say 1 thing they said, and discredit it, say another thing they said, and discredit, wrap up by restating your two arguments and persuading audience to agree) – 2 minutes
Teams were rated by the audience on debate components, and persuasion, and ballots were tallied to determine debate winners. Students discovered that debating effectively is a high level thinking skill, and can be a lot of fun! :)
Pictures: Periods 1, 3 Periods 4, 5 Periods 7, 8