Grades 4 - 6

Debate: Let’s Chat!

• Debate Organizer

• Build critical thinking

• Open-ended opportunities

• Strengthen fluency

• Develop persuasive reasoning skills

• 10 Debate Topics

Meets Literacy

Common Core

Standards

CCSS ELA-Literacy SL

4.3, 5.3, 5.4, 6.3

CCSS ELA-Literacy W

4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2

Fun Cell Phone

CRAFTIVITY

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1. Cover page

2. Table of Contents

3. Teacher Background & Copy Info

4. Teacher Notes

5. Teacher Instructions | Tips and Debate Topics

6. Teacher Instructions | Sticky Note Stats

7. Fortunate vs. Unfortunate (A Story About Perspective)

8. Find Someone Who Game

9. The Language of Debate

10. Organizing an Argument

11. Transitional Phrases for Debate

12. Student Directions

13. Cell Phone Template | Cover and Back Page

14. Cell Phone Template

15. Cell Phone Template

16. Cell Phone Template-Add Your Own Text

17. Cell Phone Template-Add Your Own Text

18. Credits and Terms of Use

Table of Contents

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What better way to have students learn debate skills than with this fun, interactive, Let’s Chat,

Cell Phone? This debate organizer was designed to be a means to developing the foundation of

a successful debate with pros and cons of a discussion.

Debate is an important life skill. This classroom outline is designed to help students organize

effective inquiry-based classroom debates.

*Please Note* This is only an organizer. Students will need resources or materials for research of

the debate topic. This organizer could be used in a variety of ways for reading literature as well.

For example, students could use prompts to provide evidence for character analysis

Debate topics are included. However, this activity could also work as a differentiated activity

where students choose their own topic.

Student Objectives:• Review the language of debate

• Describe the basic elements of debate

• Understand and practice how to organize a basic debate

• Construct a simple order of debate based on reasoning and evidence

• Recognize and utilize various transitional phrases of debate

• Create a Cell-phone craftivity as a fun and interactive debate organizer.

• Share various arguments of a topic

Copy Instructions for Student Handouts

• Page 7 ( or you can read aloud without handing it out to all)

• Page 8 (If you want students to play, Find Someone Who)

• Pages 9-10 back to back

• Pages 11-12 back to back

• Page 13

• Page 14

• Page 15

• Page 16 (optional if you want to add your own prompts)

• Page 17 (optional if you want to add your own prompts)

Teacher Background & Copy Info

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Activity Materials Tips Approx. Time

Introduction to Debate

Discuss what they know

already about debate

Sticky Note Activity:

Page 5

Sticky Note for each

student

Debate Topic written on

board or butcher paper

Pencils

You choose what you would like

students to debate.

Let them share and decide if they would

change their mind based on new

reasoning and evidence.

Fortunate vs.

Unfortunate: Page 6This reading passage could be

passed out or you could read aloud

and discuss. No written work.

Find Someone Who

Game

Student Handout pg. 8

Pencils

This is a Scavenger Style game where

students walk around looking for

classmates who agree with debatable

statements. See student handout for

specific directions

The Language of Debate

Organizing an Argument

Transitional Phrases

Student Directions

Student Handouts

PencilsRead through each page and

discuss

Let’s Chat: Cell Phone

CraftivityCell Phone Templates

Scissors

Colored

pencils/markers

Glue

Debate Topic up to

Teacher

This is Teacher directed and up to

you to decide how you want to

differentiate the task of debate

research. This activity may take 45-

60 minutes depending on student

levels.

Share Cell Phone

DebatesFinished craftivity Give students time to share their

arguments

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Teacher Notes

1. Should competitive eating be banned?

2. Recess should be 15 minutes longer

3. Should skating be allowed on roadside walks?

4. Are athletes heroes?

5. Are trampolines safe?

6. Should schools have metal detectors?

7. Are paper books better than e-books?

8. Should grades matter for athletes?

9. Should 6th grade be elementary school or middle school?

10. Should kids be allowed to choose between online or

traditional school?

Teacher TipsThis workshop is more student directed, so the timing will vary depending on

your expectations.

Start off the unit with discussing what students already know or want to know

about Debate. The following order is at your discretion depending on the

amount of time you would like to spend all together. These activities are

meant to use all together or in chunks.

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Debate Topics

Cell Phone Craftivity

Objective: To understand that personal viewpoints may be influenced by a person’s culture,

background or life experience

This simple strategy is a fun activity to do prior to a debate or discussion as a way

to find out if opinions can change based on new reasoning or evidence.

Give 1 sticky note to each student

Ask students to write their names on the sticky note

Introduce a debate topic and pose it as a question. For example, “Should cell phones be allowed at

school?”

Write, “YES” and “NO” on the board. Draw a line down the middle.

Invite the students to walk up to the board and place their sticky note under the position that they

support.

Complete a debate activity. After students have heard all sides of a debate, invite those who have

changed their minds as a result of the discussion to go up to the board and move their sticky note.

Sticky note stats

Yes No

Teacher Instructions

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Fortunate vs. UnfortunateA story about perspective

Objective: To understand that personal viewpoints or opinions may be influenced by a person’s culture,

background or life experience

Once upon a time, in the city of San Diego, there lived a very wealthy family. The family consisted of a mom, a

dad and 3 children who were 5, 7 and 9. The children had everything they needed and they even had most

things they wanted in their beautiful home by the bay.

One day the children were arguing over a video game and the mom had decided she’d had enough. Her

children seemed unappreciative and spoiled, she didn't think they knew just how fortunate they were to live in

such a lovely home within, "America's Finest City." She decided she would teach her children a lesson.

The mother made arrangements to stay with a family who lived on a ranch in the local mountains. As she and

the children drove down the hill back to their home, she asked, "How did you like living in the mountains for the

past few days?"

The children chatted about how much they enjoyed it and how they liked all the animals. Then the mother

asked, "Isn't it amazing how unfortunate they are to live in such a small home, up in the mountains with no one

else around them?" "Don't you feel lucky to live in a big home, close to the city and have a beach nearby?" "I

hope you learned to appreciate all the wonderful things you have and not fight over those things any longer."

The children did not understand and they made the following statements:

"But, Mom, we have a tiny fenced in yard and the mountain people's yard goes on forever!"

"Yeah, and they can swim in that pretty pond without the chlorine hurting their eyes."

"Did you see how pretty the stars are at night?" We never get to see the stars because of all the city lights."

"How come they don't need alarms in their house? It seems a lot safer."

"I think they are luckier than us, Mom."

Mom was speechless.

FOR DISCUSSION:

Whose perspective is correct?

Is there a right or wrong opinion? Why or why not?

What affected the children’s perspective, culture, background or experience?

What does it mean to be fortunate or lucky?

Name____________

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Find someone who…• Use this fun game to help get to know your classmates opinions.

• Walk around the room and politely ask your friends if they agree with the following assertions

(statements).

• If they answer yes, you can write their name in that box, then move on to ask someone else.

• You may only write someone's name down once on your sheet. Try to fill all the squares.

Name____________

Competitive eating

contests are all in

fun and should be

allowed

Competitive eating

contests are

dangerous and

should not be

allowed

Playstation is better

than Xbox

PC is better than

Console

Recess should be

15 minutes longer

The amount of time

we get for recess is

fine

Skateboards or

skating should be

allowed on

sidewalks

Skateboards or

skating should NOT

be allowed on

sidewalks

All professional

athletes are heroes

Trampolines are not

safeAll schools should

have metal

detectors

Schools do not

need metal

detectors

E-books are better

than paper books

Paper books are

better than E-books

School athletes

should get good

grades or not be

able to play sports

Grades should not

matter if a student

wants to play sports

on a school team

Cell phones should

not be allowed on

school campuses

6th grade should be

middle school

6th grade should be

elementary school

Students should be

able to choose

between traditional

school or online

school

Traditional schools

are better for

students than

online schools

Xbox is better than

Playstation

Cafeterias should

serve flavored milk

Cafeterias should

serve flavored milk,

such as chocolate

or strawberry

Cafeterias should

not serve flavored

milk, students don’t

need more sugar

during school

Analogy: a comparison between two things

Argument: an exchange of opposite views or proof in support of an idea

Assertion: a confident statement of fact or belief

Cause and Effect: an example of why something happens and what happens because of it

Conclusion: the summary of an argument

Debate: a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which

opposing arguments are put forward. Debates start with an assertion and lead to a conclusion.

Dispute: a disagreement or debate, to argue about something

Evidence: Proof of reasoning

Fact: a thing that is indisputably the case or true

Fallacy: a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument, an error in debate

Give and Take: a healthy argument where each other listens and responds appropriately

Influence: the ability to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of something

Opinion: a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge

Opposition: a statement that disagrees. The con side of an argument.

Persuade: cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument

Proposition: a statement that agrees. The pro side of an issue.

Reasoning: a person’s explanation for why they believe what they do.

Refutation: the action of proving a statement to be wrong or false:

The language of debate

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• Assertion: an opening statement of fact or belief to be debated

• Reasoning: an explanation for an action, event or belief

• Evidence: proof of the reasoning to explain an assertion

• Conclusion: a statement that summarizes an argument

There are always, at least, two sides to every debate, Pro or Con.

• Proposition: a statement that agrees. The pro side of an issue.

• Opposition: a statement that disagrees. The con side of an

argument

Organizing an argument

Most often, the most important part of winning an argument is being able to

understand your opponent’s reasoning and evidence for their point of view.

To successfully support your case, you must be able to respond and refute

your opponent’s points. Using a graphic organizer to plan your argument

can be very helpful in developing a successful debate.

There are 4 parts of an argument that are necessary in order for it to be

debatable. Assertion, Reasoning, Evidence and Conclusion.

Name ________________

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Transit

ional P

hrases

for

Deb

ate

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Student DirectionsFor the Cell-Phone Debate Organizer

• Front of Cell Phone- Fill in the blank for the topic you will be

debating. For example, you might write, “Cell Phones in

School” Draw a picture.

• Decide what side you want to be on and write an assertion on

page 1. Refer to your Transitional Phrases for strong argument

language. For example, you might write, “Based on what I

know, I would like to assert that cell phones should be allowed

at school.”

• Page 2- Use complete sentences. Give at least 2 really good reason for why you think the way

you do.

• Page 3- Give 1 or 2 examples of evidence that support your reasoning.

• Panel 4-This is where you write about the opposite side of your assertion. If someone were to

disagree with you, what would they say?

• Panel 5-What 1 or 2 reasons would they give for their side of the argument?

• Back of Cell Phone- This is where you repeat your assertion. Chirp to all a convincing as to why

everyone should agree with you.

• Finally, have fun with #hashtags. Create 3 hashtags that go along with your debate.

When finished writing your argument, put it all together

1. Cut out the pages as one whole piece.

2. Glue the “glue” page, to the back of page 3.

3. Accordion fold the pages.

4. Cut out the cell phone front and back cover as one piece. Fold in half.

5. Glue the folded pages to the inside of the cell phone. Color the cell phone and prepare to share

your argument.

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Let’s

Chat a

bout

Chir

p a

bout y

our c

onclusio

n

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# H

ashtag 3

fin

al t

houghts

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Nam

e___

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He

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My O

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13

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54

Glu

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