Class Debate/ Discussion

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

What are we doing today?

Class debate

Discussion

Vocabulary

Topic

Van de tien best presterende onderwijslanden hebben wij de meest onrustige klassen, stelt docent Albert Mark van Leeuwen in NRC. Verder blijkt volgens hem uit onderzoek van de OESO dat leerlingen nauwelijks uit zichzelf lezen, liever geen sommen maken en geen tijd steken in het oplossen van moeilijke problemen. Aan de wortel van die onrust ligt een verlangen naar vrijheid, vrijheid waartoe het onderwijs vergeet op te leiden aldus Van Leeuwen. “Eens was de leerplicht het alternatief voor kinderarbeid, nu is het een ophokplicht. De leerplicht botst voortdurend met de eigengereidheid van onze jeugd.” Hij oppert dan ook om de leerplicht af te schaffen voor de examenjaren. We debatteren hierover met de stelling: 

Students should be exempt from attending school in their final year.

Choose a debate topic

1. It is never appropriate for the government to restrict freedom of speech.
2. All citizens who do not vote should pay a fine.
3. All students should be required to perform one year of community service.
4. All parents should attend parenting classes before having a child.

A

It is never appropriate for the government to restrict freedom of speech.

B

All citizens who do not vote should pay a fine.

C

All students should be required to perform one year of community service.

D

All parents should attend parenting classes before having a child.

Which side won?

1. Pro
2. Con

How do you feel you performed in the class debate?

What should be our next debate topic?

Discussion

Conversational skills include listening and responding

Start of rather extreme so you can work towards a compromise

You won't lose points for not winning the argument

How far are you with your topic?

1. Have no idea
2. Have an idea but have not done research yet
3. Have done research
4. Have done research and found synonyms

Find a topic

Look online for debate/discussion ideas, plus look at the booklet you have called Discussion Time

Ask your group

Find at least one English article about your topic

Formulate your statement

How far is your group?

1. No one has made a good statement yet
2. Some have a good statement
3. All have a statement/some have found an article
4. All have a statement and found and article

Vocabulary

To learn for a grade

To learn for your exams

To use in your oral exams

Vocabulary

Find at least 15 words you want to use in your discussion in the files on SOM