PDF lesson plan for debate in KS2
KS2
Years 3-6
Are computers better than books? Help pupils make clear and confident arguments with this debate KS2 lesson plan from Debbie Newman…
Would you have rather lived in Victorian times? Can children make a difference to the environment? Were Romeo and Juliet’s parents to blame for their deaths? You can use debates in every curriculum subject.
They can breed a culture of speakers who deliver confident and articulate balanced arguments. You’ll also be creating listeners who engage actively and critically with discussions, and writers who lay out their ideas in structured points.
As readers, pupils will learn to interrogate texts. They’ll become citizens who approach divisive issues with an open mind.
What they’ll learn
- Consider both sides of an issue
- Form an effective argument
- Structure a speech
- Listen and challenge other’s views constructively
- Deliver a speech clearly and confidently
Debate KS2 starter activity
Argument Tennis is a great way to get pupils warmed up and practising articulating arguments. The game is played in pairs and children label themselves A and B.
The object is to knock an argument back and forth across an imaginary net, using imaginary bats, by giving reasons for and against.
Give the class a topic such as “Children at primary school should not have their own phones” or “We should ban zoos”. Give ‘A’ pupils the service (meaning that they start and agree with the topic). Bs disagree.
Run the game a few times with different topics and sides, giving them a couple of minutes for each theme. For extra help, you can watch a video of this game.
Debbie Newman is a former English teacher who coached the England Schools Team to victory in the 2010 World Debating Championships. She is now the director of the Noisy Classroom, an organisation that supports the use of debate and critical oracy in schools.
