Intelligence Squared Debate
What did we do for this project? Explain how we built background knowledge, our preparation process and our final product.
This project has been different than the other projects we’ve done this year. It felt like it started and ended in just a week or two. It started by us students practicing flowing debates to get the hang of it and how debates work. Then we chose topics, and began to write out arguments. One week, we spent each day critiquing either an argument or rebuttal, and then writing our next one. Once we had all of the arguments and rebuttals we needed, we put them together in an essay along with an introduction and conclusion paragraphs that we wrote. Then we started practicing for our debate. I was put on rebuttal for my team, so I practiced my rebuttal and rewrote it a bit to fit the debate. Then for the final product we had a debate in class. If you wanted to, you could also do a debate at the all school exhibition.
What enduring understandings will you take away from this project? Explain how this project has shaped the way you think about the Middle East, terrorism, and U.S. policy.
The enduring understandings that I’ve taken away from this project are that the world is a little harder to understand than I had thought. The main thing that really stands out to me, was when I was researching or listening to someone talk about the drones. I was on the pro drones team but I heard someone say that we use drones to fight terrorism, but our drones are terrorism to the people in the Middle East. That changed my views on the drone program. I became undecided because it made sense. Maybe what we are doing with drones is the wrong thing to do because the Middle East sees us as terrorists. It kinda ruins the U.S.’s image.
What argumentative skills did you develop during this project? Explain how you grew as a persuasive speaker.
To be honest, I don’t think I grew as a persuasive speaker during this project. I know we went over it a bit, and practiced, but I didn’t use it. I spoke as I’ve always spoke when in front of an audience. I said what I practiced saying and it was my usual speaking voice. I guess if I really had to say that I improved on something, it would be that I tried to use more one on one conversations by speaking straight to the other team and using eye contact. I didn’t use as much eye contact as I’d liked to have though.
This project has been different than the other projects we’ve done this year. It felt like it started and ended in just a week or two. It started by us students practicing flowing debates to get the hang of it and how debates work. Then we chose topics, and began to write out arguments. One week, we spent each day critiquing either an argument or rebuttal, and then writing our next one. Once we had all of the arguments and rebuttals we needed, we put them together in an essay along with an introduction and conclusion paragraphs that we wrote. Then we started practicing for our debate. I was put on rebuttal for my team, so I practiced my rebuttal and rewrote it a bit to fit the debate. Then for the final product we had a debate in class. If you wanted to, you could also do a debate at the all school exhibition.
What enduring understandings will you take away from this project? Explain how this project has shaped the way you think about the Middle East, terrorism, and U.S. policy.
The enduring understandings that I’ve taken away from this project are that the world is a little harder to understand than I had thought. The main thing that really stands out to me, was when I was researching or listening to someone talk about the drones. I was on the pro drones team but I heard someone say that we use drones to fight terrorism, but our drones are terrorism to the people in the Middle East. That changed my views on the drone program. I became undecided because it made sense. Maybe what we are doing with drones is the wrong thing to do because the Middle East sees us as terrorists. It kinda ruins the U.S.’s image.
What argumentative skills did you develop during this project? Explain how you grew as a persuasive speaker.
To be honest, I don’t think I grew as a persuasive speaker during this project. I know we went over it a bit, and practiced, but I didn’t use it. I spoke as I’ve always spoke when in front of an audience. I said what I practiced saying and it was my usual speaking voice. I guess if I really had to say that I improved on something, it would be that I tried to use more one on one conversations by speaking straight to the other team and using eye contact. I didn’t use as much eye contact as I’d liked to have though.