Description
Looking to engage your students in a style of debate they’ll love? This debate unit teaches the Lincoln-Douglas debate format with a slideshow lesson, debate graphic organizer, teacher moderator script, and an editable debate rubric. Suitable for online learning with digital resources for Google Classroom®!
Included with this Lincoln-Douglas Debate:
- Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format Slideshow Lesson – Google Slides®, Microsoft PowerPoint®, & PDF
- Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format Informational Handout – Digital & Print
- Debate Graphic Organizer – Digital & Print
- Differentiated Debate Graphic Organizer – Digital & Print
- Teacher Moderator Script and Debate Instructions – Digital & Print
- Editable 4-Level Debate Rubric – Digital & Print
- Teacher Instructions for using this resource
How to use this Lincoln-Douglas Debate:
This debate outline uses the Lincoln-Douglas Debate format and includes a comprehensive set of resources to facilitate a successful classroom debate. The format of this debate style is uniquely designed to help students engage in intellectual discussions that challenge their understanding of societal issues, ethical dilemmas, and moral values. This resource package includes a variety of materials, such as a slideshow lesson, teacher handouts, scripts, rubrics, as well as student handouts and graphic organizers. These resources are structured to guide students through each step of the debate process, helping them develop critical thinking and public speaking skills in a supportive environment. By following the steps laid out in this package, you will be able to set up a productive debate experience for your students, no matter their experience level.
The Lincoln-Douglas Debate format is one of the most well-known and widely practiced styles of debate, emphasizing the importance of competing values in a structured environment. Unlike other debate formats that might focus on policy proposals or direct fact-based arguments, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate is designed around moral reasoning and values-based discussion. It is a one-on-one debate, in which one participant argues in favor of a given proposition (the affirmative side), while the other defends the opposite position (the negative side). This structure helps students hone their skills in constructing logical arguments, defending their views, and rebutting counterarguments in a manner that respects opposing perspectives.
This style of debate is commonly used in competitive debate tournaments across the world, especially in those hosted by prestigious organizations such as the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and the National Educational Debate Association (NEDA). These organizations host annual competitions that attract high school students eager to demonstrate their debate and public speaking skills, often in front of large audiences. The Lincoln-Douglas Debate format has become a benchmark for competitive debate, challenging students to engage in complex discussions that require them to understand not only their topic but also the larger societal context in which the issue exists.
For teachers new to debate instruction, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate format offers an easy-to-follow structure for students to learn. This format does not only provide a rich educational experience for students, but it also fosters a democratic approach to discussing complex societal issues. When used in the classroom, it creates a space where students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to engage with real-world topics, enhancing their intellectual maturity and ability to communicate persuasively.
To begin this debate unit, start by reviewing the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Slideshow Lesson or the Debate Format Informational Handout with your students. These materials introduce the fundamental structure and process of the debate and provide students with a strong foundation for participating effectively in the discussions. The slideshow explains key terms, outlines the debate format, and introduces students to the various roles they will take on during the debate. The handouts offer additional clarity on each segment of the debate and reinforce the core concepts that students need to understand before stepping into the debating arena.
Once students are familiar with the Lincoln-Douglas Debate format, select a debate topic or introduce a set of “resolutions” for students to argue. A resolution is a statement that serves as the core of the debate, and it is the issue that participants will either defend or challenge during the debate. These topics could range from societal issues like freedom of speech to more moral debates such as animal rights, environmental sustainability, or the ethics of technology. By assigning students to argue either for or against the resolution, you help them practice not just arguing their own point of view but also understanding and engaging with a different perspective.
After introducing the debate topics, divide the class into two groups, ensuring each group contains representatives for both the affirmative and negative sides. As students prepare for the debate, distribute the Debate Graphic Organizer to help guide their research and argument development. Encourage all students to complete their organizers individually, even if they are working as part of a team. Each student will use their organizer to structure their arguments and gather relevant evidence to support their stance on the resolution. It’s important that students approach the task with a deep level of research and critical thinking, as the quality of their arguments will be directly impacted by the evidence they present.
The Debate Graphic Organizer is designed to support students at all levels of understanding. For those who may need more guidance, the Differentiated Debate Graphic Organizer provides additional scaffolding to ensure that every student can effectively engage with the topic, regardless of their learning style or ability. By assigning sections of the organizer to different team members, students can collaborate while maintaining individual accountability for their research and preparation.
When it’s time for the debate itself, the Teacher Moderator Script and Instructions provide a clear guide to facilitate the proceedings. The script is easy to follow and requires minimal preparation—simply fill in the details for your chosen debate topics and arrange the classroom to reflect the structure of a formal debate. By assigning a student as the timekeeper, you can focus on assessing student performance as the debate unfolds. This role ensures that each speaker has an equal opportunity to present their arguments, and it helps maintain a structured pace throughout the session.
To assess student performance, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate includes a 4-Level Debate Rubric, which is editable for easy customization. This rubric is designed to evaluate the key elements of the debate, including argument strength, use of evidence, organization, and speaking skills. Teachers can modify the rubric to meet the specific needs of their classroom or curriculum, making it a versatile tool for assessment. A ready-to-print version is also provided to make the assessment process seamless.
Incorporating a Lincoln-Douglas Debate into your classroom allows students to engage deeply with issues that matter, promoting skills such as logical reasoning, public speaking, and respectful disagreement. Through these debates, students can build the confidence they need to express their opinions, challenge others’ viewpoints, and navigate complex societal issues with care and insight.
✨ Kindly note that due to copyright restrictions, this resource is not editable, except for the files specifically labelled as editable. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clip artists and software providers that have authorized their intellectual property for the development of this resource.
See what other teachers are saying about this Lincoln-Douglas Debate:
“This was a very helpful resource for my students. They are just starting to learn how to debate correctly and this resource provided a great guideline and instructions. The students said it was very easy to follow. ”
– Teenina B.
⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
Verified owner
Abigail Y. (verified owner) –
Love it!
Vivian A. (verified owner) –
Everything I needed to run an effective debate. Thanks!
Todd B. (verified owner) –
LOVED THIS!!
Heidi H. (verified owner) –
Easy to follow and engaging for my students. Thank you for this resource.
Jacqueline C. (verified owner) –
We enjoyed this resource!
Jacqueline C. (verified owner) –
We enjoyed this resource!
Emilie H. (verified owner) –
I used this resource alongside a non-fiction unit about Lizzie Borden’s murder trial. The students were already engaged in the content, but this resource really helped organize their thoughts for the debate.
Emilie H. (verified owner) –
I used this resource alongside a non-fiction unit about Lizzie Borden’s murder trial. The students were already engaged in the content, but this resource really helped organize their thoughts for the debate.
Mical S. (verified owner) –
This was a great addition to my unit. Thank you!
Mical S. (verified owner) –
This was a great addition to my unit. Thank you!
Christopher C. (verified owner) –
Love this digital resource!
Nancy P. (verified owner) –
Very helpful!
Josephine Leela V. (verified owner) –
My students loved using this resource in the argumentative discussion class. It helped them to organise their points. Thank you
Lisa R. (verified owner) –
This is an amazing product and I anticipate using it as the foundation for debates with my classes for years to come. I had no idea how to structure a debate and this amazing product walked me through each step!
Deborah C. (verified owner) –
This is my first year attempting L-D Debating so this was extremely helpful.
Katja W. (verified owner) –
We had a lot of fun debating different topics and found this approach to be very balanced. The moderator script was a nice touch. I used your suggestion to let students dress in formal attire and it definitely set the tone!
Jamie H. (verified owner) –
Used this for an honors project. I had students that had never debated before and this was a great stepping stone for them.
Cindy B. (verified owner) –
Thank you for the resource. It fits the standards and is user friendly.
Kelly D. (verified owner) –
Wonderfully organized template for debates. I used this for my Spanish class with some adaptations!
Little School in the Bush (verified owner) –
It’s intimidating to try and teach debating skills when you haven’t done it yourself, but this helped lay things out very clearly.
Madeleine G. (verified owner) –
This a great resource to start the intro to what LD is.
Julia C. (verified owner) –
A great lesson for students learning the art of the debate.
Hannah K. (verified owner) –
Great Resource! My students enjoyed it! 10/10 would recommend!
Danielle W. (verified owner) –
This is a wonderful resource to keep students focused and engaged throughout their research and debate process.
Teenina B. (verified owner) –
This was a very helpful resource for my students. They are just starting to learn how to debate correctly and this resource provided a great guideline and instructions. The students said it was very easy to follow.
Brian L. (verified owner) –
This resource is well-designed and easily changed to fit the teacher’s needs. I am extremely happy with it and would purchase from this seller again.
Mrs. Martin (verified owner) –
The “Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format” resource is a valuable tool for guiding students through debate activities. Priced at $5.00, it includes a debate outline, graphic organizer, and rubric, providing a structured framework for effective debates. This resource has proven to be instrumental in helping students develop their argumentation and public speaking skills. I recommend it to educators looking to incorporate engaging debate activities into their curriculum.
Mrs. Martin (verified owner) –
The “Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format” resource is a valuable tool for guiding students through debate activities. Priced at $5.00, it includes a debate outline, graphic organizer, and rubric, providing a structured framework for effective debates. This resource has proven to be instrumental in helping students develop their argumentation and public speaking skills. I recommend it to educators looking to incorporate engaging debate activities into their curriculum.
Amy M. (verified owner) –
Using this in my intro to public speaking course and it is a great lesson/activity!
Brenda P. (verified owner) –
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
Heather S. (verified owner) –
My students loved this resource. It fit perfectly with our lesson and helped clarify and engage the students.
Teaching the Sweet Way (verified owner) –
Easy to use and great outline for my students new to debates!
Amy H. (verified owner) –
This was a great resource to get my students started with Lincoln Douglas! It certainly wouldn’t prepare them for a debate competition, but since that wasn’t my intention, it worked perfectly! It had the appropriate goals and structure of the debate without getting too bogged down in the intricacies of competition debate. Thanks!
Lori C. (verified owner) –
This worked great with my 12th-grade students as we debated the use of the 14th Amendment to keep Trump off the ballot in Colorado. It was a great tool to support my students as they researched and prepared for the debate.
Mari G. (verified owner) –
Excellent resource that saved me a lot of time, and helped me present information in a more organized and effective way to my students!
Amy P. (verified owner) –
This resource was easy to use and simple to implement without much prep for my speech & debate class. Lincoln Douglas debates ended up being one of our class’ faves this year.
Libby M. (verified owner) –
We did this at the end of the year to learn more about argumentative writing and it was a super fun resource to use!
Vanessa S. (verified owner) –
This resource helped my students understand the organization of the Lincoln-Douglas debate format!
Brittany H. (verified owner) –
Perfect to use to supplement my school curriculum, easy to implement. Gives the students the extra practice that they need.
Rachel M. (verified owner) –
My students sure love to argue and this was a fun way to let them explore historical debates!
James N. (verified owner) –
This is an excellent resource for working through a debate format as well as dicuss the historical creation. My students used this a lot as a reference tool in the semester class.
Conor & Dana –
My students love the debate unit! Thanks for creating a straightforward LD resource.
Jessica M. –
This made the end of the semester work for my class so much easier! It covered everything that I needed and then some.
Keira L. –
This was so helpful to me and my students. We are all new to the world of debate, so I needed all the assistance I could get. Everything was clear and well-crafted!
Carol M. –
This was a useful tool to reinforce thesis writing with my high schoolers. Thanks!