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. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clipartists 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®.
