Assessment Instructions
Preparation
- Select a debate topic from the Debate Topics [PDF] document.
- You may choose to watch this video on building arguments:
- Reading Pioneers Academy. (2015, December 13). Debate skill: Argument building [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zZ4YEuThRw
- Preview the Debate Preparation and Summary Worksheet [DOCX] that you will use complete for the assessment.
- Research your topic to gather the sources you’ll need to complete the worksheet.
Instructions
Choose a position and then prepare to support it, using the Debate Preparation and Summary Worksheet, as if you were going to participate in a debate.
In the worksheet, present your position and arguments for the debate topic, counterarguments to your position and arguments, and rebuttals to those counterarguments. The worksheet will finish with a conclusion on the strength of your position. Before submitting the worksheet, be sure to review the assessment scoring guide to ensure that you meet all criteria, including the following:
- Your position.
- At least three well-developed arguments.
- Evidence to support your arguments (that is, data and research), including how the evidence supports the arguments.
- Counterarguments to your points.
- Rebuttals to the counterarguments that oppose your arguments.
- Evidence to support your rebuttals (data and research), including how the evidence supports the rebuttals.
- A conclusion that asserts why your position is strong.
- In-text citations and references for all sources of information.
Submission Requirements
Submit the completed worksheet as your deliverable for the assessment.
