How to debate
I can understand what a debate is and deliver a speech.
How to debate
I can understand what a debate is and deliver a speech.
Link copied to clipboard
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A debate is a structured argument between two teams who either agree or disagree with a motion.
- The motion is the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated.
- An opinion is a view or belief that a person has and robust reasoning supports an opinion.
- The PEPS structure stands for: point, explanation, proof, summary.
Keywords
Debate - a structured argument between two teams
Opinion - a view or belief that a person has
Reasoning - explaining why a person has a certain opinion
Motion - the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated
Common misconception
Pupils may think that a speech in a debate can be improvised on the spot and not follow a structure.
Teach pupils that following a structure will help to make their speech flow better and be easier for an audience to follow.
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: How to debate, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: How to debate, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the Debating important topics unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a structured argument between two teams
explaining why a person has a certain opinion
the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated