BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE TRACK

BP DEBATE TRACK

DEBATE TERMINOLOGY

• Motion • Government• Opposition• Definition• Rebuttal• Point of

Information• Speaker

Points• Protected

Time• Panel Chair• Adjudicator/

Judge• Adjudicatio

n Panel• Timekeeper

Skills to be obtained through

merging BP & STEM

Creativity & Innovation

Critical Thinking &

Problem Solving

Collaboration

Computational Thinking

Computing/ & Technology

Communication

Commitment

Confidence

Cross-Cultural SenseCapacity

to Lead

STEM can be infused in BP Debate track because it is…

1. INTERDISCIPLINARY – FORMAL, PHYSICAL, LIFE, SOCIAL, & APPLIED SCIENCE

2. DRIVEN BY PROBLEM-SOLVING, DISCOVERY, EXPLORATORY LEARNING, ACTIVE LEARNING TO FIND SOLUTIONS

3. “A META-DISCIPLINE” TRANSFORMING SUBJECT MATTER BY INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING

STEM SKILLS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO BP DEBATE• Analytical skills to research a topic/motion, develop a ideas and

timeline, and draw arguments/conclusions from research results.

• Science skills to break down a complex scientific system into smaller parts, recognize cause and effect relationships, and defend opinions using facts.

•Mathematic skills for calculations and analyse statistical content.

• Attention to detail by following technical directions, recording data accurately, formative and summative assessment.

• Technical skills, troubleshooting, and utilizing software and modern equipment.• Communication and cooperation skills to listen to customer needs

or interact with project partners.• Teamwork skills for successful project completion.• Creativity to solve problems and develop new ideas.• Leadership skills to lead projects or help customers.• Organization skills to keep track of lots of different information.• Time management skills to function efficiently.

TYPES OF MOTIONS

•POLICY DEBATE•VALUE-JUDGMENT DEBATE•BENEFITS AND HARMS DEBATE

POLICY DEBATE

• solution to a problem via a policy• goal: prove whether the proposed policy solves the

problem or not• THW motions are usually policy debates

ELEMENTS OF A POLICY:

WHO

WHAT

WHEN

WHERE

HOW

SUBSTANCE/SAFTEY NET MECHANISM

POLICY DEBATE

Example: THW legalize prostitutionPOLICY: pass a bill recognizing prostitution as a legal form of

employment and business opportunityWho: government agencies such as the ministry of Home Affairs,

in cooperation with concerned business establishmentsWhen: 2 years of implementation Where: to all existing brothels and spots

POLICY DEBATE

Substance: regular check-ups, provision of contraceptives, better working conditions, continuous monitoring

Mechanism: imprisonment, sequester business and payment of fees, depending on gravity of offense

VALUE-JUDGMENT DEBATE

• assessment of ideas• Value Debate–What should our values be & why? Is it Better or Worse –

for us (and / or Society as a whole?) • –THBT the sanctity of life ought to be valued over the quality of life• –THBT the economy should be prioritized over the environment • –THBT we should have more freedom

*NOTE: Policy and value-judgment debates are not mutually-exclusive.

BENEFITS AND HARMS DEBATE

• Compare two separate subjects. • Usually, the debaters will be asked to choose between two separate

subjects, assuming that both cannot be chosen at the same time.

• “THBT strict punishment is the best way to decrease juvenile crime”

• “THBT drugs are an acceptable recreational activity”.

Report your Results (Speech Delivery)

Analyze your Data and Draw a Conclusion (Argumentation Modelling)

Test your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment (Constructing an argument)

Construct a Hypothesis (Creating a Case/teamline)

Do Background Research (Motion preparation)

Ask a Question (Motion)

“STEM-ifying” BP Arguments(Scientific Method)

Share Solution (Deliver Speech)

Build, Redesign, Test, and Evaluate (Construct arguments)

Design (Build a case/teamline)

Brainstorm

Identify Problem

“STEM-ifying” the BP Debate process(Engineering Approach)

WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT

• It is a distinct point supporting your side of the motion• An argument is the reason why you support or oppose the

motion• A reasoned attempt to convince the audience to accept a

particular point of view about a debatable topic

EXAMPLE OF AN ARGUMENT

• On the motion “THW introduce a compulsory national service”

Through national service everyone plays their part in nation building.• This is considered as an argument.

• A debate case/speech is made up of a number of arguments.BUT NOT TOO MANY ARGUMENTS

ARGUMENTATION MODEL

• The basic and most acceptable structure of argumentation is AREL model: • This is a statement that highlights what

you are basing your case onAssertion• The justification for your thesis

statementReasoning• A real world example or parallel that

shows your idea in practiceEvidence • Show the link between the argument

and your team’s position in the debateLink

EXTENSIONS

• Extension: Shift the focus of the Debate• •Deeper Analysis • •Different Point of View (Global / Local)• •Additional (Better) Arguments

DEEPER ANALYSIS

• –Who does it affect?• –What can / will they do about it?• –Who is going against them?• –Is this better or worse –Why?

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

• Here you are looking at different stakeholders

•–Global / National / Local•–National / Conservative / Labour / Liberal•–Communist / Socialist / Capitalist

ADDITIONAL (BETTER) ARGUMENTS

P • PoliticalE • Economical E • Environmental S • Social T • Technological L • Legal E • Ecological

POINTS OF INFORMATION

• When is a good time to ask POIs?

• Every time is a good time. The best time is when speakers are transitioning between arguments or part in their speech, sometime when there could be a natural break in the speech.

ANSWERING POIS

• Taking a POI can just as much as an attack as asking one. The risk in taking a POI is that you don’t know what the other person is going to ask you and it could jeopardize your speech. The advantage you have though, is that the person asking the POI only has 15 seconds to the damage, while you have your entire speech to defend yourself AND attack his POIs (although, you shouldn’t use your entire speech).