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Be it Resolved:
A Lesson in Debating
In this lesson,
students will research the effects of European-Aboriginal interaction
to support one side of a debate. The information is available from
the Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's Bay Company
site.
PDF
Version (29 KB)
RTF
Version (327 KB)
Word
Version (121 KB)
Subject/Ages
Social Studies (History), Ages 10 to 13
Overview
The first lesson may be used to introduce or review debating procedures
and to begin research on the issues. Further class time for research
may be given or assigned as homework. Students may work in teams
of three to five or may be two individuals with opposing views.
Note that there
are two printable versions. The Rich Text Format (RTF) can be altered
to suit your classroom needs.
Outcomes (WCP, APEF); Expectations (ON); Objectives (QC)
Social
Studies Outcomes
By the end of these activities, students should be able to:
- Identify
some of the consequences of Aboriginal and European interactions
- Analyze,
classify, and interpret information
Language
Arts Outcomes
(R) Reading:
- Read and
respond to non-fiction materials
(W) Writing
- Use writing
for various purposes and in a range of contexts, including school
work (e.g. to record and organize ideas)
(O/V) Oral
and Visual Communication
- Express and
respond to a range of ideas and opinions concisely, clearly, and
appropriately
- Contribute
and work constructively in groups
These Language
Arts Outcomes correspond to:
WCP GO - R:
3.2; W: 3.2, O/V: 5.2, 5.1
Quebec objectives - 2 (Reading); 1 (Writing); 2, 1
(Oral)
APEF CGO - R: 4; W: 5; O/V: 1, 2.1
Materials/Resources
Required
Links
Early Canadiana Online: Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's
Bay Company
URL: http://www.canadiana.org/hbc/
Hudson's Bay Company History Page
URL: http://www.hbc.com/hbc/e_hi/default.htm
(English)
URL: http://www.hbc.com/hbcf/f_hi/default.htm
(français)
The National Library of Canada: Pathfinders and Passageways
URL: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/explorers
The Virtual Museum of New France
URL: http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/explor/explcd_e.html
Musée Virtuel de la Nouvelle-France
URL: http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/explor/explor_f.html
Previous Knowledge
Students will need an understanding of Web navigation symbols, tools
and terminology, particularly the tools used in Exploration,
the Fur Trade and Hudson's Bay Company site.
Lesson Opener
Watch a videotape of debate or invite a debating club to present
a debate. Spend some time reviewing the debate. What purpose does
it serve? People have different points of views and reasons for
them.
Procedure
Review the steps of a debate:
A debate is stated as an affirmative proposition and is generally
is broken down as follows:
- First speaker:
in favour of the resolution (7 minutes)
- Second speaker:
in opposition to the resolution (7 minutes)
- Short break
- Third speaker:
in favour of the resolution (7 minutes)
- Fourth speaker:
in opposition to the resolution (7 minutes)
- Short break
- Fifth speaker:
opposition rebuttal (5 minutes)
- Sixth speaker:
affirmative rebuttal (5 minutes)
Students may
also develop and use a rubric or other form of evaluation to study
the process.
The issues to
be debated may include the following:
Resolved:
The Europeans had the right to claim land in North America for their
home country.
Resolved:
First nations and Inuit peoples benefited from the arrival of
Europeans and the fur trade.
Resolved:
European settlers and fur traders had the same effect on native
peoples, although at different times.
Resolved:
European settlers and fur traders could have succeeded without the
First Nations and Inuit peoples being on the land.
Prepare for
the debates:
- If it is
the first class debate, spend adequate time preparing the students
to use research, logic and inference rather than emotion to state
their views.
- Groups should
take notes from the Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's
Bay Company web site (and other sites, if they choose), organize
their ideas, and prepare an argument for the debate.
- A speaker
should be selected.
Managing the
debates:
- During the
debate, group members should take notes to be used in the next
round
- In the short
breaks, the groups should come together again to prepare new arguments
- The educator,
or students, can decide the winner
- Students
may also develop and use a rubric or other form of evaluation
to study the process.
Time limits
may be adjusted according to the particular class. Emphasize to
students that it does not matter which side of the debate they are
on.
Summary
Discuss the debate format. How did the students respond? Which argument
was most convincing? Why? Did they change their views over the course
of the debate? How did the make up their minds as to which side
was correct? Discuss the fact that many issues are only resolved
by using a compromise between opposing views.
Evaluation
See the Assessment Sheet. Educators
may also wish to use student-developed rubrics.
Homework/Extension
Students could use the notes from the debate to write a report,
with their side of the resolution as a thesis statement. They could
refute arguments from the opposing side to strengthen their own
arguments.
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