School Debates: Learning to Argue and Persuade
Our Rotary Club Calvià is proud to present school debates as one of our key projects, providing an excellent platform for students to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, and persuasive communication.
Why Debates?
• Skill Development: Students learn to research, gather information, and use it to strengthen their arguments.
• Perspective Taking: Debates encourage understanding different viewpoints, even requiring students to defend positions they may not personally agree with.
• Confident Presentation: Debates help students present their ideas clearly and persuasively.
Debate Structure
• Two Teams: The affirmative (supporting) and the negative (opposing) teams compete against each other.
• Turn-based Arguments: Each side presents its arguments in turn, followed by a rebuttal phase, where teams counter the opposition’s points.
• Rules: Arguments must be supported by evidence, and no new points can be introduced during rebuttals.
Preparation
• Successful debates involve thorough research, understanding the opposing side’s arguments, and practicing effective speaking skills.
As part of our Rotary Club Calvià initiative, this project not only boosts students’ confidence but also teaches them to appreciate multiple perspectives and build well-founded, evidence-based arguments.
