TEACHING DEBATE IN THE MULTICULTURAL IEP CLASSROOM

PETER ERMEYIEP – INDIANA UNIVERSITY

BLOOMINGTON

From Mao to Mother Teresa

Main Ideas

Using debate to find areas of agreement/articulate regions of difference

Agreeing on a common set of facts in a multicultural classroom

Developing logical arguments/negotiating value

Classroom Context

Level 6 Communication class (listening/speaking)

Class size ~12-15 studentsNationalities include Angola, Brazil, Saudi

Arabia, Turkey, China, Japan, South Korea, Venezuela

Student Learning Outcomes

Outline authentic 15-20 min. lectures/talks Refute arguments

Hot Air Balloon Activity

Hot Air Balloon Activity

Mother Teresa Mao ZedongMahatma Gandhi Oprah WinfreyNelson Mandela Vladimir PutinCharles Darwin William

ShakespeareLeBron James Albert EinsteinLeonardo da Vinci Abraham LincolnAngelina Jolie Vincent Van Gogh

Bill Gates

Disaster strikes!!!

Hot Air Balloon Activity

Mother Teresa Mao ZedongMahatma Gandhi Oprah WinfreyNelson Mandela Vladimir PutinCharles Darwin William

ShakespeareLeBron James Albert EinsteinLeonardo da Vinci Abraham LincolnAngelina Jolie Vincent Van Gogh

Bill Gates

Gameplay

Review the list of namesIndividually, students make a list of survivorsIn small groups, students work to negotiate

one list of survivors.Small groups combine to form larger groups

that negotiate their respective lists into one list

As a class, create one list of survivors

Gameplay Analysis

No way to win, but the game is funRange of candidates invites multiple

strategies Physical characteristics Science vs. Art Dictator vs. Voice of the common people Fame vs. Charity Science vs. Science

Reframing the debate

Using debate to find areas of agreement/articulate regions of difference

Focus on refuting arguments needs to be redirected towards building consensus

Expressions of Agreement/Disagreement

Absolutely!That’s correct.That’s not necessarily true.Are you crazy?!-------o You are right when you say that…; however, …o That may be true up to a point, but have you

considered…?o You have some interesting ideas when you

suggest…. Here’s another possibility we can evaluate.

Agreeing on a common set of facts

Whose version of history should we follow? Mao Zedong Mother Teresa Albert Einstein

Students are unique individuals. They don’t represent their national governments or religious institutions.

There is no moral/political high ground.

Developing arguments/negotiating value

Activity invites multiple strategies Physical realities Age The future

Types of evidence Facts/statistics/logic Emotional/moral arguments Personal experience Appeals to a higher authority

The survivors

Mother Teresa Mao Zedong Mahatma Gandhi Oprah Winfrey Nelson Mandela Vladmir Putin Charles Darwin William Shakespeare LeBron James Albert Einstein Leonardo da Vinci Abraham Lincoln Angelina Jolie Vincent Van Gogh Bill Gates