CURRENT AFFAIRS DEBATE BRIEFING 2014

•Why debate?

AIMS OF CURRENT AFFAIRS DEBATES

•They aim to:

• Groom confident speakers.• Encourage students to read widely on current issues.

• Help students to take multiple perspectives on a topic.

• Foster analytical skills through research and discussion.

• Provide an open environment for voicing opinions.

Assessment Structure – Sec 1

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS SCHOLASTIC ASSESSMENTS

1. Formative Assessments (10%) 2. Common Tests (20%) 3. Final Exams (70%) TOTAL = 100%

Academic MSG- Mean subject grade of all academic subjects except OC & IS

1. Oral Communications - Oral Participation (40%)- Current Affairs (Chinese) (30%)- Current Affairs (English) (30%) TOTAL = 100%

2. Independent Studies- Project Work (100%)

Scholastic MSG- Mean subject grade of all academic subjects, Oral Communications and Independent Studies.

Assessment Structure – Sec 2,3 & 4

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS SCHOLASTIC ASSESSMENTS

1. Class/Common Tests (30%) 2. Final Exams (70%) TOTAL = 100%

Academic MSG- Mean subject grade of all academic subjects except OC & IS

1. Oral Communications - Oral Participation (40%)- Current Affairs (Chinese) (30%)- Current Affairs (English) (30%) TOTAL = 100%

2. Independent Studies- Project Work (100%)

Scholastic MSG- Mean subject grade of all academic subjects, Oral Communications and Independent Studies.

STRUCTURE OF DEBATE

Who are involved in a debate?• Chairman

• Ensures the proper proceedings of the debate.

• Proposition team• Agrees with the motion.

• Opposition team• Disagrees with the motion.

• Adjudicators/Judges • 1 teacher or 2 school debaters(students) acting as adjudicators.

• Timekeeper

The Set-Up

Chairman Timekeeper

Proposition Opposition

Adjudicators

3 24 1 1 2 3 4

Audience Audience

Rules and Scoring• Four speakers per team

• Each speaker will make a 3 – 5 minute speech• Marks will be deducted for not reaching the 3 minute requirement

or exceeding the time limit• There will be no Points of Information in this debate.

• Speakers will be judged according to the following criteria:• Style – 40% • Content – 40%• Strategy – 20%• Total – 100%

Format• The speakers will make their speech in the following

order:

• Note: Proposition team will start and end the speeches.

First Proposition

First Opposition

Second Proposition

Second Opposition

Third Proposition

Third Opposition

Fourth Proposition

Fourth Opposition

PREPARING THE DEBATEFor teachers and students

Firstly, as a class you have to select:1) chairpersons and timekeepers.

2) students to set the classroom up for the debate.

3) students to make up teams of 4 each.

4) topics to match the teams.

The English Language Representative is to ensure that all these arrangements are made by Week 4, 29th Jan 2014 and emailed to Mdm Jeya at jeyalatha@hci.edu.sg

He will also write the speakers’ names on the whiteboard together with the motion for the day on the day of the debate.

Please be reminded that the adjudicators’ role is only to adjudicate and not to help you with the above.

Before the debate itself• Conduct research on the motion you are given

• Define your motion.• Develop your case, arguments and examples.• Use a wide variety of sources eg. Internet, encyclopedias,

newspapers, journals etc. to obtain facts, statistics and other examples to support your arguments.

• Try to imagine how the opposing team will structure their case• Prepare counter-arguments to attack the opposing team’s

arguments.

Before the debate• Constructing cases

• A case is the essence of what the team is arguing.

• The case must support the team’s side of the motion.

• A single case is supported by different arguments, and each argument is supported by examples.

• Each member should argue for the same case to ensure consistency.

Using notes• You may list the points of what you are going to say on a

cue card or small piece of paper but not on an A4-sized paper.

• Do not read the speech from your notes.

• Maintain eye contact.

• Add any counter-argument to the notes as and when you think of it.

Making your speech• Introduce the points you are going to cover at the

beginning.

• Explain your arguments in a clear manner;• Title, Definitions, Reason, Evidence, Significance, etc.

• Time Management• Use more time to explain and elaborate important points.

• Summarise your points at the end.

Debate Topics for 2014 – Lower SecLower Sec Debates Topics - Local Issues• 1) This House would ban online anonymity.• 2) This House believes that the import of foreign labor is more

of a boon than a bane.• 3) This House believes that the tech-savvy youth are

increasingly bereft of good social values.• 4) This House believes that Singaporeans should be less

competitive.• 5) This House would abolish the death penalty.• 6) This House believes that the government should spend less

money on the arts.• 7) This House believes that more emphasis should be placed

on the humanities in local schools’ core curriculum.• 8) This House would repeal section 377A of the penal code.

Debate topics for 2014 – Upper SecUpper Sec Debates Topics – Regional & Global Issues

1) This House believes that whistleblowers should be granted asylum.2) This House believes that civilians should not be permitted to own firearms.3) This House believes that Jerusalem should be divided.4) This House believes that cosmetic surgery is wrong.5) This House believes that socialism is an outdated concept. 6) This House believes that a policy of non-intervention should be upheld in international relations.

7) This House believes that anti-government protests are ineffective.

Debate Topics

•May be amended after discussions with respective EL teachers.

ADJUDICATION How is the judging done?

Assessment Criteria• Style (40 marks)

• The content of the speech will be ignored when judging style.• Delivery (fluency, audibility, tone variance, eye contact, etiquette,

etc.)• Reading of speeches from notes will be penalised.

• Content (40 marks)• The speech will be assessed purely as a written argument.• Analysis, evidence, relevance, etc.

• Strategy (20 marks)• Structure and timing, roles of speakers, teamwork, issues

identified, etc.

HCI Current Affairs Debate 2013 Adjudicator's Score Sheet

Class: ____________ Date: _________

MOTION: __________________________________________________________________

PROPOSITION TEAM: ______________________________________________________

OPPOSITION TEAM: ______________________________________________________

WINNING TEAM: ___________________________________________________________

Rationale For Decision:

Adjudicator's Name: _______________________________________ Signature: _______________________

SPEAKER’S NAME

STYLE 40

CONTENT 40

STRATEGY 20

TOTAL 100

COMMENTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

/400

SPEAKER’S NAME

STYLE 40

CONTENT 40

STRATEGY 20

TOTAL 100

COMMENTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

/400

Debates Sabbaticals 2014• To be held in Week 10 of Term 1, 2 and 3.

• They are for retraining and retesting speakers who did not perform satisfactorily in the CA Debates.

• These sessions will help you improve on your debate scores.

• Please register for them to do better in debates.

•Snippets of Debate

•A look at the Land Transport Debate Championship 2011

Debates are NOT an avenue for:• Assault of any kind (verbal or physical)• Unruly behaviour• Rudeness• Making noise

WARNING

Adjudicators will penalise students who are disruptive by deducting marks from their debate scores.

Food for a thoughtful debate…

•A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer and emerge stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.

Nelson Mandela

Join our wiki for more on the debates!

• HCI (High School) Current Affairs Wikispace

• http://currentaffairs2014.wiki.hci.edu.sg/

REMINDERAs a class, please select:

1) chairpersons and timekeepers.

2) students to set the classroom up for the debate.

3) students to make up teams of 4 each.

4) topics to match the teams.

• Lower Sec:

The English Language Representative is to ensure that all these arrangements are made by Week 4, 29th Jan 2014, and email the information to Mdm Jeya at jeyalatha@hci.edu.sg

• Upper Sec:

The English Language Representative is to ensure that all these arrangements are made by Week 8, 28th Feb 2014, and email the information to Mdm Hema at hemalatha@hci.edu.sg

Calling All EL Representatives!

•Please see me after the briefing.