Learning task 3: Definitions
Skills:
- Writing clear, accurate definitions.
- Writing definitions which are likely to be accepted by others.
Assessment:
Formative peer assessment.
Notes:
The Affirmative must define the moot, and then debate according to their definition. The Negative may challenge the definition, but if the two teams are then debating different topics, the resulting debate is a mess. Students should learn to avoid obscure or deliberately contorted definitions.
Part One: Class Presentation
Explain to the class the meaning of Defining the Moot.
Show the class
student_definitions (RTF 6KB)
as typical examples of debating topics. Explain how the affirmative would have to define the moot.
Show the definitions one at a time. Invite discussion. Explain that the Affirmative would propose the definition, and the Negative would normally accept it. However, the Negative could if necessary challenge the definition.
After brief discussion, ask for each example whether the Negative would be likely to challenge it. The first four may be uncontroversial; five is dubious and insufficient; six is clearly wrong. Invite students to discuss these and produce better definitions.
Part Two: Pair Work
Give pairs of students moots from the following list, and some dictionaries. They are to write acceptable definitions of each moot.
Moots:
- That business studies should be a compulsory school subject.
- That text messaging lowers writing standards.
- That New Zealand's population is too low for effective economic development.
- That our society is too tolerant.
- That New Zealand cannot be both green and wealthy.
- That the Olympics are more commercial than sporting.
- That the Internet should be regulated.
- That imagination is more precious than knowledge.
- That political parties should be publicly funded.
- That television and computers are Americanising the world.
Where there are widely differing abilities, pair students of similar ability and give faster students a longer list to work on.
While the students are working, walk around the class to check that they understand the task. Assist ESOL students and poor readers with harder words.
As soon as the faster groups have completed the task, and the slowest have completed at least three, ask all students to stop work.
Ensure their papers are named, and tell students to pass them on to another pair.
Each pair receiving a paper acts as the negative. They must write the number of each moot and write 'accepted' or write a new definition. They must sign their comments, then pass it on to another pair.
