Some people do not know " What is a debate meant ? " Debate means that a formal argument or discussion of a question at a public meeting or in Parliament. It is an interesting task. It widens our knowledge by arguing each team. There are minimum eight people to ten people in each team. Before debating, each team should know the topic first. For example, "School should allow to bring electronic devices like mp3 / mp4 players." In this topic, the debaters must get more information about how it is helpful or how it is not ? The debaters must collect as much as the advantages and disadvantages on using this.

This topic is nearly difficult but we share our jobs, so it is easy. Some of them are finding the research from internet. Some of them are doing other jobs. There are three reporters and two captains in each team. It is good. We can talk with our teammate, can know their characters, their honesty and others.

On the time of debating, each team will commence arguing with their best collections to get points. Whoever got the high scores will win the debate. Finally, I could say that the debating activity will lead the contestants gain vocabularies, a lot of knowledge, grammars, sentences, spellings, reading skills and speaking skills. So it improve our knowledge better.

                   

Debate Opinion

What’s a debate? Debate is an argument or discussion about something in exchange of opinion formally, but your opinion is not evidence. The main source of debate is research. Everything you provide (say) should be proved by some experts like scientists, so you need to research very hard.

There’s another fierce debate happening in class 8B………….

“Ahhh! Debate!!” “I’m in the against group!” “Oh gosh, how about you??” Everyone in our class was all discussing in great tumultuous. Now, our class (8B) is going to have the second debate about ‘why students should be allowed to use electronic devices at school’. Electronic devices include the PSP, mp3/4, ipods, mobile phone, cameras, DVDs, and other electronic things that students use to take to school.

We had a great time debating between two groups. Our debate was a little funny because it’s away from the major reason. Both teams are talking about faraway things. The against group was talking about that electronic device will hurt our eyes, ears…etc., if we use it for a long time and the for group was talking about that music helps and improve the immune system, which kills disease….etc.

This is the first time I saw debates, I was a new student this year, and have never done debates at other school, so it’s my first time facing a debate. I learn lots of things from debate, I learn what’s a debate like, how to debate and some skills of debate. Before debate, first, you need to know exactly what the meaning of your topic is, and then find lots of information and evidences to support and prove that you are right. You also should be prepared in every part of your speech, to be prepared you still need to research more, so you can rebuttal during the debate. You also need to practice in your voice and tone you are using, because you have to pull the audience in and make it more attractive.

To my opinion and information I recorded, I think our school won’t make a rule without reasons, so not allowing students to use electronic devices at school also include some reasons. The major reason is that the electronic devices are distracting, it distract the class while teaches are teaching, and students may use these electronic device in inappropriate places, breaking school rules. Therefore, the principals, teachers……and school boards would not allow student to use electronic device. Not every student is breaking the rules but still there are some students who did, and as a result the students who didn’t break the rules also can’t bring electronic devices to school.

Kira Gr.8B

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                        There are many things I learn from my class's debates. My class first debate topic was about a character from the fiction story called Tell-Tale Heart who had mental illness and murdered a person the debate teams' point were if the character was innocent or guilty. One thing I learn from this debate was something won't be absolutely right or wrong. Like black may not be totally black but it maybe also gray. Then, my debate team got up with a point that the character in the story is mental but he is not totally mental and he still has his conscious about killing the person. Our debates were given 45 minutes but we didn't use the whole time. Our debates weren't really professional because we didn't have enough practice. I didn't get enough practice too; I never did really got up in front of the class and talk about something before so I didn't really have the confidence to do it at the debate. And now I thought I can do better than that.

                        The 2nd debate topic we were given was if students of Horizon School should be allow to bring electronic devices to school or not. From this debate I learn that a debate is built up of facts not opinions, where the facts are proven with proofs. And if we get a point we must have research backing up the point. What my group need was facts we did researchers but we didn't add all the facts we found.

Both debates were really a practice for me. While discussing these debate topics I understand why brainstorming was important. Brainstorming is when we get not only one person's idea but everyone's ideas. I think it is a way to learn new things and to get to know the opinions of other people. I think these 2 debates went well even though it wasn't what the teacher expected. I think she expected more than that from us but our class wasn't use to debates.

Flora
Grade-8B

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This both teams were very good. They had different kinds of teach. Joy Joy took dictionary book and dictionary computer. He took things, let ha can has a clean speak. Tom wore nice clothes. When he spoke, can let people think he is true. This both teams had good prepared and good spoke.

Next debate, we must have more prepared. And we can wear the same nice clothes, because if we wear the different clothes, the listener will think this team did not have good team works. Like Tom‘s team. Although Tom wore nice clothes, Jennifer and Michael did not wear nice clothes. When I listening, I thought only Tom had good prepare. We can take more example things for speak. If we can take more example things, we will have a good debate.

Next debate, we can choose a different title. For example, we can say maybe school no need to let students live in a unhappy school. Why students live in a unhappy school now? Because students have to do so many difficult works now. Each night , students had many home works to do. And they also must prepare exam. In their school, they must be a best student in the school. At their home, they must do many works for school and teachers. School teacher maybe can give student only a little home works and also give them more time to prepare exam.
8B Jenny