How Debate Helped Teens Find Their Voices
How can debate help students find their voice? Learn how debate programs are empowering teens to build confidence, think critically and speak out.
The new documentary “Immutable” follows students in the Washington Urban Debate League over two years as they face challenges in their own lives and on the debate stage. In the program, students learn how to think critically, challenge their own opinions and find their voices through debate. Geoff Bennett spoke with the people connected to the film for a closer look.
View the transcript of the story.
If short on time, skip the activities below and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you like to find out more about?
Warm-Up Questions
- Who made the documentary "Immutable" and why?
- What are some of the topics that students debate as described in this segment?
- Where is the Urban Debate League operating?
- Why is debate helpful for students, according to Norm Ornstein?
- How does debate help students, according to the students themselves who are interviewed for this segment?
Essential Questions
In this segment, Will Baker, the founder of the Urban Debate League says that he tells students, "Adults have to sit in the back of the room for an hour and 45 minutes and just listen to your ideas. That's really powerful."
- Do you have ideas that you think adults should listen to?
- What ideas do you have to make sure your voice and opinion are heard?
- Do you think young voices such as teenage students have a strong enough voice in shaping policy and ideas? Why are youth voices important?
Media literacy: Why do you think the producers of "Immutable" decided it was a topic worth covering in a film? What impact do you think the filmmakers want to have on their audience? (That is, what do you believe they want their audience to learn, think or feel from watching the film?)
What Students Can Do
- Set up a debate in your own classroom! This guide written by Carl Coulanges was designed for community college students, but it works just as well in middle school and high school. Includes suggested debate topics.
- You might also discuss — what are ways to set up debates to make sure they are positive experiences rather than hostile ones, or ones where debaters are talking past each other? For more background on this question, you may want to watch the following segment on viral debate videos first:
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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