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World War Two: Great Debates (Academic / Applied)

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of studying history is how different conclusions can be drawn by examining the same events. Being able to analyze data, form an opinion on a controversial issue, and clearly defend that interpretation with evidence is a vital skill.

Assignment

Students will research a controversial issue concerning World War II or Canada’s role or participation in specific events during the Second World War.

Ø Students will form groups of six

Ø Students will research a question / topic and be designated a specific role (opening statement, arguments, closing statement)

Ø Each student must prepare for challenges from opposition and planned rebuttals (WITH EVIDENCE)

Ø One student per team (captain) must present at least ONE argument for debate with EVIDENCE (quotes, statistics, speeches, pictures, documents etc.)

Ø Students will debate in teams of three but will be marked individually based on individual contributions / roles using the Debate Rubric.

WWII DEBATE STRUCTURE (Applied / Academic Gr. 10)

Opening Statement FOR AGAINST
	1.5 minutes
	1.5 minutes
Argument #1 Argument #1 FOR	2.5 minutes
Rebuttal AGAINST	1 minute
Argument #1 AGAINST	2.5 minutes
Rebuttal FOR	1 minute


Free For All	6 minutes

Closing Statement AGAINST FOR
	1.5 minutes
	1.5 minutes

Open Questions (by class to the debaters)	5 minutes
VOTE	5 minutes
	Ø TOTAL = 30 minutes

Helpful Hints

Debating

Ø Always stand when speaking

Ø Stand as a team to show support of your partner

Ø use visuals (images, quotes, statistics, charts, graphs, maps)

Ø Use LARGE font and bold , underline, italics or highlight tool on documents / powerpoints / visuals

Ø Always include the source under all evidence (or use footnotes)

Ø Organize your evidence so it is easy to read and follow

Ø Have your team help with AV (Smart Board, Smart Ideas, powerpoint, slideshow) while you are presenting your opening / closing, arguments or challenges

Ø Have a pen / pencil and piece of paper to write down notes / ideas / rebuttals / points that you want to make

Ø Always make clear connections and provide analysis and conclusions between your evidence, arguments and your thesis

Ø face your opponents but also open yourself to the audience (do not speak with your back to them)

Ø be confidence: eye contact, clear voice

Ø prepare and practice your arguments (use all your time as most efficiently as possible)

Ø dress professionally

Definitions

Ø Depending on the topic question, key terms may need to be defined (ie. “justified”, “winner” etc.)

Ø Groups must come to a consensus on all terms that need to be defined. This will avoid the use of different definitions in the debate and keep the question clear and concise.

Opening Statement	Main Arguments	Rebuttals / Free for ALl	Closing Statement
1) Introduction -introduce team members -introduce question -state your side (thesis) -give any necessary definitions 2) Tell a story -provide background information / overview of the topic / issue (dates, key people, impact on society) -give perspective to the side that you are arguing that may appeal to the audience (“Imagine…”) -state effects of the issue on history (social, political, economic, military) -show images / quotes / stats 3) State Arguments -state the main arguments that your team will be presenting (name or categorize the arguments) -offer some challenges / questions to the opposition -restate your thesis	1) Formulate your argument (name it under a theme or catchy name that is easy for the class to recall-- ie. "My first argument that I will present to you will be called the 'Puppeteer' argument". (this could be an argument as to why Hitler could not have been stopped prior to 1939 because he was a mastermind at manipulating the masses of the people AND world leaders > then the debater will show specific visual evidence such as images, quotes from speeches, statistics, timeline etc.. 2) Be clear and concise and convince your audience. Time your argument. Do not read paragraphs to the class--- summarize your ideas and make simple and easy to understand points with evidence to back it up. Remember, it is not what you think, it is what you can prove!!! 3) Relate back to the thesis / side of the debate you are proving.	1) Before hand: Prepare potential challenges that you can pose to your opposition. Find evidence to back up your challenges. 2) During the Debate: a) Rebuttal- Listen to the opening statement and arguments presented. You must make challenges based on what has been presented during the debate. Ask for clarification, pose questions, challenge sources, arguments, evidence (or lack of) and show evidence to prove your own challenges. b) Free for all- you can challenge / defend and address any points, arguments, evidence etc. made during the debate. Don't let up (no dead air)	1) Conclusion -restate team members - restate question and any definitions -restate thesis 2) Recap the Issue -restate the major issue, impact, effects and perspective of the topic 3) Recap Arguments and Evidence -restate the main arguments and highlight all the major evidence used to prove both arguments -show images / quotes / stats 4) Challenges -restate the major challenges to oppositions arguments / evidence 5) Closing -restate thesis -end with a quote / statistics or image

Great Debates: Sample Fact Sheet

NAME: _______________________ DATE: __________________________

DEBATE QUESTION: __________________________________________________________________

SIDE: YES NO

Opening / Closing Statement (see instructions):

MAIN ARGUMENT

EVIDENCE

SOURCE Footnote

EVIDENCE

SOURCE Footnote

EVIDENCE

SOURCE Footnote

ARGUMENTS EXPECTED OPPONENTS TO MAKE

PLANNED REBUTTALS WITH EVIDENCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY (proper format please!) Citation Builder

The genocide in Darfur has claimed 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. More than one hundred people continue to die each day; five thousand die every month.

A pattern of government sponsored actions include:

• Backing Janjaweed militias in systematic attacks against civilians from the same ethnic groups as the rebel forces, primarily the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit ethnic groups;
• Bombing civilians from aircraft;
• Committing massive human rights abuses including: murder, rape, and persecution based on race, ethnicity, and religion;
• Impeding international humanitarian access, resulting in deadly conditions of life for displaced people;
• Harassing internally displaced persons.

Since February 2003, the Sudanese government in Khartoum and the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers and mass murder.

In March 2005, the UN Security Council referred the case of Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide. In July 2008, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested the court issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, charging him with genocide among other crimes for the government's role in orchestrating violence in Darfur.

Today, of the 2.5 million Darfuri civilians that are displaced and living in refugee camps, around 80% are women and girls.

Are women and girls safe in refugee camps?

Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of all Darfuri civilians. Women and girls are most at risk when they leave the camps in search firewood and water. Chances are high that they will be subjected to acts of sexual violence and other brutal assaults by Janjawid militia.

Darfur has been described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Now, Sudan's forced closure of IRC aid programs in Darfur, as well as North and East Sudan, puts at risk the lives of 1.75 million men, women and children who depend on them.

It buys about two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports. About 70% of Sudan's oil revenues go to its military, which is involved in the mass murders. Yet China's involvement is not just indirect. China sells arms and aircraft to Sudan in a manner that is almost certainly in violation of the United Nations's arms embargo

Beijing supports the Sudanese government, which in turn sponsors the Janjaweed militia. The Janjaweed has murdered more 400,000 civilians in Darfur and driven another 2.5 million of them from their homes

Given its history in Tibet -- where, even before the Cultural Revolution, the International Commission of Jurists found "acts of genocide had been committed . . . in an attempt to destroy the Tibetans as a religious group" -- China is more than unlikely to put concern for human rights before its economic self-interest.

Sudanese oil shipments to China increased 63% from 2003 to 2006 and soared 113% last year alone. In 2007, China purchased 40% of Sudan's 25-million-ton annual output of oil, accounting for about 6% of all Chinese oil imports (BusinessWeek.com, 2/13/08). State-owned China National Petroleum (CNPC) is the single largest investor in Sudan through its 40% stake in Greater Nile Petroleum, based in Khartoum.

China sold $3 million in small arms to Khartoum in 2003; that number reached more than $55 million by 2006.

China has thwarted or watered down several Security Council resolutions related to Darfur. China has prevented resolutions that would impose multilateral economic and diplomatic sanctions, and resisted efforts to sanction Sudanese officials charged with war crimes.

China has broken United Nations arms embargo by supplying weapons with attack helicopters, bombers and other weapons for use against civilians in Darfur. Amnesty international has photographed strike aircraft at three airports in Darfur. Their presence violates Un resolution 1591 which banned Sudan form transferring any weaponry to Darfur without security councils official permission.

‘The situation is worse than it has ever been…The violence and the threat to humanitarian workers continues unabated.’

United Nations World Food Programme Spokes person
Simon Crittle
“The Humanitarian situation in Darfur remains absolutely critical. At any time we could face a catastrophe If the security situation gets worse than it is already’

‘it is very difficult for aid workers to move outside the camps, which means it is hard to do exploder missions to areas where there is need. The situation is very bad and is not getting better.’

‘We continue to work in Darfur despite the worsening security situation…The situation in sudans western Darfur province is worsening day by day.’

Question	Date	Students (6)
Issue- Genocide and Atrocities: Do the Nazis bear the sole responsibility for the Holocaust?	Mon. Nov. 23	No: Matt, Billy (opening) , Stephanie (closing) Yes: Janice, Darren (opening), Dean (closing),
Issue- Canada’s Role in WWII: Was the Internment of Japanese Canadians justified?	Fri. Nov. 27	No: Merlin, Adrian (opening), Devin (closing) , Yes: Becky, Emerson (opening), Ryan (closing) ,
Issue- End of War: Was the decision to drop the atomic bomb justified?	Fri. Nov. 27	Yes: Yusaf, Tony (opening), Kharina & Sarah (closing) No: Jagat, Will (opening), Jenny (closing) ,
*****Initial Resources: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/history/history/greatdebates_initialresources.html

DEBATE RUBRIC	LEVEL 4	LEVEL 3	LEVEL 2	LEVEL 1	Marks
Knowledge & Understanding -historical accuracy	-student provides exceptionally detailed and historically accurate information in opening / closing statement and in main argument	-student provides proficient details and historically accurate information in opening / closing and in main argument	- student provides adequate information that is accurate but needs more details in opening / closing and argument	-student provides few details or inaccurate or irrelevant information in opening / closing statements and arguments
Thinking & Inquiry -connecting evidence	- skilfully draws connections by using more than two pieces of evidence (visually) that overwhelmingly supports argument	- makes connections by using two pieces of evidence (visually) that effectively supports argument	- student presents some evidence (visually) to support arguments and conclusions	- student offers little to no evidence to support argument
Communication -clarity of ideas -delivery	- student exceptionally expresses ideas clearly and concisely to audience in confident manner - student skilfully varies pitch, tone, uses humour and appropriate language to convince audience	- student speaks clearly and confidently to audience - student uses appropriate language, volume, tone and humour to convince audience	- student needs to speak more clearly and confidently - adequate use of language, volume, tone to convince audience	- often hard to hear student or student seem lost or confused -student needs to used volume, tone to be more convincing
Application -challenges -rebuttals -free for all	- clear and thorough preparation for opponents points with exceptional challenges / rebuttals with evidence	- student has prepared for points by opponent and responds proficiently with evidence	- adequate preparation for opponents’ arguments but needs stronger rebuttals	- student seems totally unprepared for opponents’ points and make few rebuttals
Comments				TOTAL

Are women and girls safe in refugee camps?

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