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Sentence Starters Debate Notes and Discussion Cards

The document provides sentence starters to help students improve their academic speaking abilities. It divides the sentence starters into categories such as expressing new ideas, clarifying, ensuring equity, challenging ideas, agreeing, and more. The sentence starters are meant to acknowledge other students, support arguments, ask questions, and facilitate respectful discussion.

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12K views12 pages

Sentence Starters Debate Notes and Discussion Cards

The document provides sentence starters to help students improve their academic speaking abilities. It divides the sentence starters into categories such as expressing new ideas, clarifying, ensuring equity, challenging ideas, agreeing, and more. The sentence starters are meant to acknowledge other students, support arguments, ask questions, and facilitate respectful discussion.

Uploaded by

api-293029174
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Using Sentence Starters in Academic Speaking

In order to improve our academic language and speaking ability, we are going to use sentence
starters. Try to use the sentence starters below as you debate or discuss the question/prompt.
Be sure to acknowledge your classmates by using their name, and also by referring to their
statements and arguments. Remember, however, that this is not a personal debate. Please
address a variety of speakers throughout the discussion rather than just a couple.

NEW IDEAS
Expressing an Opinion Stating what you Supporting an Argument Using evidence
believe. to back up what you believe.
I think/believe that This is supported by
In my opinion This is further evidenced by the fact that
It seems to me that It is clear that ______ because
Based on _______, I can infer that
One of the main reasons that

CLARIFYING
Clarifying Trying to understand others Paraphrasing Summarizing what someone
thoughts. said.
What do you mean? Will you explain that So you are saying that
again, please? In other words, you think
I have a question about What I hear you saying is
One point that was not clear to me was
Are you saying that
Can you please clarify?

ENSURING EQUITY
Soliciting a Response What do others Holding the Floor Finishing your thought.
think? As I was saying /
What do you think? If I could finish my thought
We havent heard from you What I was trying to say was
Do you agree? Why? OMG! Excuse me!? (just kidding)

CHALLENGING
Disagreement Explaining how your opinion Challenging Ideas Making others defend
differs with others. their arguments.
Sorry [NAME] but I disagree with you How did you reach your conclusion?
because What makes you think that?
I see your point [NAME] , but I think How does that explain ________________?
Another way of looking at it is It could be argued
I'm still not convinced that __________, However, couldnt you also say?
because
My opinion/experience/perspective is
different than [NAME]s...
Some people may say ___________, but I
believe

AGREEING
Acknowledging Ideas Showing similarities Agreement Showing your support for
between arguments. anothers ideas.
My idea is similar to Thats an interesting idea /
My idea builds upon ______s idea I hadnt thought of that.
I see what you mean.
Did you read my mind?! I was gonna say
that! (J/K)
PARTICIPANT NOTES

Discussion Prompt: As participants in a democratic society, is civil disobedience an effective and ethical strategy
that Occupy Oakland Protestors should utilize to reach their goal of achieving more economic equality?
DEBATE NOTES | As you debate, take notes on your opponents arguments and evidence.
Main Arguments
Made Supporting Evidence Provided Counter-argument
(and speaker)
Example: Example: 37% of Oakland High students are members of clubs. Example: Stevie, youre right that a two-period lunch
Name (of speaker): This number will drop dramatically because there will be less would make it difficult to meet; however, clubs are
Stevie clubs available next year. Clubs sponsors (teachers) cannot student-run. As a result, club leaders should organize two
have two separate meetings because they only have one lunch club meetings on the meeting day in order to include all
Lunch should not be two
period off. As a result, students will not have enough clubs to students. Another option is for clubs to meet after school.
periods next year because
meet their needs and might do something unproductive instead. It is up to the students to make due with necessary
it will harm school clubs.
changes that the school must make for their benefit.
(Billy)
1. Name:
________________

2. Name:
________________

3. Name:
________________

4. Name:
________________
AUDIENCE NOTES
Discussion Prompt: As participants in a democratic society, is civil disobedience an effective and ethical strategy
that Occupy Oakland Protestors should utilize to reach their goal of achieving more economic equality?
DEBATE NOTES | As you debate, take notes on your opponents arguments and evidence.
Main Arguments
Made Supporting Evidence Provided Counter-argument
(and speaker)
Example: Example: 37% of Oakland High students are members of clubs. Example: Stevie, youre right that a two-period lunch
Name (of speaker): This number will drop dramatically because there will be less would make it difficult to meet; however, clubs are
Stevie clubs available next year. Clubs sponsors (teachers) cannot student-run. As a result, club leaders should organize two
have two separate meetings because they only have one lunch club meetings on the meeting day in order to include all
Lunch should not be two
period off. As a result, students will not have enough clubs to students. Another option is for clubs to meet after school.
periods next year because
meet their needs and might do something unproductive instead. It is up to the students to make due with necessary
it will harm school clubs.
changes that the school must make for their benefit.
(Billy)
1. Name:
________________

2. Name:
________________

3. Name:
________________

4. Name:
________________
Instructions for the students:

Explain how it works to the students, then give further instructions:


The purpose of this format is to promote discussion. It is not a debate; therefore, students are encouraged to keep an open mind by listening
to what the speaker is saying without leaping to judgment.
No speaker may speak twice in a row for her/his side. This allows students who are less confident the opportunity to speak and/or challenge
a more verbally skilled student without fear of immediate reprisal.
Students do not raise their hands to speak (especially while someone else is speaking)! In a discussion, the participants need to pay attention
to the ebb and flow of the conversation and join in as appropriate.
No one acknowledges any move, this is not a team game. This is not a win-lose situation.
The goal of the participants is to be fair and open-minded. By the end of the discussion, the participants should be equally able to explain
their own view as well as the opposing view.

For the teacher:

The statement should be written on the board.


As mediator, you must be neutral.
Modify or switch the topic if discussion becomes stagnant.
Use talking tickets if a handful of students tend to dominate discussion.
If the student who is speaking is looking at you, look at the students to whom they should be directing their comments.
Use scaffolding techniques to prepare students for more advanced discussion topics.
Be prepared to be comfortable with silent gaps (particularly with less mature, more shy groups).
Sit behind a row of students or in the undecided section.
As closure, give the students 30 seconds to think and then 30 seconds each to make one statement explaining their position. Or have students
each rate themselves on a scale explaining how open-minded they were during the discussion.
Always follow up with a writing activity!
NEW IDEAS NEW IDEAS
In my opinionI think/believe that In my opinionI think/believe that

NEW IDEAS | Up NEW IDEAS | Up to 15
to 15 points points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/15 Your score: ____/15
NEW IDEAS
In my opinionI think/believe that In my opinionI think/believe that
IDEAS NEW
NEW IDEAS | Up to 15 NEW IDEAS | Up to 15
points points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/15 Your score: ____/15
AGREEING AGREEING
uestion about I have a question about
CLARIFYING / ENSURING EQUITY / CLARIFYING / ENSURING EQUITY /

CLARIFYING / ENSURING CLARIFYING / ENSURING
EQUITY / AGREEING | Up EQUITY / AGREEING | Up
to 7 points to 7 points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/ 7 Your score: ____/ 7
AGREEING AGREEING
uestion about I have a question about
CLARIFYING / ENSURING EQUITY / CLARIFYING / ENSURING EQUITY /

CLARIFYING / ENSURING CLARIFYING / ENSURING
EQUITY / AGREEING | Up EQUITY / AGREEING | Up
to 7 points to 7 points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/ 7 Your score: ____/ 7
because e
Sorry [NAME] but I disagree with you isagree with you
REBUTTAL | | REBUTTAL CHALLENGING
CHALLENGING

CHALLENGING | REBUTTAL CHALLENGING | REBUTTAL
Up to 22 points Up to 22 points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/ 22 Your score: ____/ 22
because e
Sorry [NAME] but I disagree with you isagree with you
REBUTTAL | | REBUTTAL CHALLENGING
CHALLENGING

CHALLENGING | REBUTTAL CHALLENGING | REBUTTAL
Up to 22 points Up to 22 points
NAME: NAME:
________________________________ ________________________________
Period: ________ Period: ________
Your score: ____/ 22 Your score: ____/ 22

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