SWEET JESUS, MOTHER MARY AND JOSEPH..
pic.twitter.com/pGJXcHnUZ5
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Ahem..it seems
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The Race Is On!
A Parent's Guide to Talking About the Presidential Election
No matter what your political beliefs, there's one thing parents can agree on: We'll be inundated with election coverage over the next few weeks. Chances are that your child has begun to notice campaign signs, television commercials, news coverage, T-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons and conversations about the election.Increased campaign coverage may also bring interesting questions from your child. While even young children can get caught up in the excitement of a campaign, they may be confused about how it works. Here are some questions your kids may ask, along with ideas on how to phrase your response:
- What is voting?
- Who can vote?
- Why can't kids vote?
- Why should people vote?
- Can I come to the party?
- Can I become president?
- What does the President do?
- What do donkeys and elephants have to do with being president?
- How can kids get involved in the election?
What is voting?
You can explain to preschoolers that voting is a way for a group to make a decision. Family members can cast votes for a favorite meal, favorite book or favorite weekend activity.Who can vote?
School-age children are ready to learn that when this country began, the Founding Fathers wrote a constitution describing how we would govern ourselves. It said people should vote but didn't say who could vote. That was left to each state to decide, which created problems. In the past, people were denied the right to vote because of social class, gender or ethnic origin. Now after centuries of protest, four amendments to the Constitution and several new laws, all U.S. citizens, 18 years or older, are allowed to vote.Why can't kids vote?
Kids who get caught up in election excitement may be disappointed to learn that they don't get a vote. Explain to them that in order to vote in this country, you have to meet citizenship, residency and age requirements, meaning you have to be at least 18. But remind kids that even if they can't vote in the presidential election, they can still vote in class, with their family or with a group of friends.Why should people vote?
Raise a future voter by teaching children about the importance of making their voices heard. Tell them that despite the struggle to extend the vote to all American citizens over 18, only 64 percent of U.S. citizens age 18 and over voted in the 2004 presidential election. Explain that because a surprising number of elections are determined by small margins, it's important for all eligible voters to participate at the local and national level.Can I come to the party?
You may need to teach young children that that a political party isn't the same as a birthday party -- even though they'll see lots of balloons, confetti and dancing if they watch a convention on TV. Show kids that political parties are groups of people with similar interests who join together to support candidates. School-age children have probably heard of the Democrats and Republicans. Introduce them to other parties, too, like the Green Party, the Libertarians and the Progressives. Remind them that voters can just be independents and not join a party at all.Can I become president?
Tell your aspiring world leader that, according to the Constitution, a person must meet three conditions to be eligible to become president. An individual must:- be a citizen who was born in the United States
- have lived in the United States for fourteen years
- be at least 35 years old
What does the President do?
Children may understand that the President leads the nation, but you can explain that he also serves as the head of the military, makes agreements with other nations and chooses people to hold important government jobs. He doesn't do it on his own, however. Introduce kids to the three branches of government: the Legislative, which includes Congress; the Judicial, which includes the Supreme Court; and the Executive, which includes the President, Vice President and Cabinet. Each branch can limit the powers of the other so none becomes too powerful.What do donkeys and elephants have to do with being president?
Political symbols can be a fun topic to explore with children, since they have roots in something kids love: cartoons. Tell children that before TV, radio and the Internet, political parties used printed materials to attract and educate voters. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast (the same man who created our modern image of Santa Claus) drew a cartoon of a Democratic donkey and a Republican elephant in the late 1870s. These symbols have since become official mascots of their parties.Invite young children to draw their own cartoon symbols for causes they believe in, whether they're helping animals, saving the earth or raising money for a children's charity.
How can kids get involved in the election?
Let kids know that even though they can't vote, they can encourage the adults in their life to register to vote and to campaign for their favorite causes and candidates. Future voters can also pass out fliers, help at polling places (in some states), listen to debates and wear buttons or T-shirts for their favorite nominee.
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NOVA SCOTIA- we started Grade IV -learned listen and articulate facts to sway- the most brilliant tool kit you can give and teach your child... seriously....
MRHS to host national debate competition
Middleton
Regional High School debate coaches Laura Cole, Bonny Hubley and David
Stewart are helping students Skylah Van Wagoner and Mia Fraser prepare
for a national competition MRHS is hosting in October.
©Ashley Thompson
MIDDLETON - They’ve contemplated some of life’s most debatable questions.
- Should all drugs be legalized?
- Is civil disobedience OK if you believe the laws are unjust in a country?
- Is bald sexy?
Now the Middleton Regional High School’s debate club is teaming up with The Nova Scotia Debating Society to host the 2016 National Debate Seminar from Oct. 26 – 31.
The seminar is held in a different province or territory each year, with delegates having the option to compete in English or French. Provinces and territories can send up to seven delegates to the national seminar.
Skylah Van Wagoner and Mia Fraser will be representing MRHS.
“Skylah is one of the most enthusiastic debaters we’ve ever had. She would go to every single tournament. She never seems to tire of it and she has one of the sharpest minds that we’ve ever had on the team,” said David Stewart, a retired MRHS English teacher and longtime debate coach.
“I originally committed for five years and this is my 13th. The kids are just so wonderful that it’s hard to give them up.”
Advertisement - Article continues below
“Mia is a fascinating kid, one of the nicest students that we’ve ever had. She debated with us right from Grade 7 and made nationals in Grade 9,” said Stewart.
Fraser, Stewart added, has a gift for introducing interesting perspectives that her competition often overlooks.
“She is a committed, militant indigenous student and a lot of her intellectual and emotional energy goes into indigenous causes.”
Both Van Wagoner and Fraser are excited about the theme for the national seminar, Immigration/Emmigration: Then and Now.
They’ll partake in a prepared debate, and plead their case for impromptu questions with only 15 minutes to compile an argument without turning to the Internet to gather background research.
“You have to know a lot of things about what’s going on in the world,” said Van Wagoner, a Grade 10 student.
“It’s learning but it’s also a lot of fun. It’s a different kind of learning than you normally do in school because it gives you the opportunity to actually argue with people.”
Fraser, a Grade 12 student, initially turned to debate thinking it was something that would look good on a resume. It’s proved to be much more.
“It makes it a lot easier to look at situations and be able to see the different sides of it… and to form opinions and articulate what you want to say,” she said.
Debate students learn how to form arguments on the spur of the moment while tackling impromptu questions at weekly practices, Stewart said.
“They certainly gain confidence in themselves, confidence in their ideas, confidence in their ability to express themselves in a public forum,” he said.
“They also gain friendship with students who are like them, both in our school and in other schools as well.”
To follow the team’s progress throughout the year, join the “MRHS Debate News” Facebook group.
http://www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca/community/2016/10/6/mrhs-to-host-national-debate-competition.html
ART OF DEBATING.....
The Principles of Argumentation
by Johnie H. Scott, Assistant Professor
Pan African Studies Department - California State University, Northridge
One of the major modes of discourse, argumentation can be applied to virtually all assignments involving critical reasoning no matter the subject or discipline. As it involves a higher level of reasoning than associated with descriptive writing, or narrative writing, or expository writing per se, it is crucial for the successful university-level student to understand and master the principles, indeed the concepts that drive the critical thinking skills associated with argumentative writing.
The argumentative essay shares many characteristics with the expository essay. The argument also consists of an introduction, body and conclusion. It also is built around a major premise (in this instance, called the Proposition rather than the Thesis Statement). Additionally, there is a definite pattern of organization used in developing the argument. But before delving more deeply into this, let us go to the fundamentals.
What Is An "Argument?" First, one must be familiar with the terminology. In this instance, the term argument refers to "a reasoned attempt to convince the audience to accept a particular point of view about a debatable topic." Looking more closely at this definition, we observe that the argument is not irrational; it does not depend strictly on passion or emotion. Rather, argumentation represents a "reasoned attempt," that is, an effort based on careful thinking and planning where the appeal is to the mind, the intellect of the audience at hand. Why? The answer to this is that one wants to "convince the audience to accept a particular point of view."
The key concept here is "to convince the audience," that is, you must make them believe your position, accept your logic and evidence. Not only do you want them to accept the evidence, but you want that audience to accept "a particular point of view" -- that point of view, or perspective, is yours. It is your position, your proposition. Understand that all too often the audience may be intrigued by the evidence presented, but that intrigue alone is not enough to convince them of the validity or authority of your position in the matter.
You want the audience to accept your point of view about the topic whether it is gun control, safe sex, or stiffer prison sentences for criminal offenders no matter what age. Finally, there must be "a debatable topic" present for a true argument to develop.
What is debatable? One cannot, for example, debate whether or not the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 1988 World Series or that Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser won the Most Valuable Player Award for that particular World Series. One cannot debate the fact that the Chicago Bulls won three consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships from 1991-1993 or that Evander Holyfield, while losing his heavyweight champion of the world title to Riddick Bowe in 1992 was able to regain the title 11 months later in 1993 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Those are indisputable facts. One cannot debate the fact that Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson lost the 1988 bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination to Michael Dukakis. That also is fact.
One can debate, however, what the concept of "Freedom" means to those Black South Africans living under apartheid. One can certainly debate whether or not high school administrators should ban the wearing of baseball caps by students to school as was the case in the San Fernando Valley during the 1988 school year in an effort to nip gang violence in the bud as being effective or over-reaching boundaries. Again, the key principle here is that the topic must be one which has at least two sides -- Pro (those in favor of the proposition under discussion) and Con (those who are against the Proposition as stated).
The Proposition Now that we understand what the term argument refers to, we move to the fact that every argument must have a Proposition -- this is the major premise of the argument and classically will have at least three (3) major claims on which it is to be built.
Example The negative image of the African American male can be directly traced to the historic stereotyping of a racist white mentality evidenced in motion pictures, in literature and in popular American folklore.
Note here that the major premise is that the negative image of the African American male can be directly traced to the historic stereotyping of a racist white mentality. But to develop this proposition, the person must show through evidence (1) negative images in motion pictures, (2) negative images in American literature, and (3) negative images of African American males in popular American folklore. What you want to keep in mind, irrespective of the position you might be advancing, is to formulate a clearly stated proposition. There must be no ambiguity about your proposition. You also want to indicate within that proposition how you intend to support or develop it. And finally, you want to do so within one complete sentence that carries a subject and a verb.
Evidence in Argumentation To support your proposition, one must present evidence. There are two (2) types of evidence used in argumentation : fact(s) and opinion(s). Facts consist of items that can be verified or proven. There are at least four (4) categories of facts:
- By Scientific Measurement -- one measures the extent of an earthquake not by how "it felt," but rather how it measured on the Richter Scale. In track and field, one commonly finds the Accutron used to time running events in thousandths of a second and the more accurate metric system used in field events such as the long jump or javelin throw;
- By the Way Nature Works -- we know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; that water flows downhill, not uphill; that cloud formations indicate specific weather patterns;
- By Observation -- in courts of law, this would consist of eyewitness testimony. In research, this might consist of a longitudinal study of a phenomenom carried out over a period of 3-5 years involving several hundreds or thousands of cases looking for and recording similarities and differences; and
- By Statistics -- to note that for the year 1988, crimes of violence in the United States increased 9.2 percent from 1987 -- from 112,598 reported cases to 122,957 (a gain of 10,359 crimes). While this is a hypothetical example, one sees the approach used.
It is in presenting your evidence that you are, in fact, developing the Body of your argument. Keep in mind that in putting forth your Proposition, you do so in your introductory paragraphs. In developing that Introduction, you want to get the attention of the audience -- so again, make effective use of the various opening strategies. That evidence, be it fact or opinion, must be present in each of the three planks you put forth to develop and support your proposition. You want to make ample use of examples and illustrations along the way, bringing your proposition to life before the audience, painting word-pictures so that they can see, hear and feel what you are advancing to them. You want to convince, not merely inform!
Fallacious Reasoning One area often overlooked by those engaged in argumentation, even the more practised, consists of fallacies. A fallacy is best described as illogical reasoning. There are many reasons why this can occur, but in this section we will single out some of the more important fallacies in hopes that you will memorize what they are, avoid them in your arguments, and be able to spot them in the arguments presented by others.
Hasty generalization occurs when you come to a conclusion based on too few examples or insufficient data. You might call this "jumping to conclusions." By the same token, when taken to the extreme we find that the hasty generalization becomes stereotyping when the actions or traits of a few are generalized to take in an entire group. Stereotyping can be mean, even vicious. Think of various ethnic stereotypes associated with African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Jews.
Begging the Question takes place when you assume as a basic premise something that needs to be proven, for example:
- Inner city schools are inferior to suburban schools.
- Black colleges are inferior to major state-run universities.
- The Black Athlete is naturally superior to others.
Finally, there is argumentum ad hominem. This occurs when you direct your argument to the prejudices and instincts of the crowd, of the mob, rather than dealing with the real issue(s). For example, in speaking to a group of welfare recipients about their tenant rights, you base your argument on the indignities they may have suffered rather than educating them to the problem(s) at hand and what they can do about these.
As you can see, to properly develop an argument calls for time, it calls for research, it calls for careful thinking and planning. It also makes certain demands on you relative to ethics -- that is, you want to always be truthful when addressing the issues, you want to avoid deceit or the appearance of deception, yours is the burden of maintaining credibility at all times. This is not easy but as you go along, one gains experience and confidence.
Anticipating Objections All too often do we fall in love with our point of view to the extent that we forget our own humanity -- that is, all humans will err. No one can make a claim to absolute truth on an issue. One must always contend with the shadow of a doubt. So long as this is true, then you must be conscious of the fact that your opponent may have very valid objections to your proposition. You should try to anticipate, to think of the possible objections that can be made against your argument. Not only that, but those good practicioners of the art will incorporate those objections into their argument and answer them along the way. This is very impressive. Not only have you, so to speak, stolen some of your opponent's thunder, but you have also made a very positive impression on your audience/your reader. For that audience is now saying to itself, "Wow, this person has really done his/her homework!"
The incorporation of these possible objections can occur all along the de- velopment of your argument. They can appear in each and every one of your support planks to your proposition and can then be reiterated at the summary. And it is in the Summary, which is the term used to refer to the conclusion of the argumentative essay, that one wraps everything up in convincing the reader(s) of your point of view.
The Closing Strategies Nowhere is it more true than with the argumentative essay that you want to close strongly! The fact is that you not only want the audience to hear you; you also want them to believe you and, where needed, take action on what they have heard. To that end, the argumentative essay will certainly draw from the eight different strategies that exist to conclude. You may wish to use a combination of these strategies as you make your presentation of proof. With the thought in mind that this paper carries ample evidence, make certain to observe the guidelines for documentation. For those in the social sciences, there are both APA and ASA guidelines that do exist and can be studied. The same applies for those in the humanities with the Modern Language Association.
Discussion In this presentation, we have examined some of the basic principles that surround the argumentative mode of discourse. For those concerned with arguing as a social process, then concern must certainly be paid to certain communication rules as you are not verbally assaulting someone but rather, as noted earlier, making a rational appeal to the audience to accept a particular point of view based upon a claim supported by evidence. Those Speech Communication scholars will point out that there are four social conventions which govern any argument. As Douglas Ehninger points out, "That is, when you decide to argue with another person, you are making, generally, commitments to four standards of judgment:"
- Convention of Bilaterality: Argument is explicitly bilateral: it requires at least two people or two competing messages. The arguer, implicitly or explicitly, is saying that he or she is presenting a message that can be examined by others. A spokesperson for the National Urban League, for example, assumes that designation and puts forth that organization's proposed solution(s) to certain social problems that America is faced with in oppostion to solutions offered by others. In doing so, the National Urban League specifically calls for counterargument so that a middle ground may be reached.
- Convention of Self-Risk: In argument, there is always the risk of being proven wrong. For example, when you argue that a federal public school system is preferable to a state- or local-based public school system, you invite the possibility that your opponent will convince you that local or neighborhood-controlled schools present fewer bureaucratic problems and more benefits than does federal control. Keep in mind that the public has been invited to carefully evaluate both arguments, that the public eye can and will expose your weakenesses as well as those of your opponent.
- The Fairness Doctrine: Our system of government, from the community level up to the Congress itself, is based upon the "fairness doctrine." This, in itself, presents the following concept: the idea that debate (argument) ought to be as extended and as complete as possible in order to guaranteee that all viewpoints are aired, considered, and defended. In my classroom when students debate, equal time is given to both sides even if one side chooses not to use all the time allotted, or fails to use all the available time. This is different, however, from how that time is used -- that is, the effectiveness with which a party is able to utilize the time it is given.
- Commitment to Rationality: When you argue or debate, a commitment is made to proceed with logic. When you make an assertion, you are saying, "This is what I believe and these are my reasons for that belief." As a debater, your commitment is to giving evidence, examples, data in support of your assertion -- reasons that you believe fully support your claim and should be accepted by the audience or the doubtful. For example, when you argue that handguns should be banned by law, someone else has the right to say "No" (the convention of bilaterality) and the right to put forth a contrary (i.e., "Con") proposition (the fairness doctrine). Furthermore, all parties to the argument -- the doubtful, the audience, the person or parties you are debating with -- have the right to ask, "Why do you believe that?" (the convention of rationality). Argument, accordingly, is a rational form of communication in the sense that all debaters believe they have good reasons for the acceptance of their assertions. They are, in fact, obligated to provide those reasons; they cannot get away with saying,"Oh, I don't know -- I just feel that it's true. That's the way it is. You know what I mean." If the evidence presented is relevant to the assertion being made and if they are acceptable to the audience hearing the assertion put forth, then the debater will have met that commitment to rationality.
Take, for instance, the person whose argument is that predominantly black inner-city schools are inferior to predominantly white suburban schools. That individual has built this argument by pointing out the problems of high absenteeism rates, high drop-out rates, problems with drug trafficking on and near the campus, little or no parental involvement in the parent-teacher associations, lax discipline in the classrooms, and poor student performance on standardized tests. At the same time, this arguer has failed to take into account that those listening to this argument live in the inner city, have brothers and sisters, perhaps older relatives who attended the very schools being disparaged or, in their eyes, "put down" yet one more time. It is on factors such as this that arguments are won and lost, where the arguer has failed to take into account the human dimension of the problem -- the people you are addressing without taking into account their own emotions about the issue under discussion.
The same holds true for writing an argumentative essay. One becomes impressed not only by the breadth of the research or the writer's command of the facts involved, but even moreso by the logic combined with compassion and insight that the arguer demonstrates. Those who would frame an argument without taking into account the human element, who would plunge headlong into the debate without taking time to stop and ask the question, "Who is my audience and how do they feel about this? How have or will they be affected by what I have to say?" run the great risk not only of falling short in their argument, but alienating the audience at the same time. Where there is alienation, communication cannot take place. Always keep this in mind as you develop assertions and present reasons for your beliefs: that people and not walls are taking in your message.
Summary There are four modes of discourse: narration, description, exposition, and argumentation. Of the four, argumentation is unquestionably the primal form of communication as it involves the fine art of persuasion as well. The argumentative essay may also be referred to as the Assertion-with- Evidence essay. The person is making an assertion, a statement that says, "This is so," which he or she then begins to prove through evidence. That assertion is also known as the proposition (i.e., the main idea of an argu- mentative essay). This proposition should have at least three patterns evident within it by which the arguer will develop the argument. Argument itself may be simply defined as "a reasoned attempt to convince the audience to accept a particular point of view about a debateable subject or topic."
The evidence one uses in any argument may be divided into fact and expert opinion. The evidence can and should take the forms of examples, details, illustrations, statistics. When developing an argumentative essay, one has to always beware of fallacies or "illogical reasoning." While there are many types of fallacies that can and do exist in rhetoric, six (6) basic ones have been presented here for your review and thinking -- hasty generalizations, stereotyping, begging the question, name calling, evading the question, and argumentum ad hominem. In addition, the good argumentative essay will always try to take into account what the opposition or contrary position might have to say and include or address that within the paper.
Equally important to remember is that argument is a social process and for those who engage in it, there is a commitment ot specific communica- tion rules: (1) convention of bilaterality; (2) convention of self-risk; (3) the fairness doctrine; and (4) the commitment to rationality. In realizing that argumentation is a social process, the arguer is reminded to never forget the human factor -- that the audience listening does have an emotional stake in the subject under debate or dispute. Those who fail to take this into account, who treat the audience (i.e., the reader or readers, listeners) like walls rather than human beings will fail in the effort to convince that group to accept your assertion no matter how ell-organized, no matter how well-developed or articulated.
Discussion Questions
- Before reading this presentation, how would you have defined an argument? Differentiate between your earlier definition of an argument and the one that emerges from this article.
- Develop an argumentative paragraph (either pro or con) on the subject, "Should Students Be Responsible for Their Learning?" In a separate paragraph, explain why you chose the particular evidence you did. What would be the primary objection that someone taking an oppostion position to you might make, and why? Be specific.
- In identifying the six types of fallacies that most often occur in argumentative writing, provide your own definition and example or illustration for each.
- With respect to the social conventions implicit to argumentation -- bilaterality, self-risk, fairness, and rationality -- apply these to yourself in a self-examination of the way you have attempted argumentation and argumentative writing prior to now. What do you learn from this self- assessment?
- Proposition
- Fact(s)
- Opinion
- Fallacy
- Argument
- Rationality
- Social Convention(s)
- Premise
- Breadth
- Credible
http://www.csun.edu/~hcpas003/argument.html
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#KEANU gangsta kitty.... I love ya and your awesome movie - the background classical music was second to none.... and those who thought it was violent...... my league grew up during and after WWII babies .... u don't know violent.... #Syria does with the global politico greed over humanity...
Anyway.... I adore #BernieSanders and you adore #KeanuReeves (who doesn't) .... and your pissed off because u think chidren and youth under 18 and Global Nature and Animal should have a vote and a say ..... SO UR FORMING A REVOLUTION..... sigh...
Of course you matter.... it's just that the Rules of Order - #UnitedNationsBullies and despots and thieves and 1%
.... and USA has FINALLY SUCCUMBED TO BEING RUSSIA AND CHINA.... not only embracing the 1% but bragging on it to the dirt poor and ordinary of the world kicking the most loved politician in the 21st Century #BernieSanders to the curb..... I know... we all know... and FKn Mainstream media news hijacking.
#FeelTheBern
#BengahziClinton and #GonnaLetMyTeamRunUSA #Trump
all of us knowing that #JillAndGary will win many, many seats.... and the world will change by 2020
What you need to know to vote in HRM
WHEN?
It’s voting day and if you didn’t vote online or in at advance polls you can cast your ballot any time up until 7 p.m.
WHERE?
If you don't know where to vote, there is a searchable database of all the voting stations. You can find it HERE. Electronic voting is no longer available.
WHO?
So you know where you’re going to vote, but who are you voting for?
Click HERE for the official list of candidates. They’re all there, whether you’re voting in Cole Harbour or Middle Musquodoboit.
HOW?
Just take your voting card. There is no ID required to vote in the municipal election. However, if your card has you in the wrong district, you should be able to vote by bringing a piece of ID and a piece of mail or something else with your address on it. (Think power bill, cable bill and so on.)
If you still have questions about voting in the election you can call the municipal election office at: 902-490-VOTE (8683) or 1-844-301-VOTE (8683).
WHY?
Because you can. Many don’t have that right.
Because you should. Your property tax, bridge tolls, even what you pay in parking tickets go to pay for schools, roads, parks, policing and a whole lot of other things that affect your everyday life. If you care about any of this, have your say.
If you care about any of these issues below. They’re all the responsibility of your municipal government:
It’s voting day and if you didn’t vote online or in at advance polls you can cast your ballot any time up until 7 p.m.
WHERE?
If you don't know where to vote, there is a searchable database of all the voting stations. You can find it HERE. Electronic voting is no longer available.
WHO?
So you know where you’re going to vote, but who are you voting for?
Click HERE for the official list of candidates. They’re all there, whether you’re voting in Cole Harbour or Middle Musquodoboit.
HOW?
Just take your voting card. There is no ID required to vote in the municipal election. However, if your card has you in the wrong district, you should be able to vote by bringing a piece of ID and a piece of mail or something else with your address on it. (Think power bill, cable bill and so on.)
If you still have questions about voting in the election you can call the municipal election office at: 902-490-VOTE (8683) or 1-844-301-VOTE (8683).
WHY?
Because you can. Many don’t have that right.
Because you should. Your property tax, bridge tolls, even what you pay in parking tickets go to pay for schools, roads, parks, policing and a whole lot of other things that affect your everyday life. If you care about any of this, have your say.
If you care about any of these issues below. They’re all the responsibility of your municipal government:
- Policing
- Fire Protection
- Parks and Recreation
- Garbage collection/Recycling/Composting
- Drinking Water
- Storm Water/Wastewater Management
- Streets and Sidewalks including snow and ice removal
- Economic Development
- Public Transit
- Land-Use Planning
- Emergency Management
- Building/Fire Inspection
- Animal Control
- Tourism and Culture
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1406209-what-you-need-to-know-to-vote-in-hrm
#KEANU gangsta kitty.... YES WE KNOW U ADORE #POTUS 2012 but he can't run another term like Africa, Russia, Asia, Europe etc.... sigh......
USA's greatest President next to #JohnFKennedy ..... sigh.....
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How to debate and what they are supposed to b about.... Grade V classroom Style
MORE RESOURCES FOR CLASSROOM DEBATES
Updated May 2009
Below you will find links that will take you to the best resources on the Web for
- debate rules;
- debate rubrics for student assessment;
- debate topics for classroom use;
- more debate lesson plans; and
- fun debate strategies.
- Classroom Debate Instructions
This teacher-created resource includes student guidelines and rules for holding debates. - Debate Roles and Rules
An English teacher offers this format and list of simple rules that includes "No put downs" as well as penalties for interrupting. - An Introduction to Classroom Debates
A sixth-grade teacher offers these ideas for helping students work as a team as they formulate their debate positions.
Use one of these rubrics to assess student performance, or adapt the rubrics to create one that meets your needs:
Debate Topics for Classroom Use
- Ideas for Debate Topics
This teacher-created list contains more than three dozen topics, mostly about student-centered issues (Should students be required to wear uniforms to school? or Should students be permitted to go to PG-13 movies? ) Included: A good list of topics of interest to students at the elementary or middle school level. - Social Issues Homework Center
This Web page from the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, offers links to resources related to more than two dozen debate topics including affirmative action, animal rights, child labor, gangs, and flag burning. - IDEA Debatabase
This database/search engine links students to resources for debates on issues related to culture, the environment and animal welfare, science and technology, sports, more. Plus a database of debate skill-building exercises. - High School Debate Topics
The site offers links to resources related to debate topics that include mental health care policy, weapons of mass destruction, privacy issues, renewable energy, juvenile crime, more.
- Using Fairy Tales to Debate Ethics (All Grades)
- Discussion Webs in the Classroom (All Grades)
- Human Nature: Good or Evil? (Grades 6-12)
- Beam Me Down Scotty (Grades 9-12)
- Take a Stand! (Grades 3-12)
- In Your Opinion: Are Athletes Heroes? (Grades 6-12)
- The Problem With Profiling (Grades 6-12)
- Newshour Extra: Debating Iraq (Grades 9-12)
- The Great Energy Debate (Grades 9-12)
- Making Good Decisions (Grades K-3)
- Introduction to Argument (Grades 6-12)
- Effective Speaking in a Debate (Grades 9-12)
- Adopting a Dress Code (Grades 6-12)
- Battle Bars: The Edible Argument (Grades 9-`12)
The following fun strategies can be used to engage students and vary the debate structure by involving the entire class in different ways:
- Three-Card strategy -- This technique can be used as a pre-debate strategy to help students gather information about topics they might not know a lot about. It can also be used after students observe two groups in a debate, when the debatable question is put up for full classroom discussion. This strategy provides opportunities for all students to participate in discussions that might otherwise be monopolized by students who are frequent participators. In this strategy, the teacher provides each student with two or three cards on which are printed the words "Comment or Question." When a student wishes to make a point as part of the discussion, he or she raises one of the cards; after making a comment or asking a question pertinent to the discussion, the student turns in the card. This strategy encourages participants to think before jumping in; those who are usually frequent participants in classroom discussions must weigh whether the point they wish to make is valuable enough to turn in a card. When a student has used all the cards, he or she cannot participate again in the discussion until all students have used all their cards.
- Participation Countdown strategy -- Similar to the technique above, the countdown strategy helps students monitor their participation, so they don't monopolize the discussion. In this strategy, students raise a hand when they have something to say. The second time they have something to say, they must raise their hand with one finger pointing up (to indicate they have already participated once). When they raise their hand a third time, they do so with two fingers pointing up (to indicate they have participated twice before). After a student has participated three times, he or she cannot share again as long as any other student has something to add to the discussion.
- Tag Team Debate strategy -- This strategy can be used to help students learn about a topic before a debate, but it is probably better used when opening up discussion after a formal debate or as an alternative to the Lincoln-Douglas format. In a tag team debate, each team of five members represents one side of a debatable question. Each team has a set amount of time (say, 5 minutes) to present its point of view. When it's time for the team to state its point of view, one speaker from the team takes the floor. That speaker can speak for no more than 1 minute, and must "tag" another member of the team to pick up the argument before his or her minute is up. Team members who are eager to pick up a point or add to the team's argument, can put out a hand to be tagged. That way, the current speaker knows who might be ready to pick up the team's argument. No member of the team can be tagged twice until all members have been tagged once.
- Role Play Debate strategy -- In the Lincoln-Douglas debate format, students play the roles of Constructor, Cross-Examiner, and so on. But many topics lend themselves to a different form of debate -- the role-play debate. In a role-play debate, students examine different points of view or perspectives related to an issue. See a sample lesson: Role Play Debate.
- Fishbowl strategy -- This strategy helps focus the attention of students not immediately involved in the current classroom debate; or it can be used to put the most skilled and confident debaters center stage, as they model proper debate form and etiquette. As the debaters sit center-stage (in the "fishbowl"), other students observe the action from outside the fishbowl. To actively involve observers, appoint them to judge the debate; have each observer keep a running tally of new points introduced by each side as the debate progresses. Note: If you plan to use debates in the future, it might be a good idea to videotape the final student debates your current students present. Those videos can be used to help this year's students evaluate their participation, and students in the videos can serve as the "fishbowl" group when you introduce the debate structure to future students. Another alternative: Watch one of the Online Debate Videos from Debate Central.
- Inner Circle/Outer Circle strategy -- This strategy, billed as a pre-writing strategy for editorial opinion pieces, helps students gather facts and ideas about an issue up for debate. It focuses students on listening carefully to their classmates. The strategy can be used as an information-gathering session prior to a debate or as the structure for the actual debate. See a sample lesson: Inner Circle/Outer Circle Debate.
- Think-Pair-Share Debate strategy -- This strategy can be used during the information gathering part of a debate or as a stand-alone strategy. Students start the activity by gathering information on their own. Give students about 10 minutes to think and make notes. Next, pair each student with another student; give the pair about 10 minutes to share their ideas, combine their notes, and think more deeply about the topic. Then pair those students with another pair; give them about 10 minutes to share their thoughts and gather more notes… Eventually, the entire class will come together to share information they have gathered about the topic. Then students will be ready to knowledgably debate the issue at hand. See the Think-Pair-Share strategy in action in an Education World article, Discussion Webs in the Classroom.
- Four Corners Debate strategy -- In this active debate strategy, students take one of four positions on an issue. They either strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. See a sample lesson: Four Corners Debate.
- Graphic Organizer strategy -- A simple graphic organizer enables students to compare and contrast, to visualize, and to construct their position on any debatable question. See a sample lesson using a simple two-column comparison graphic organizer in the Education World article Discussion Webs in the Classroom.
- Focus Discussions strategy -- The standard rules for a Lincoln-Douglas style debate allow students 3 minutes to prepare their arguments. The debatable question/policy is not introduced prior to that time. If your students might benefit from some research and/or discussion before the debate, you might pose the question and then have students spend one class period (or less or more) gathering information about the issue's affirmative arguments (no negative arguments allowed) and the same amount of time on the negative arguments (no affirmative arguments allowed). See a sample lesson: Human Nature: Good or Evil?.
Return to this week's Lesson Planning article, It's Up for Debate!, for five debate strategy lesson plans.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson304b.shtml
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