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TEACHER: So position one is gonna be over here. Who could read that?

STUDENT: I can.

TEACHER: Um, Will, read it.

STUDENT: Secret wiretapping should be allowed. The government should have the right to listen to people’s conversations and read their emails or internet history. It will keep the United States safe from possible attack.

TEACHER: So in a minute, if you believe in position one, you’re gonna go to this side of the room. This is like a map for position one, two, three, four. We’ve done this before, so you should know this. Position two, which would be over here. Brian, you wanna read that?

STUDENT: Secret wiretapping is not acceptable. The government invades our privacy by reading our emails and listening to our conversations. We should be able to write and talk about what we want, as long as we do not hurt anyone.

TEACHER: Position three, Abdul.

STUDENT: If the United States is in danger and there are people who might harm our country, secret wiretapping should be used. The government needs to ask the court first, before.

TEACHER: Position four. Uh, Emily, you wanna read that?

STUDENT: Wiretapping should only be allowed if the government warns people first.

TEACHER: Now, we need to use the words. So here are the words. They’re up, also, right there. So try to use that word each time you speak. Find the position that you believe. If you don’t— if you aren’t sure, you can sit in the middle. It’s one, two, three, four. Pretend this is like a flat map of our room.

 

- Teacher asks students to read four debate positions and indicates where the students will move in the classroom when they select positions.

- Teacher reminds students to use target words while making points during the debate.

"Debating the Issue" from Teacher Guide

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