Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's English lesson.

My name is Mrs. Butterworth, and I will be guiding you through the learning today.

Now, this lesson is all about responding in debates, which can be quite a tricky thing to do.

So we're gonna focus on how we can create effective rebuttals, and practise doing that.

Sound good? Great, let's get started.

So in this lesson, you will identify key points or flaws in an opposing argument, and use these to create an effective rebuttal.

Now, let's look at those keywords that will be important for today's lesson.

These words are rebuttal, flaw, critical, irrelevant, and testimonial.

Now, a rebuttal is obviously a key part of this lesson.

And what a rebuttal is, it is a response or argument that challenges or disproves another person's statement or claim.

Now, a flaw, you will need to be able to identify flaws to create your rebuttal.

And a flaw is a mistake or weakness in something.

So when we are looking for those flaws, we're looking for a mistake or weakness in an argument.

Critical means to think deeply about an argument, or spot any flaws or weak points.

So you'll be thinking critically about the opposing team's debate.

Irrelevant means that something isn't related to a topic or situation, so it doesn't link.

And then finally, a testimonial is a statement in which someone shares their personal experience or opinion to support something.

So we might think about using testimonials, or expert testimonials, as evidence in our debates.

Okay, keep an eye out for those words as they pop up throughout the lesson.

Now, the outline of the lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by considering how to identify flaws in an opposing argument.

And then we're going to move on to think about how we can use those to create an effective rebuttal.

So a rebuttal is when you respond to the other team's arguments in a debate.

It is used to show why the opposing argument is wrong or weak.

And like a back and forth, to prove your side is stronger.

So remember in a debate, particularly competitive debating, it can be judged and the argument can be won.

And part of this competition or this competitive element is being able to respectfully show how the other team may not be presenting their argument so well.

Now, one of the most difficult parts of creating a rebuttal is actually being able to track and record flaws in the other team's argument.

So thinking about this, tracking an opposing argument, which spoken language skills do you think would be the most useful for this? And how can you use them? There are some pictures there to help you.

So which spoken language skills do you think will be the most useful to track and record any flaws in the other team's argument? And how can you use them? Okay, pause the video to discuss your ideas.

Or if that's not an option, you can think quietly to yourself, off you go.

Okay, thank you.

So let's share some of those discussions.

So, ears listening.

So you might have picked up on that from the picture.

So you will definitely need to use your active listening skills to ensure you hear the argument in full.

So you will need to activate those listening skills, and really be thinking about what the other team is saying.

You will also need to be using your brain to think, because you'll need to find any flaws in the argument.

And also think critically about what you are going to say about them.

So it's actually asking quite a lot.

Not only have you got to identify those flaws, you've then got to think about how you can use those flaws to create that rebuttal, okay? To use it against them, if you like.

And then finally, eyes looking.

Now, you will need to track the speaker to help you focus.

Now, tracking the speaker is about watching the speaker, being present with the speaker.

And that will just enable you to really track the argument, and find those all important flaws.

Okay, true or false time.

A rebuttal is where the proposition agrees with the motion.

Is that true or false? Select your answer now.

Okay, well done to everyone who said that is false.

But you need to say why that is false, so come up with your answer now.

Okay, so here's my answer.

Hopefully you came up with something similar.

So that answer is false because a rebuttal is where you respond to the other team's argument, okay? It's usually finding flaws in order to strengthen your own team's position.

So that is a rebuttal.

So now I want us to think about the potential flaws to look for in an opposing team's argument.

Now, there may be more than this that you could look for, but this is a good starting point.

So you want to look at people presenting opinion as fact, okay? So we can look for that in an opposing team's argument.

Contradictions.

And irrelevant or incorrect information or evidence.

So if you were tracking a speaker or tracking an argument, you can look for these flaws.

So let's look at some example.

So Laura is presenting her argument in response to this motion.

The house believes that mobile phone should be banned in schools.

So this is what Laura has said.

Mobile phones are the only reason students aren't concentrating in class.

If we ban them, every single student will pay full attention and get better grades.

Now, I'd like you to discuss Laura's response here.

What could you use for your rebuttal? What flaw can you find in this argument? So remember to consider opinion presented as fact, contradictions, irrelevant or incorrect information or evidence.

So pause the video so you can discuss those questions.

Think quietly to yourself, or maybe even jot some ideas down, off you go.

You may have thought about the following.

So you may have noticed that Laura is presenting her opinion.

It is an exaggerated absolute claim without any evidence to support it.

So alongside opinions presented as facts, very often you get this exaggeration.

So many mobile phones are the only reason, and every single student.

So that exaggeration comes alongside that opinion presented as fact.

So if you see this happening in an argument, you've got a flaw to identify, and you can use that in your rebuttal.

So let's look at Lucas's argument, okay? So this is his response to the motion, again, about mobile phones being banned in schools.

And Lucas has said, did you know that mobile phone companies made over 3 billion last year? That's way too much money for one industry to control.

Okay, so again, look back at Lucas's response.

Discuss, what could you use for your rebuttal? And what flaw can you find in this argument? Remember to consider opinion presented as fact, contradictions, irrelevant or incorrect information or evidence.

Pause the video to gather your answers to those questions, off you go.

Right, so who picked up on this? Great, okay, so he has used irrelevant information here.

The amount of money that companies make has no direct connection to where the phone should be banned.

And you can actually hear that when you read it.

So if you think about, there's no mention of schools at all, it's just saying that mobile companies made 3 billion a year, that's way too much money.

It's irrelevant, isn't it? It doesn't link to schools, it doesn't link to the banning of mobile phones.

So if we were listening to Lucas's argument, that could be something we could note down and potentially use as a rebuttal.

And finally, Alex, let's look at his response.

Alex's says, mobile phones should be banned because they distract students.

But I think students need their phones during school hours in case they need to contact their parents.

So again, I'd like you to discuss please, what could you use for your rebuttal? And what flaw can you find in this argument? Pause the video to come up with your answers.

Off you go.

Okay, so hopefully you noticed that that was a contradiction.

You can almost hear it, can't you? When you are reading through, it becomes quite confusing because Alex contradicts himself.

So he starts by saying, yes, mobile phones should be banned, but I think students need their phones.

So he contradicts himself there.

And it's really important that you stick to the stance you have been given, even if you don't believe it, okay? So it isn't about you showing two sides of an argument in a debate when you are taking a stance, so proposition or opposition, you have to stick to that stance.

And you cannot contradict yourself, because you open yourself up to a rebuttal from the other team.

Okay, so can you identify the flaw in this argument? So in a moment, you'll need to pick A, B, or C.

Let's read it together.

Studies show that 90% of schools worldwide have already banned mobile phones, so we should do the same.

So what is the flaw in this argument? Is it A, B, or C? Come up with your answer now.

Okay, who's feeling confident? It's quite a hard question, wasn't it? Well, hopefully we all got the answer, C.

Irrelevant or incorrect information or evidence.

90% of schools worldwide.

We don't need to look that up, do we? We know that that is incorrect.

And it's also exaggerated, isn't it? So again, really think about that as well.

When something sounds like it's exaggerated, it can usually be used as a flaw to use in a rebuttal.

We have reached our first practise task.

So in a moment, we are going to watch a video of a proposition argument, okay? And this proposition argument is for the motion, the house believes that mobile phones should be banned in schools.

Now, there is also a transcript available on the next slide and on the worksheet if you wish to follow along, or you are unable to watch the video at this time.

So you can use that transcript on the next slide, and on the worksheet if you need to.

Now, as you are watching the argument, or as you are reading the transcript, I would like you to think, please, can you identify any flaws in the argument? So think about what we have just done with our Oak pupils.

When you watch this, can you identify any flaws in the argument? So you'll need to watch the proposition argument as I am pressing play now.

We strongly believe that mobile phones should be banned in schools, because they are the primary cause of distraction and poor academic performance in students.

It's a well-known fact that when students have access to their phones, they are more focused on social media and texting than on their lessons.

There is no doubt that banning mobile phones will instantly improve concentration, and increase classroom participation.

While some may argue that phones are necessary for emergencies, we already have school systems in place to handle such situations, making mobile phones entirely unnecessary.

Interestingly, mobile phone radiation has been linked to global warming.

So banning phones could even have environmental benefits.

However, students will need to use their phones before and after school for safety reasons.

So a complete ban outside of school hours would be unreasonable.

Okay, so now you have watched that video, or read through the transcript, you should have some ideas as to why or where the argument is flawed.

So what I would now like you to do is I would like you to fill in the grid with examples of where the argument is flawed.

So there is an example to help you.

So opinions presented as facts.

I noted that the primary cause of distraction is a very exaggerated claim.

So I've just put a little note in there to say claim.

So I want you to think about whether you saw any more opinions presented as facts, contradictions, irrelevant or incorrect evidence or information.

You may wish to rewatch the argument again, or reread that transcript to help you.

Okay, so make sure you've got everything you need to complete this task.

And when you are ready, pause the video, and we'll feed back in a moment, off you go.

Okay, thank you everyone.

So you can see how this process of listening, finding flaws, and then considering how to use them, is really quite a complex thing to achieve, isn't it? So like I keep saying, practise, practise, practise makes it so much easier.

So you may have identified the following things.

So opinions presented as facts.

You may have noticed it is a well known fact.

That's a claim, isn't there, with no evidence? And there is no doubt, again, is an opinion.

You may have picked up on the contradiction where the speaker said, however, students still need to use their phones before and after school for safety reasons.

So that opposes the motion.

So again, you do not need to add however, or on the other hand in your debates, okay? Because that's a contradiction, and it can be identified as a flaw.

And then irrelevant or incorrect evidence from information.

Interestingly, mobile phone radiation has been linked to global warming.

This has no link, does it, to banning phones or schools? It's irrelevant, so again, that is a flaw that you could have identified.

So well done, everyone.

Let's keep going.

So now we have thoughts about how we can identify those flaws, we're now going to look at how we can use them to create an effective rebuttal.

Now, before a debate, you'll usually have time to prepare and do some research.

So you will be given a motion, and then you will be given your stance.

So whether you are proposition or opposition, and you can do some research and prepare.

So it may look like this, you may want to find some expert testimonials that you can quote in your arguments.

Maybe some facts and statistics, maybe some credible studies.

Even just reading about the motion can help you feel more prepared for your debate.

And all of these things can be used in the creation of your rebuttal.

So here is an example of preparation opposing the motion, this house believes that mobile phones should be banned in schools.

So this person has gone and done some research.

They found an expert testimonial.

So that, Harvard experts say we should learn how to teach with tech instead of against it.

So we've got that expert testimonial there.

We've got some facts and statistics.

So 83% of employees use mobile phones.

This needs to be reflected in education to allow all to get ahead.

And then some think tank suggests that mobile phone learning improves productivity by 43%.

So again, we're kind of gathering evidence, gathering some key things that can be used in our debate.

And finally, credible study.

So we've got here a study by Clayton and Murphy in 2016, which suggested that phones can lead to better educational performance due to the amount of information that can be accessed.

Now, remember, you may not agree with the motion or the stance that you are taking, but it's all about finding that evidence to support whatever argument you are going to be presenting.

So true or false time.

If there is time, you should prepare for a debate.

Is that true or false? Answer now, please.

Yes, absolutely, that's true.

You should always prepare if there is time, but now you need to say why.

Okay, so hopefully you came up with something like this.

This allows you to gather evidence to create an effective rebuttal.

So once you have listened to your opposing team's argument and noted any flaws, exactly like we did in the first part of this lesson, you can then begin constructing your rebuttal.

So you can do this in the following ways.

You could present alternative evidence, you could challenge any opinions or facts presented, and you could identify and explain the flaws.

And your rebuttal can be constructed in the following way.

So you could start by identifying what the other team has said.

So this might look like the opposition said, or the opposition referred to, or the other team said, or the other argument referred to.

And then you need to explain why you are challenging.

So you identify, then you explain.

Our team believes, or we challenge this because.

This is incorrect because, okay? So you're just explaining and making it really clear why you are challenging.

And then finally, explain how you are going to challenge.

So this might be, alternative evidence suggests, or this suggests that, okay? So you identify, you're explaining why, and then you're going to explain how.

So we're going to look at an example of a rebuttal.

So here is the proposition argument.

Mobile phones are the only reason students aren't concentrating in class.

If we ban them, every single student will pay full attention and get better grades.

So what we'll do is we'll read the example of the rebuttal, and then we'll discuss why it is effective.

So here's the rebuttal.

The opposition said that banning phones would mean every single student would get better grades.

We challenge this because it is an opinion presented as fact and an exaggerated claim.

Alternative evidence in the form of a study by Clayton and Murphy suggested that phones can lead to better educational performance due to the amount of information that can be accessed.

So here is the rebuttal here, and what makes this effective is the following.

It has identified what the other team has said.

So it says the opposition said that every single student can get better grades.

So it's identified exactly what the opposition has said, the opposing team.

It's also explained why they are challenging, okay? They say, we challenge this because it is an opinion presented as fact and exaggerated.

And then finally, they're using alternative evidence to explain how they are challenging the other team's argument.

So they're using the form of a study to challenge that.

Okay, so true or false time.

You do not need to identify what the opposition has said, or the flaws in their argument, is that true or false? Come up with your answer now.

Yes, well done to everyone that said false.

But now you need to explain why that is false.

Should we share our answers? Okay, well, this is what I have.

So hopefully you have something similar.

An effective rebuttal will identify the opposition's flaws to strengthen their own argument.

Okay, so we are now on to our second and final practise task.

So just a little bit more work to do, so let's keep going.

So the motion is, this house believes that mobile phones should be banned in schools.

And what I would like you to do is create a rebuttal as a member of the opposing team.

So use the proposition argument found on the following slide and the worksheet and your findings from task A, okay? So there's a lot that you need to use there, okay? The proposition argument, which is on the following slide, and the worksheet and your findings from task A to create a rebuttal as a member of the opposing team.

You've got your sentence starters there.

You may also wish to rewatch the argument again, okay? So remember, we watched a clip of the argument before.

You may wish to rewatch it.

Okay, so when you have gathered everything that you need for this task, you can pause the video and get started.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Pause the video, and off you go.

Well done, everyone.

Some excellent rebuttals being created there.

We are ready to challenge in any debate, aren't we? So I'd like you now to self-assess your work by identifying where you have done the following.

So you might just want to go through, and just check each thing.

So have you identified what the other team has said? Have you explained why you are challenging the argument? And then explained how you were challenged the argument? So again, just look through.

You may wish to add to your rebuttal if you need to, but definitely take some time just to self-assess and check through your work.

So pause the video to get that done.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

We have reached the end of the lesson.

And I'd like to thank you for your hard work today.

As I said at the start of the lesson, rebuttals and challenges can be really tricky.

But we have started to create some really effective ones.

And like I always say, the more you practise, the easier it will become.

So let's just recap everything we have been through.

We know that a rebuttal means having to track the opposing team's argument, and identify any flaws.

You will usually have time to prepare for a debate, and this will help with your rebuttals.

Evidence can look like statistics, expert testimonials, and credible studies.

And finally, in a rebuttal, you should aim to explain why and you are challenging the argument.

So another fantastic lesson, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Until then, goodbye.