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Year 6

Motions that matter

I can design my own motion to debate an important topic.

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Year 6

Motions that matter

I can design my own motion to debate an important topic.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The motion is the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated.
  2. The motion in a debate always starts with the words 'This house ...'.
  3. There are different types of motion: beliefs ('This house believes that ...') and proposals ('This house would ...').
  4. A debate motion is most effective when it is relevant to the lives of the people in the debate and the audience.
  5. An effective debate motion will encourage critical thinking and mature discussion.

Keywords

  • Motion - the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated

  • Proposal - the action of proposing a plan or suggestion

  • Belief - a firmly held opinion about something

Common misconception

Pupils may find it challenging to come up with suitable motions.

Pupils could work in small groups for this task. As a class, come up with some ideas of what you might change or discuss related to the different aspects and have these visible for children when coming up with their motions.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Motions that matter, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may wish to use more examples of motions that are particularly relevant to your school setting.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A debate is a structured argument between three teams.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q2.
What is the name for the team that agrees with the motion in a debate?
Correct answer: proposition
opposition
chairperson
Q3.
Which role in a debate involves signalling the time each speaker has left?
chairperson
judge
Correct answer: timekeeper
Q4.
True or false? The speakers from each team take turns to deliver their own speech and then the summary speakers summarise what their teammates have said.
Correct Answer: true, True
Q5.
A winning team can be decided by which of these methods?
Correct answer: the audience voting
Correct answer: being scored by judges
rolling a dice
Q6.
True or false? A successful speech will follow a set structure, which is used to help a speaker organise their argument.
Correct Answer: true, True

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:motion,the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated
tick

the name for the belief or proposal that is being debated

Correct Answer:proposal,the action of proposing a plan or suggestion
tick

the action of proposing a plan or suggestion

Correct Answer:belief,a firmly held opinion about something
tick

a firmly held opinion about something

Q2.
What makes a good debate motion?
Correct answer: It is fair for both sides.
It is a boring topic.
It is irrelevant to the speakers and audience.
Correct answer: It is relatable, interesting and important.
Correct answer: It is thought-provoking.
Q3.
Which of the following are good debate motions?
Correct answer: This house would ban video games.
This house believes that sweets are healthier than vegetables.
Correct answer: This house believes that schools should start an hour later.
This house believes that boys are better than girls.
Correct answer: This house would ban mobile phones for under 12s.
Q4.
In schools, debates can be used to discuss topics that ...
Correct answer: will have a genuine impact on the lives of the children.
are only about politics.
Correct answer: really matter to the children at that school.
are about adults.
Q5.
Which of these debate motions are proposals?
Correct answer: This house would ban video games.
This house believes adults should have more breaks at work.
Correct answer: This house would ban mobile phones for under 12s.
This house believes that schools should start an hour later.
Q6.
Which of these debate motions are beliefs?
This house would make after-school activities compulsory for all children.
Correct answer: This house believes that school trips are a waste of learning time.
This house would ban children over the age of 9 from using public parks.
Correct answer: This house believes that leisure facilities should be free for all under 16s.