Wildcat Teacher Resource Center

Pop-Up Debates

Pop-up Debate is a method for managing and facilitating in-class debates; it is easily modifiable for other speaking scenarios, such as discussions or toasts.

Here’s Pop-Up Debate:

  • Students use assigned text(s), logic, and/or course content to respond to a debatable prompt and their peers’ arguments using the rules below.
  • Every student speaks 1+ times, depending on time constraints. These limits are set by the teacher.
  • To speak, students simply “pop up” at their desks and talk. First person to speak has the floor. When multiple students pop up, teach them to politely yield the floor. Argument is a collaborative endeavor, and collaboration isn’t a pointed finger and, “Sit down, I was up first.”

Source

Stuart, D. "Pop-Up Debate Starter Kit." Tools for Solving Our Educator Problems, www.gumroad.com/l/popup. Accessed 23 July 2019.

Video 1 - Dave Stuart Overviews a Pop-Up Debate
Video 2 - Dave Stuart Introducing a Pop-Up Debate to Students
Video 3 - Student Sample of a Pop-Up Debate
Video 4 - Problems with Pop-Up Debate
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