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Be it Resolved:
A Lesson in Debating
Student Handout
In this lesson, you will research the effects of European-Aboriginal
interaction to support one side of a debate. The information is
available from the Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's
Bay Company site.
A debate is
stated as an affirmative proposition and is generally is broken
down as follows:
- First speaker:
in favour of the resolution (7 minutes)
- Second speaker:
in opposition to the resolution (7 minutes)
- Short break
- Third speaker:
in favour of the resolution (7 minutes)
- Fourth speaker:
in opposition to the resolution (7 minutes)
- Short break
- Fifth speaker:
opposition rebuttal (5 minutes)
- Sixth speaker:
affirmative rebuttal (5 minutes)
The debate will
usually start with a positive statement, like these:
Resolved:
The Europeans had the right to claim land in North America for their
home country.
Resolved:
First nations and Inuit peoples benefited from the arrival of
Europeans and the fur trade.
Resolved:
European settlers and fur traders had the same effect on native
peoples, although at different times.
Resolved:
European settlers and fur traders could have succeeded without the
First Nations and Inuit peoples being on the land.
Prepare for
your debate:
- Use research,
logic and inference rather than emotion.
- Take notes
from the Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's Bay Company
web site (and other sites, if you choose).
- Organize
your ideas, and prepare an argument for the debate.
- Select a
speaker (or speakers, if you are taking turns).
During the debate:
- Take notes
to be used in the next round
- In the short
breaks, come together again as a group to prepare new arguments
Possible Sources
Early Canadiana Online: Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's
Bay Company
URL: http://www.canadiana.org/hbc/
Hudson's Bay Company History Page
URL: http://www.hbc.com/hbc/e_hi/default.htm
(English)
URL: http://www.hbc.com/hbcf/f_hi/default.htm
(français)
The National
Library of Canada: Pathfinders and Passageways
URL: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/explorers
The Virtual
Museum of New France
URL: http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/explor/explcd_e.html
Musée Virtuel de la Nouvelle-France
URL: http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/explor/explor_f.html
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