Debate bingo
45-90 minPolitical opponents often meet for televised debates during an election, which gives us an opportunity to study and analyse different argumentative techniques and rhetorical approaches. Here is a debate bingo you can use when working with different oral debates.
Guided practice
Introduce the topic of the lesson and the learning objectives.
The pupils are able to
- understand terms and expressions related to political issues
- recognise different rhetorical devices
- discuss why a combination of logos, pathos and ethos often is successful when trying to persuade an audience
Vocabulary list
Give the pupils the hand-out, and let them work individually or in pairs. Encourage the pupils to search for information and look up definitions if needed. The pupils should attempt to create explanations using their own words or paraphrasing.
Bingo
Hand out one bingo card to each pupil. Instruct the pupils to draw a circle when they see or hear the participates in the debate use or say this type of argument. The first pupil to get four squares in a row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally, wins the bingo.
Choose a debate
USA election 2024: Here is a video of the presidential debate between former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris from Tuesday 10th of September.
Consolidation
After finishing the bingo, repeat the learning objectives for this lesson. Let the pupils discuss in pairs, before sharing in class what they have learned.
The pupils are able to
- understand terms and expressions related to political issues
- recognise different rhetorical devices
- discuss why a combination of logos, pathos and ethos often is successful when trying to persuade an audience
Additional resources
You can also include this video before using the debate bingo. This is a video explaining the terms ethos, pathos and logos.
Another resource is the BBC article, Logical fallacies: Seven ways to spot a bad argument (2024). For different layouts of the bingo card, and a blank bingo grid template, see the links below.
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