Student handout 8.4: Planning sheet for the chairpersons

The first chairperson’s task – chairing the debate

The chairperson conducts the debate and makes sure that the debaters observe the rules of debating (see student handout 8.2), and treat each other fairly and with respect. The chairperson is neutral and doesn’t tend towards one of the debating teams.

In particular, the chairperson is the time keeper. No speaker must speak longer than one minute. In practice this means that after one minute is over, the speaker may finish his or her last sentence and then must stop. If necessary, the chairperson politely but firmly interrupts the speaker and gives the floor to the next speaker of the other team.

Equipment

• A stopwatch or watch that accurately shows the seconds. Mobile phones offer a stopwatch function.
• A note sheet and pencil.
• A yellow and red piece of paper or cardboard, A7 size.
• Additional student handouts 8.2, 8.5.

The chairperson’s task during the debate

1. He/she opens the debate:
   • Welcome of the teams, the audience, and the news reporters.
   • Brief outline of the debate, without any details that might help one side.
   • Reminder for the teams: fair play, observation of the rules.
   • Announcement of time-taking rules: after 50 seconds, the chairperson gives a sign.
   • After one minute, the chairperson stops the speaker – to ensure fair play.
2. During the debate:
   • The chairperson listens to the debate silently.
   • The chairperson monitors the speaking time and gives the 50-second sign. (Quite often, this all the chairperson has to do.)
   • The chairperson intervenes if speakers go over their speaking time of one minute.
   • The chairperson intervenes if the debaters or the audience interrupt a speaker in any way.
   • In very serious cases of bad or unfair behaviour, the chairperson shows the yellow or/and red card to a speaker. The red card means that a speaker must leave the debate.
3. After the debate:
   • The chairperson announces that the debate is closed.
   • The chairperson thanks the debaters and the audience.

The chairperson’s role after the debate

After the debate, the audience has a brief follow-up discussion on the debate (five minutes) and then votes on which side presented the more convincing arguments.

The chairperson’s second task – chairing the audience’s vote and discussion

1. The follow-up discussion
   • The chairperson announces that the audience now has five minutes during which to exchange their views on the debate. The seats are rearranged in a circle or big semicircle to allow all the students to face each other.
   • Each member of the audience has made notes during the debate and thought about the question as to which group has performed more convincingly. The chairperson asks for a show of hands – a test vote.
   • Then students with different views take the floor. The chairperson asks them to exchange their opinions very much in the same way as the debaters did, as time is scarce.
   • After five minutes the chairperson ends the discussion.
2. The vote
   • The chairperson announces the vote. He/she repeats the issue and the question to be voted on: which team convinced you more – the affirmative or the negative team? No more discussion is allowed at this point. The chairperson asks a student to note the results of the voting on the board or flipchart.
   • The chairperson first asks the students who are more convinced by the affirmative side to raise their hands. He/she counts them, and then conducts the vote on the negative side in the same way.
   • Finally, students who abstain – who have not voted for one of the teams – are called and counted.
   • The chairperson reads out the result of the vote, but does not comment on it. He/she thanks the audience for their discussion and vote, and concludes the session.