Being Affirmative: What Should We Do?

Learning Objectives

  • Reinforce parts of an affirmative.

  • Deliver speech from prepared notes.

Time Needed

~15-20 min.

Resources & Materials

  • Paper (2-3 sheets per student)

  • Pencil/pen (1 per student)

Teacher Preparation

  • Review parts of an Affirmative (HIPS/SHIP), per the AUDL Curriculum.
  • Write down ~8-10 “problems” for which students could brainstorm sample plans. Phrase the topic in the form of a “What should we do…?” question.
    • For less experienced students, focus on humorous/ simple topics to maintain interest.
      • Example: What should we do to make school more interesting?
    • For more advanced students, focus on political topics, particularly specific political problems.
      • Example: What should we do to reduce income inequality in the United States?

Lesson Outline

  • What Should We Do? (Activity)
    • Review parts of an affirmative (HIPS), if necessary.
    • To begin, divide students into small groups (between two to three students).
    • Announce the topic for the round. Begin the game.
      • After each topic is announced, give students a brief period of time (no more than two minutes) to answer the question with a mock plan. Each answer must contain:
        • All parts of an affirmative (HIPS), clearly separated and labeled.
        • Specific solvency mechanism that directly applies to the problem in the topic.
        • A specific actor.
      • When time expires, select two groups to present their mock plans to the squad. Flow each plan on the board.
      • After the two selected groups have presented, vote for the best plan. If possible, give the winning group a suitable reward (e.g., candy).
        • Give a brief RFD (reasons for decision), being sure to reference the above guidelines.
        • Repeat until available time expires, or each group has had a chance to present.

Points of Improvement

  • Students propose vague plans, with unclear mechanisms that do not directly relate to the specific problem in the topic.

Signs of Mastery

  • Plans have clear, specific solvency mechanisms.

  • Plans specify who/what actor enacts the plan.

  • Each part of HIPS is present and accurately explained.

Instructor Notes

  • Keep up the pace! This game is engaging because it is fast paced.

    • No round should take more than five to six minutes from start to finish.

  • For less experienced students, have fun with the topic creation process.

  • For advanced students, increase the preparation time to three minutes per round.