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Student debate

Stories

Finding Common Ground

June 19, 2018

Revolution is always justified.
Inequality is inevitable.
War brings progress.

Provocative statements, certainly – and among those explored this spring in the seventh grade’s Great Debates.

“The debates really help students see things from different perspectives,” explained history teacher Alicia Morris. “They don’t choose their topic or point of view, and they have to develop arguments in support of it.”

The Great Debates have been a staple of the seventh grade curriculum, and they are just one way that Cary Academy seeks to encourage analysis and critical thinking. In the current strategic plan, the school challenged itself to find more ways for authentic engagement inside and outside the classroom. During a very polarized time in the country, CA wanted to ensure that its students could think for themselves while still engaging civilly with important issues in the wider world.

“Our students learn to ground their stance in facts. They do historical research and mine their course materials for evidence. And they can use examples from their daily lives, which gives them some flexibility and helps make their topics relatable,” said language arts teacher Melissa Davenport, who’s led the project with Morris for the past six years.

Debate at Cary Academy

The debaters make their arguments before judges – teachers, administrators, and Upper School debate team members. “The highest praise for our students is when a debate team member says they should get involved with the team when they reach Upper School,” Davenport said.

“We get to talk about current, significant issues. We look at situations where people make a difference. I want students to see that voices matter.” – David Snively

“This is one of our favorite things that we do,” said Morris. “It really cements what students have learned throughout the year, and it gives them skills that will propel them to success in lots of areas. The confidence that they grow can’t be overstated.”

“You see kids really get into the spirit of the debates and give beautiful arguments,” said Davenport. “Students are so thoughtful, informed, and engaged. They learn to be intellectually nimble and think on their feet.”

Bringing government to life

Eighth graders take those debate skills right to the Senate in David Snively’s history class. The Senate simulation immerses them in legislative process, from writing bills to the rules of etiquette in debating, negotiating, and voting – even filibustering.

Students take on the roles of senators, each working from a biography of their “Senator” that includes goals important to their character. They have some positions decided for them, either for or against then they can decide others. They develop arguments for what they believe, debate, compromise.

There’s also a vice president, a chief of staff, and a president. Snively takes the role of clerk to help remind students of the rules and keep the records.

“Students put so much energy into it. They almost forget it’s school. It’s fun to see how
quickly they get into it. They’re in the cloakroom trying to persuade a colleague to vote for their bill, they’re meeting in committee, cheering when a bill passes,” Snively said.

“And they see that no politician’s goal is for people to be without a good education or
health insurance, but that they have different
ideas of how to get there. And they see that
the system doesn’t result in quick answers, that there are multiple, sometimes conflicting, solutions to problems. You need to work things out and be involved.

“We get to talk about current, significant issues. We look at situations where people make a difference – which is really every situation. I want students to see that because these people stood up, something happened. Or because people didn’t stand up, things got out of control. That voices matter.”

And as for the filibuster? When a bill was one vote short of passing and the other party wanted to close debate, a young senator took the floor to argue for it while
his colleagues worked to get the needed vote. His peers realized what was happening when his argument eventually veered into a passionate speech about the glories of baseball. But they got the vote.

Creating healthy spaces for conversation

The importance of developing empathy and habits of respectful communication knows no age limit. Since September, CA has worked with Essential Partners to train faculty and staff, parents, and Upper School students to lead reflective, structured conversations in Dialogue Across Difference.

Explained Jason Franklin, CA’s director of diversity and inclusion, “We want to foster curiosity, generosity, and courage in talking about important issues and everyday challenges that people in our community face. We want the whole community to have this way of telling their stories, of civic engagement, so
that we can hear each other and understand different perspectives. Our goal is for our students to be agile thinkers who contribute to the greater society in relevant ways.”

Essential Partners’ approach promotes connection and curiosity between people who see those with different viewpoints as the “enemy”. Using reflective, structured dialogue allows for inquiry and creates a healthy space for difficult conversations, said Franklin.

Students initially engaged in smaller group dialogues, around topics such as protest and Colin Kaepernick and the NFL. Then, following the Parkland, Florida school shooting, students wanted an opportunity to acknowledge the tragedy. A large-scale discussion helped them process the shooting, the issues surrounding school safety, and what safety measures are in place on campus. The Dialogue Across Difference approach provided a structure for the conversations.

“Students felt comfortable and valued. They felt heard. And that’s what we want, overall,” said Franklin. “To have empathy for others – that’s an important goal of education. Participating, connecting, engaging make us part of the human condition. And it can bring about changes we can’t even imagine.”

Citizen Scientists

Debates and discussions and governance aren’t the only ways CA students learn to engage in moving our world forward: Sixth graders contribute to ongoing science research via citizen science projects. These projects, led by professional researchers, rely on data gathered by volunteers – think butterfly migration, the health of local waterways, weather stations, and local bird diversity.

Science teacher Danae Shipp, who launched the project at CA after studying citizen science in her graduate work, said, “There are so many exciting things about this effort.
I love that it gets kids outdoors and allows them to use technology in constructive ways. They gain a better understanding of the places in which they live and see firsthand the impacts that humans have on the environment. They see the importance of their contributions, that it really does take a village to make scientific progress.”

Students aren’t limited to existing projects; if they want to study a topic that they can’t find a study to contribute to, they’re encouraged to develop their own. This year, Monica Mayr studied the phenophases (seasons) of trees. Austin Marchand designed a study that examined the impact of speed limits on the amount of roadkill.

Nor do students always end their work after presenting their findings at a showcase in honor of Earth Day. Shipp said, “I see students asking their parents for their own camera traps [for wildlife observation] so that they can keep going.” And then there’s seventh grader Camryn Friedman, who took her excitement and interest to a whole different level. After her project last year, Camryn interned with Caryn Cooper, associate professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State, who runs the “Sparrow Swap” citizen science project through her lab at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

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