1. From Mao to Mother Teresa
Teaching debate in the multicultural IEP classroom
Peter Ermey
Iep – indiana university bloomington

2. Main Ideas
Using debate to find areas of agreement/articulate regions of difference
Agreeing on a common set of facts in a multicultural classroom
Developing logical arguments/negotiating value

3. Classroom Context Level 6 Communication class (listening/speaking)
Class size ~12-15 students
Nationalities include Angola, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, Japan, South Korea, Venezuela

4. Student Learning Outcomes
Outline authentic min. lectures/talks
Refute arguments

5. Hot Air Balloon Activity

6. Hot Air Balloon Activity
Mother Teresa Mao Zedong
Mahatma Gandhi Oprah Winfrey
Nelson Mandela Vladimir Putin
Charles Darwin William Shakespeare
LeBron James Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci Abraham Lincoln
Angelina Jolie Vincent Van Gogh
Bill Gates

7. Disaster strikes!!!

8. Hot Air Balloon Activity
Mother Teresa Mao Zedong
Mahatma Gandhi Oprah Winfrey
Nelson Mandela Vladimir Putin
Charles Darwin William Shakespeare
LeBron James Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci Abraham Lincoln
Angelina Jolie Vincent Van Gogh
Bill Gates

9. Gameplay Review the list of names
Individually, students make a list of survivors
In small groups, students work to negotiate one list of survivors.
Small groups combine to form larger groups that negotiate their respective lists into one list
As a class, create one list of survivors

10. Gameplay Analysis No way to win, but the game is fun
Range of candidates invites multiple strategies
Physical characteristics
Science vs. Art
Dictator vs. Voice of the common people
Fame vs. Charity
Science vs. Science

11. Reframing the debate
Using debate to find areas of agreement/articulate regions of difference
Focus on refuting arguments needs to be redirected towards building consensus

12. Expressions of Agreement/Disagreement
Absolutely!
That’s correct.
That’s not necessarily true.
Are you crazy?!
You are right when you say that…; however, …
That may be true up to a point, but have you considered…?
You have some interesting ideas when you suggest…. Here’s another possibility we can evaluate.

13. Agreeing on a common set of facts
Whose version of history should we follow?
Mao Zedong
Mother Teresa
Albert Einstein
Students are unique individuals. They don’t represent their national governments or religious institutions.
There is no moral/political high ground.

14. Developing arguments/negotiating value
Activity invites multiple strategies
Physical realities
Age
The future
Types of evidence
Facts/statistics/logic
Emotional/moral arguments
Personal experience
Appeals to a higher authority

15. The survivors Mother Teresa Mao Zedong Mahatma Gandhi Oprah Winfrey
Nelson Mandela
Vladmir Putin
Charles Darwin
William Shakespeare
LeBron James
Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci
Abraham Lincoln
Angelina Jolie
Vincent Van Gogh
Bill Gates