Why I Like to Use Debate as a Tool to Teach Science
- olivershearman
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
There is a special buzz in the room when students realise that science is not just about “right answers”, but about questions, evidence, and choices. That buzz really comes alive during a good classroom debate. When students stand up, share claims, challenge each other respectfully, and reach for data instead of guesses, you can almost see their scientific thinking stretch and grow.
That is why I like to use debate as a tool to teach science. It gives students a structured way to wrestle with messy, real world issues like organ transplants and donation, ocean exploration and protection, green chemistry and bioplastics, Christmas science, space exploration, and genetics or genetic engineering. Instead of memorizing definitions, they use those concepts to make sense of complex problems.
In this post, I want to unpack why science debate works so well, what it can look like in a real classroom, and how a series of ready made science debate resources can make the process much easier to run, even if you have never tried debate before.
Why debate belongs in the science classroom
We often talk about “scientific literacy” and “critical thinking”, but those can feel like vague goals. Debate gives those goals a concrete shape. When students prepare for a science debate, they have to:
Read and understand background information.
Identify key vocabulary and use it accurately.
Weigh different types of evidence.
Consider the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Communicate clearly, both in speaking and listening.
They learn that science is not just a list of facts; it is also about how we apply those facts in the real world. Should we invest billions in space exploration when we have problems on Earth? How do we balance the life saving potential of organ transplants with ethical and logistical challenges? Do bioplastics really solve our plastic pollution problem, or do they raise new questions?
Debate helps students see that reasonable people can disagree, even when they are all using science. It teaches them to respond to arguments with data and reasoning instead of volume and emotion. That is a powerful life skill, whether they become scientists, voters, or simply thoughtful adults.
What a science debate actually looks like
If you have never run a debate in your classroom before, it can sound intimidating. You might picture a high pressure, competitive environment with rapid fire speeches and complex scoring. That is not what I aim for with middle and high school science debates.
A typical science debate in my classroom might look like this:
Topic introduced: something rich and open ended, like “Should gene editing be used to prevent certain genetic diseases?” or “Should deep sea mining for minerals be allowed?”
Neutral primer: students read a short, balanced overview of the topic that outlines key facts and perspectives.
Vocabulary and evidence: we go through a key vocabulary sheet and look at short evidence cards with one fact and a source on each.
Roles and structure explained: who will speak when, how long they will have, and what their job is (opening statement, rebuttal, summariser, etc.).
Small group preparation: students work in teams to organise their arguments using graphic organiser templates.
Debate: students follow the agreed schedule, with sentence starters available for those who need language support.
Reflection: after the debate, students write about what they learned, what evidence was most persuasive, and whether their view changed.
The goal is not to “win” the debate at all costs. The goal is to practice using science content, reasoning skills, and communication in a structured way.
A closer look at the Christmas science debate resource
One of my favourite examples of a science debate resource is the Christmas science pack. December can be a tricky month in the classroom: students are excited, routines are disrupted, and attention spans start to shrink. This is exactly when a well designed, seasonal science debate can save the week.
The Christmas science debate set uses topics such as:
Real vs artificial Christmas trees and their environmental impact
Christmas lights, energy use, and light pollution
Artificial snow and winter attractions
Reindeer biology, adaptations, and animal welfare
Christmas consumption, waste, and climate
Instead of letting December drift away into movies and worksheets, this resource turns seasonal curiosity into rigorous learning. Students explore real scientific ideas around ecology, energy, climate, and biology, but the context feels familiar and fun.
What makes the pack especially helpful is its structure. It includes:
General debate guidelines and a suggested schedule, so you do not have to design the whole flow from scratch.
Subject specific debate questions, so you can choose one big debate or several smaller ones.
One-page primers that are neutral in tone, pitched at different readiness levels, and perfect for quick reading in class.
Key vocabulary sheet with student friendly definitions, so everyone can participate using accurate language.
Short evidence cards (one fact plus a source) to support students who struggle to research independently.
Clear explanation of debate roles, so even beginners know what to do when it is their turn to speak.
Sentence starters that model effective debate language for those who need help structuring their ideas.
Graphic organiser templates (T charts, stakeholder maps, claim–evidence–reasoning frames) to scaffold planning.
A reflection sheet and a rubric to support feedback and assessment.
For teachers, this means the heavy lifting is already done. You can focus on guiding discussion and supporting students instead of spending hours building materials.
Extending the approach to other science topics
The same structure that works for Christmas science also works beautifully for other big science topics. That is why I like having a whole series of science debate resources covering themes such as:
Organ transplants and donation: Students can explore questions about donor shortages, allocation systems, organ trafficking, and living donation. Debate prompts might include “Should organ donation be opt out instead of opt in?” or “Should people who damage their organs through lifestyle choices have equal priority for transplants?”
Ocean exploration and protection: Here, students weigh the benefits of exploring deep oceans against risks like habitat damage, pollution, and resource extraction. They might debate “Should we allow deep sea mining?” or “Should countries spend more on ocean research than on space exploration?”
Green chemistry and bioplastics: Students examine whether bioplastics and green chemistry solutions truly reduce environmental harm, or whether they come with hidden costs. Great prompts include “Are bioplastics the answer to our plastic problem?” or “Should companies be required to use green chemistry principles?”
Space exploration: Students can discuss funding priorities, planetary protection, and the ethics of colonising other worlds. Debate questions might be “Should we colonise Mars?” or “Is space tourism a good use of resources?”
Genetics and genetic engineering: This topic lends itself to high level, emotionally engaging questions around gene therapy, GM crops, designer babies, and more.
In each case, the resource packs follow a similar pattern: neutral primers, vocabulary lists, evidence cards, debate roles, sentence starters, graphic organisers, reflection tools, and assessment rubrics. This consistency means that once students have learned how debate works with one topic, they can transfer those skills to the next.
General guidelines for running science debates
Whether you use prepared resources or build your own, a few general guidelines make science debates smoother and more productive.
1. Start with clear, neutral background information
Give students a shared base of knowledge before asking them to argue. A one page primer written in neutral, accessible language works very well. For classes with mixed ability levels, consider providing two versions of the primer or an extra support sheet with key ideas simplified.
2. Teach the language of debate explicitly
Many students have never been asked to argue formally. Provide them with sentence starters such as:
“Our claim is that…”
“The evidence we want to highlight is…”
“A strength of this argument is…”
“However, this viewpoint overlooks…”
Display these on the board or print them as part of the resource pack. Over time, students will internalise this language and their confidence will grow.
3. Break the debate into manageable roles
Not every student needs to deliver a long speech. You can assign roles such as:
Opener (introduces the team’s main claim)
Evidence speaker (presents key facts)
Rebuttal speaker (responds to the other side)
Summariser (wraps up the argument)
This way, shy students can still participate, perhaps by presenting a single evidence card or contributing to the graphic organiser during preparation.
4. Use graphic organisers to structure thinking
Tools such as T charts (for vs against), stakeholder maps (who benefits, who is harmed), and claim–evidence–reasoning templates help students move beyond “I just feel like…” statements. They learn to connect claims to data and to consider the wider impact of decisions.
5. Focus on evidence and reasoning, not volume
Set clear expectations from the start: debates are won with evidence, logic, and respectful communication, not by shouting or interrupting. You can even build this into your rubric so that students understand what you value.
6. Build in reflection time
After the debate, ask students to reflect in writing. Good questions include:
What argument or piece of evidence did you find most convincing, and why?
Did your view change during the debate?
What did you learn about the science content?
How did you contribute to your team’s thinking?
Reflection turns the debate from a one off performance into a learning experience that sticks.
Why structured resources make debate more accessible
You can absolutely design your own debate materials from scratch, and many teachers do. But building quality primers, vocabulary lists, evidence cards, graphic organisers, and rubrics takes time and mental energy that you might not always have.
That is where a series of ready to use science debate resources can make a huge difference. With topics like Christmas science, organ transplants and donation, ocean exploration and protection, green chemistry and bioplastics, space exploration, and genetics or genetic engineering, you have a toolkit that slots neatly into your existing curriculum.
Some of the benefits include:
Consistency: Students encounter the same structure each time, so they can focus on the content rather than learning a new format.
Differentiation: One page primers and evidence cards make it easier to support learners at different levels, while still challenging more advanced students to go deeper.
Flexibility: You can use a full debate as a capstone, or just one sub topic as a shorter lesson, an extension activity, or a review.
Assessment support: Rubrics, reflection sheets, and graphic organisers give you concrete tools to assess both science understanding and communication skills.
When these resources are available in multiple formats (Google Slides, PowerPoint, PDF, and editable documents), it is easy to adapt them to your teaching style and your classroom context, whether you are fully digital, fully print, or somewhere in between.
Fitting debates into a busy science curriculum
One of the biggest concerns teachers have is time. With so many content standards to cover, it can feel risky to spend a lesson (or two) on debate. I have found, though, that debates are not separate from content coverage; they are a powerful way to consolidate and deepen content that students have already encountered.
Here are some ways I slot science debates into existing units:
Entry point: Use a debate at the very start of a unit to spark curiosity. For example, before teaching about organ systems and the immune system, use an organ transplants debate to show why this knowledge matters.
Mid-unit check in: After students have some basic content knowledge, a debate about green chemistry or bioplastics can help them connect concepts and clarify misconceptions.
End of unit capstone: A space exploration or genetics debate can serve as a culminating activity that asks students to use everything they have learned.
Extension or enrichment: For students who grasp core content quickly, debates provide a rich way to extend thinking without simply adding more worksheets.
Because each debate resource is modular, you can choose to run a full, formal debate or just use selected parts (like evidence cards and graphic organisers) for a shorter discussion based lesson.
Building student confidence over time
The first time you run a science debate, some students may be nervous or quiet. That is completely normal. The key is to treat debate as a skill that grows over time rather than a one off event.
Start small: perhaps a mini debate where each group presents one claim and one piece of evidence to the class. Use sentence starters generously. Celebrate effort and growth rather than “winning”.
As the year goes on, bring debates back in different units. Students will start to recognise the pattern: primer, vocabulary, evidence, preparation, roles, debate, reflection. They will become more willing to speak up, challenge each other respectfully, and support their ideas with data. You will also see improvements in their written explanations, lab report discussions, and even exam responses.
Bringing it all together
Using debate as a tool to teach science has changed the way my classroom feels. Instead of racing through content, we pause to ask “What should we do with this knowledge?” and “How do we decide between competing priorities?” Students learn that science is not just equations and diagrams; it is also about ethics, policy, and real people.
With well structured debate resources on topics like Christmas science, organ transplants and donation, ocean exploration and protection, green chemistry and bioplastics, space exploration, and genetics or genetic engineering, it becomes much easier to bring this kind of learning to life. Even if you have never run a debate before, clear guidelines, primers, vocabulary sheets, evidence cards, roles, sentence starters, graphic organisers, and reflection tools give you everything you need to get started.
If you are looking for a way to boost critical thinking, scientific literacy, and communication in your classroom, while keeping students genuinely engaged, science debate is one of the most effective – and enjoyable – methods I know.
Thanks for reading
Cheers and stay curious
Oliver - The Teaching Astrophysicist