After school on 11/10 (Tue), we held the fourth PDA Practice Lesson. In this lesson, PDA members practiced using Assertion, Reason, Example, Assertion (AREA) structure to organize their ideas. In this way, debaters clearly say their opinion and why they think it. They also give an example supporting it and restate their opinion at the end.

AREA Example:

Assertion: We think dead filmstars should be recreated using virtual reality.

Reasons: We think this because it allows film makers to create films using our favorite characters after they have died.

Example: For example, many Star Wars fans were excited to see the character Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars Rogue One even thought the actor, Peter Cushing, had passed away many years before.

Assertion: Therefore, we think using VR to recreate famous actors is a good thing.

Using this structure, the students who came organized their ideas around different topics and presented them to their opponent.  Their opponent then had the chance to POI and make the presenter defend their ideas. The students used the AREA organization well to present ideas on practice debate topics.  It will be a good tool for their next debates on 12/5.