CRIMSON through Debate to become global Citizens

"Motivating students daily is way easier by using debate as a teaching and learning method. The project called ""CRIMSON through debate to become global Citizens"" aims at students at the age of 11-15 at primary and secondary school levels. CRIMSON stands for – critical, reliable, innovative, mindful students who are organised noticeably. 24 students and 12 teachers from six schools from Spain, Turkey, Italy, Serbia, Greece and Slovenia work together in project for two years to implement debate as a teaching method and learning strategy in school programmes in non-debate schools.Students attending year 7, 8 & 9 in primary schools and year 1, 2 & 3 of the secondary school carry out most activities during English lessons being guided by their teachers. Due to a fact, that debate involves communication in all its forms, some of the activities are easily used in various other subjects. Students do research on schools' topicality to prepare a list of the most desirable debate topics covering areas of environment, technology, video games, gender issues, health in new era, gun violence, school, homework, pets, cheating, bad report cards, bullying, gym class, etc. During project activities, students and teachers get familiarised with debate learning approach and are equipped with soft transferable skills (argumentation and rhetoric, cross-cultural sensitivity, strategic thinking, informative literacy, foreign language communication skill and team work). In blended learning environment as well as in face-to-face debates, students broaden their horizon by debating, writing argumentative speeches and participating in debate tournaments. While debating and improving their social, communication and language skills, they prepare and upgrade tips for new debaters and share their gained knowledge in peer-to-peer trainings, workshops and online. Teachers integrate debate strategies in lessons and provide students the opportunity to work in collaborative group settings to discuss their response, to write argumentative speech by using a step-by-step plan. Teachers prepare a step-by-step plan for teaching debate to foster implementation of the new practice in school plans. They share their gained knowledge and experience with colleagues in open debate lessons, workshops and online.Six learning, teaching and training activities are planned. A project handbook called “""A brief Debate Handbook with pedagogical Tips for new Debate Teachers & Debaters” is created. It includes collection of tips to use rhetorical and argumentative techniques to debate and write argumentative speeches for debaters. It incorporates a list of debate motions & different debate styles. It includes pedagogical guidance for new debate teachers on using debate strategies, adjudicating speeches and debate rounds as well as tips to run debate-based events.Each partner school establishes a debate club unless it already has it. Partner schools develop mutual collaboration in blended learning and online debates. Therefore, they are able to continue online debating and keep in touch regularly to consider collaborating in further future projects."