Polarizing Debates in English Class

One of the best parts of teaching English are the discussions and debates in class about the literature.  My Juniors classes had some energetic, lively, and loud debates about some issues that arise in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  In Education circles, this strategy is called Polarizing Debates, where the topic chosen has no right or wrong answer and can put just as many people on one side of the issue as the other.  The goal when debating is to state why you chose the side you chose, but also to try to get those on the opposing side to switch over to yours through your compelling argument. 

We debated issues such as the responsibility of parents, the root of evil and whether or not people are born evil or benevolent, and who is the bigger monster in the novel:  Victor Frankenstein or his creation.  Students would walk into class and the first thing they would say is, “Are we debating today?”

 Now as I move to Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations with those same Juniors and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with my Sophomores, I look forward to more and more debating.  I hope to debate issues such as their own expectations and aspirations in life and whether or not money is required for happiness.  I teach at a school where expectations are, in fact, high.  So, it is definitely an interesting discussion to see how my students will respond to where Pip and Gatsby went wrong in trying to achieve wealth.  I have a feeling there are going to be some very spirited discussions.  I can’t wait!