Debating Quokkas

The key to winning any debate isn’t any one speaker’s performance – it’s how well the team works together to persuade the adjudicator.

Our July holiday Quokkas workshop focuses on Comparative Topics, and how young debaters can build a strong, united case as a team. Building on the essential debating skills covered on day one – argumentation, rebuttal and persuasive speaking – students take a closer look at how to define key terms, set criteria, and weigh comparisons in a way that gives their team the clearest possible path to winning the debate.

These concepts are tied into a range of practice debates and speaking activities across the two days, all with plenty of personalised feedback to help students apply what they’re learning.

Over the workshop, students undertaking the Cases: Comparative Topics focus will have the opportunity to:

• learn the fundamentals of value debating, with a particular focus on how comparative-style topics work;
• explore criteria, undefined terms and comparisons, and how each contributes to a winning case;
• participate in multiple debates and speaking activities in a supportive environment; and
• receive individualised feedback to help them continue their debating journey.

Our Debating Quokkas workshop is a mixed-experience program.

Our Debating Quokkas workshop is designed for mid-primary students in Years 3 & 4 of all experience levels, and aims to help:

• Students who have no (or little) debating experience and want to give it a try in a low-pressure, supportive environment;
• Students who have already attended Quokkas previously – given the focus changes every holiday period, there’s always something new to come back for;
• Students who have participated in our Debating Wallabies term program and are looking to keep practising over the break; or
• Students who have given our other Year 3 & 4 holiday workshops – such as Speaking Camp Koalas or Public Speaking Kangaroos – a go and want to try something with a debating flavour.

Alternatively, please check out our video below to see how our holiday workshops function!

After completing the Cases: Comparative Topics workshop, students should:

• understand the essential elements of a debate, including cases, arguments, rebuttal and persuasive manner;
• have developed a working understanding of how comparative-style topics function, with a particular focus on forming criteria;
• have participated in multiple practice debates and speaking activities; and
• have received individualised feedback to help them continue their debating journey.

Fostering a Nurturing Class Environment

Every Debating Quokkas workshop begins with the coach setting a warm, inclusive tone for the class. They make sure every student – whatever their experience level – understands the fundamental rules and concepts of debating before moving forward.

The early activities also include a range of speaking exercises designed to help students develop their debating skills in a fun, low-pressure way.

Debating Essentials & a First Practice Debate

The first day covers all the essential elements of debating – cases, arguments, rebuttal and speaking manner. Rather than dwelling on the theory, students get straight into applying what they’re learning through activities, before stepping into their first practice debate of the program in the afternoon of day one.

This structure means even students who’ve never debated before will have completed a full debate by the end of the first day – with plenty of feedback and support from their coach throughout.

Deep Dive on the Holiday Focus

Day two takes a closer look at the specific focus of the holiday period – for our July workshop, that’s Cases: Comparative Topics. Students will explore how comparative cases function, with a particular focus on forming criteria, adapting cases for both the affirmative and negative, and weighing the two sides of a debate.

These concepts are paired with interactive activities and a final practice debate, helping students put their new skills into practice with constructive feedback every step of the way.

Lots of Practice

Across both days, students will be given multiple opportunities to apply what they’re learning. The workshop is built around the principle of learning by doing – there’s always more time on practice than on theory.

Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive; however, the maximum size of our Debating Quokkas class is 9 students per coach, with a maximum class size of 16 (with two coaches).

If there aren’t any spots left, it’s usually because we’ve hit capacity – please get in touch with us, and we’ll see what we can do about either opening an extra class, fitting your child into the existing class, or putting you on a waitlist in case any students pull out!

After each Debating Quokkas workshop, students will have:

• an emailed feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which outlines what they’ve improved on during the course, and what they could continue to work on in the future;
• a certificate recognising that they have completed the Debating Quokkas workshop;
• a workbook containing the key concepts that students covered during the workshop; and
• a more refined understanding of how they can apply their debating skills in day-to-day life!

As a mixed-experience program, our Debating Quokkas program is designed to be completed multiple times – with a different focus every holiday, there’s always something new for students to take away from the program!

That said, if they would like to try something different, our Public Speaking Kangaroos workshop (which also changes every holiday) provides students with some fun and engaging approaches to apply their public speaking skills.

However, if you’re looking for something more regular, you may want to give one of our term programs a try, such as Public Speaking Wombats or Debating Wallabies, which will build on the skills learned during our holiday workshops.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or get in touch using our contact form to learn more!