Debate on Expansion

Overview

Unit: Exploring Habitats and Conservation (Lesson 7 of 20)
Duration: 60 minutes
Class: Year 2 (Age 6-7)
Class Size: 30 students
Subject: English (spoken language, speaking and listening skills)

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National Curriculum Links (English - Year 2)

• Spoken Language (Years 1–2)

  • Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers.
  • Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge.
  • Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions.
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.

• Reading - Comprehension

  • Discuss the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related.

• Writing - Transcription and Composition (for extension activity)

  • Write for different purposes, including reflecting on experiences and expressing opinions.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Engage in a structured debate about the issue of school expansion compared to protecting local habitats.
• WALT: Present clear and concise arguments for and against the topic.
• WALT: Listen respectfully to others’ viewpoints and respond politely.

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Success Criteria

• I can give one reason why expanding the school might be a good idea.
• I can give one reason why protecting habitats is important.
• I can listen to others and say if I agree or disagree politely.
• I can use some sentence starters to help me speak in the debate (e.g., "I think...", "I agree because...", "On the other hand...").

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Resources

• Pictures or posters illustrating school expansion (e.g., new classrooms, playgrounds) and local habitats (pond, trees, birds, insects).
• Sentence starter cards for speaking (differentiated, with visuals for support).
• Role badges (e.g., ‘Speaker for expansion,’ ‘Speaker for habitat protection,’ ‘Question asker,’ ‘Listener’).
• Large debate circle/seating arrangement or classroom discussion space.
• Reflection worksheets for independent writing (differentiated levels).
• Timer or visual timer for speaking turns.

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Differentiation

• For learners working towards: Provide sentence starters with visuals; allow paired or small group contributions before whole class sharing; use role badges as cues to support participation.
• For learners working at expected standard: Encourage forming and expressing own ideas with some support; scaffold questions to guide reasoning.
• For greater depth learners: Challenge to provide explanations and ask questions to others; support in using connectives such as “because,” “however,” and “therefore.”

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Explain WALT and success criteria clearly using child-friendly language and visual prompt.
• Show pictures of the school and local habitats. Briefly clarify:
  • “Our school might build new classrooms or playgrounds.”
  • “This could mean some places where animals and plants live might be affected.”
• Ask the children: “What do you think are good things about building more school space? What might be not so good?”
• Scaffold a short class discussion to warm up ideas.

2. Recap and Role Assignment (5 minutes)

• Recap key points from the previous lessons about habitats and school needs.
• Introduce roles: speakers for and against expansion, question askers to challenge politely, and listeners to summarise points.
• Distribute role badges and sentence starter cards.
• Mix roles across learners for engagement and confidence building.

3. Debate Preparation (10 minutes)

• In small groups (6 groups of 5), prepare one argument for and one argument against school expansion.
• Use visual prompts and sentence starters to guide reasoning.
• Teacher and support staff circulate to scaffold understanding, help form simple sentences and clarify concepts.

4. Class Debate (25 minutes)

• Arrange the class into a circle or debate setting.
• Each small group shares their arguments in turn, led by designated speakers.
• Question askers can raise simple, polite questions for clarification or challenge.
• Listeners recap the main points after each group’s turn.
• Teacher models good listening and respectful responses.
• Visual timer to keep contributions balanced and focused.

5. Reflection and Written Activity (10 minutes)

• Children complete a short reflection worksheet:
  • Write or draw their favourite argument they heard and why.
  • For higher ability learners, write 2-3 sentences giving their own opinion about the debate topic.
• Support provided through differentiated sentence starters and images on worksheets.

6. Plenary (Closing) (5 minutes)

• Share some reflections aloud for praise and group learning.
• Recap WALT and success criteria: Check who feels confident with speaking, listening, and understanding both sides.
• Congratulate all for respectful listening and sharing ideas.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment during group work and debate through teacher observation: Participation, clarity of arguments, respectful listening, and use of sentence starters.
• Use of reflection worksheets to assess ability to write opinions or recall debate points (differentiated according to level).
• Provide verbal feedback recognising effort, clear communication, and polite disagreement.

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Extension Activities for Greater Depth Learners

• Write a short persuasive letter to the school headteacher stating their opinion on whether the school should expand or habitats should be protected, incorporating reasons from the debate.
• Create a simple “pros and cons” poster with reasons for both sides, drawing pictures and labelling arguments.

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Additional Notes for Teachers

• Encourage language development through modelling debate phrases aloud before small group work.
• Use mixed-ability groupings to foster peer support and confidence, especially for children working towards expectations.
• Use positive reinforcement to reward respectful listening and taking turns.
• Consider incorporating simple role play elements, allowing children to “be” the animals or trees affected by expansion to deepen empathy.

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This lesson plan ensures Year 2 learners develop spoken language, listening skills, and the ability to form and present arguments—all key elements of the National Curriculum for English at Key Stage 1—while actively engaging with environmental awareness and moral reasoning in a meaningful way.