This document provides instructions and guidelines for students to prepare for and participate in a debate about American foreign policy around the turn of the 20th century. The class is divided into two groups representing either the imperialist or anti-imperialist perspective. Students are assigned a country or region to research and represent in the debate. The debate structure, rules for points of information and heckling, and steps are outlined to score the debate performance. The overall goal is for students to debate whether the US should intervene in other countries' affairs at that time in history.

1. Debating American Foreign
Policy
Should the United States intervene in
other countries affairs around the
turn of the century?

2. Essential Questions
Activity Focus:
Should the United
States intervene in
other countries
affairs around the
turn of the
century?
Unit Focus:
When should the
United States go
to War?
Unit Focus: Did
America’s
emergence as a
world power move
it close or further
away from its
founding ideals?
Unit Focus: What
considerations
should guide the
development of
American foreign
policy?

3. What are 3 claims
for your viewpoint
about your
region?
GOAL

4. Debate Preparation
1. Class is broken into 2 groups.
– Imperialist or anti-imperialist
2. Students assigned a country/region to
represent.
3. Read and highlight/underline the handout.
4. In your notebook, write notes about your
region/country using information from the
textbook.
5. Fill out the debate organizer using the textbook,
the handout, and other sources.
6. Look at rubric to see how the debate is scored.

6. Debate Terms
• Claim- The argument you are making.
• Counterclaim- The argument your opponent is
making or the point you are trying to disprove.
• Point of information- A request by a member of
one team to a person who is speaking to give
some of her time to the other team to make a
comment or ask a question about her speech.
• Heckling- An interruption of a speaker during her
presentation.

7. Points of Information
• Also known as POI (pronounced “P-O-I”)
• May be accepted or rejected
• May not last longer than 15 seconds
• Accept only 1 point at a time
• Person making a POI may not
– Interrupt the speaker’s answer to the point
– Make a two-part question
– Ask a follow-up question

8. Heckle
• Encouraged heckling
– Applaud teammates and opponents after their
speeches
• Done by:
– Pounding on a desktop with an open palm
– Slapping one’s hand 3-4 times
• When to:
– Supporting a partner’s particularly clever or winning
argument
» May add a shout of “Hear! Hear!” to the pounding
– Disagree with an opponent
• Shout “Shame!” but do not pound on the table

9. Heckle
• Illegal heckling
– Disrupting the debate in any other manner than
those listed on the slide above
– May result in losing points for your debate even if
you are not currently debating.

10. Debate Steps
• First Speaker, Proposition Team 2 minutes
• First Speaker, Opposition Team 2 minutes
• Second Speaker, Proposition Team 2 minutes
• Second Speaker, Opposition Team 2 minutes
• Rebuttal Speaker, Opposition Team 1 minute
• Rebuttal Speaker, Proposition Team 1 minute

11. Opposition Rebuttal
• Summary speech for your team.
• Focus on the 2-4 critical claims your team
made.
• Do not start new arguments.

12. Proposition Rebuttal
• Summarize the entire debate.
• Answer the critical claims brought up in the
Opposition Rebuttal.
• Do not start new arguments.