Hello again, classes!  I think everyone did well today practicing opposing arguments.  Now that you see how hard it can be, think about how you can find those topics for your argumentative essay.

Next Tuesday, we will begin learning about doing debates.  In order to debate correctly, I will teach a lesson about the strategies and vocabulary you should use when debating.  In order to be more prepared for the lesson, you need to prepare to research the topic.

The topic we decided for this debate is Capital Punishment (being able to execute prisoners). There will be a moderator who will manage the debates and direct the flow of it.

For the Pro team, you will have 5 main points you need to research and present as part of your debate.  The 5 points are:

1. Capital Punishment provides justice for the victim's family.
2. Capital Punishment ensures the criminal will no longer be able to commit crimes.
3. There is a serious problem with overcrowding in American prisons.
4. Most American people support Capital Punishment.
5. In some states, it is more expensive to keep a person incarcerated for life instead of executing them.

For the Con team, you will have 5 main points you need to research and present as part of your debate.  The 5 points are:

1. There is a possibility of executing innocent people.
2. It is not proven to deter others from committing crimes.
3. In some states, Capital Punishment is more expensive than keeping a prisoner incarcerated for life.
4. The government should not have the right to decide who lives and who dies.
5. Execution methods are barbaric and inflict great pain on the victims.

You should all have a list of who is in your group.  Please contact your group members and decide which points of the topic you want to research for the debate.

I'll see you all on Tuesday.