The Great Debaters Viewing Guide and Quiz

I have never had a class not be riveted by the 2007 movie The Great Debaters, directed by and starring Denzel Washington. It is just old enough that most students haven’t seen it before, yet new enough to not look or feel dated. The PG13 dialogue and plot is just sophisticated enough and edgy enough to keep high school students interested without being too graphic. (Teachers should be warned, however, that racial slurs are used and there is one brief but graphic scene of a lynching.)

Based on the true 1935 story of Melvin Tolson and the Wiley College debate team, it would work great as a stand alone movie with an ELA tie in to show during Black History Month, but I use it as an introduction to a debate unit I do with my junior composition class each year. Although obviously adapted for dramatic purposes, the movie spends a great deal of time showing the students preparing for and participating in various debates. As such, it is a very palatable introduction to debate/argument terms and concepts, and the debate process. If you have students go on to participate in their own debates, it also is a good example to refer back to for the construction and delivery of arguments.

Depending on when I do this during the semester, I usually spend at least one day reviewing the terms and concepts on the two handouts provided in this zip file—more if we haven’t already talked about this in the class.

In this zip file you will find:

1. A rhetorical appeals reference chart for students (separate file in zip)

2. A debate terms to know handout for students

3. A Google Slides presentation explaining and practicing the terms at this link to use as an introduction to debate.

4. A viewing guide with key

5. A multiple choice quiz of the terms and applying the terms to the movie

The viewing guide and quiz are both fully editable Word documents for your convenience!