The Debaters highlights the concept behind debating, its role in society and how it develops a global discourse for students to discuss important issues.

Welcome to the cut-throat world of international school debating where feisty, intelligent teens from across the globe argue their way to the top. At the World School Debating Championships in Wales, we follow the journey of a top debating team and their determined coach as they face off against 36 countries in the battle for world domination. See what unfolds throughout the competition as the team's ranking jumps up and down from debate to debate. Moving back and forth between the suspense of the contest and the debaters? post-competition reflections, we witness not only what it takes to be a good debater but also how the championships and debating in general impact the lives of each of the team members.

We experience the trials and tribulations of the team as they joust over controversial issues such as terrorism, nuclear energy and abortion. Once they are assigned their topic and the side they must argue, the debaters have only moments to go through their internal rolodex and construct their arguments. Interwoven is a fluid dialogue between competing teenagers from around the world offering their perspectives on the art of debate.


Subject Areas:
Social Studies, Political Science, Current Affairs, Public Speaking 2008