Debate Circle : Should Disney Stop Making Princess Movies?

What can we use if we don't have sticky notes, voting slips, a hat or a timer available?

If you don't have sticky notes, voting slips, a hat/bowl, or a separate timer, write the five speaking rules on a regular sheet of paper, tear small pieces of lined paper for secret votes and fold them into a cup or lunchbox, and use a phone or kitchen timer placed in the middle of the circle as the 20-minute timer.

What should we do if teams run out of time during the 20-minute research step or speakers keep interrupting during rebuttals?

If teams run out of research time or interruptions happen, have the moderator pause the 20-minute timer for a five-minute focused research extension and remind everyone of the one-minute opening speech and the five respectful speaking rules written on the sticky note before resuming.

How can we adapt the debate for younger children or older students?

For younger children shorten the research to 10 minutes, reduce opening speeches to 30 seconds and use yes/no voting slips, while for older students extend research to 30 minutes, require each team to write three main points with at least one cited example, and add a formal rebuttal round led by the moderator.

How can we extend or personalize the Debate Circle to make it more engaging or educational?

Enhance the activity by creating a simple judging rubric on a sheet of paper to score arguments instead of only voting, encourage participants to wear character cards or small props during opening speeches, and save the photo or short written summary to upload to DIY.org as your finished creation.