"Tony Hsei: Was His Death an Accident or Intentional?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson Plan for a Class Debate

"Tony Hsei: Was His Death an Accident or Intentional?"

Objective: 
Students will analyze evidence related to the death of Tony Hsei, form arguments for both sides of the debate, and engage in a class debate to practice communication, critical thinking, and public speaking skills.

Materials:

  • Articles and news reports related to the death of Tony Hsei (available online or from the school library)
  • Access to a classroom or virtual platform for the debate
  • Rubric for evaluating debate performance (optional)

Procedure:

  1. Introduction (10 minutes)
  • Introduce the debate topic: "Today we're going to debate whether the death of Tony Hsei was an accident or intentional. Tony Hsei was a well-known entrepreneur and venture capitalist who was found dead in his home in November 2021. There is some controversy surrounding the circumstances of his death, and today we'll be examining the evidence and arguments for both sides of the debate."
  • Ask students if they have any initial thoughts or questions about the topic.
  • Explain the debate format: "We'll have two teams, one arguing that the death was an accident and the other arguing that it was intentional. Each team will have a chance to present their arguments, respond to the other team's arguments, and make closing statements. We'll then have a class discussion to reflect on the debate and discuss any remaining questions or points of view."

    2. Research and Preparation (30 minutes)
  • Divide the class into two teams, one for each side of the debate.
  • Provide each team with articles and news reports related to the death of Tony Hsei.
  • Instruct students to read the articles and take notes on evidence and arguments that support their assigned side of the debate.
  • Encourage students to discuss their findings with their teammates and develop a clear argument.

    3. Debate (60 minutes)
  • Allow each team 10-15 minutes for opening statements, during which they present their arguments for whether the death of Tony Hsei was an accident or intentional.
  • Allow each team 10-15 minutes for rebuttals, during which they respond to the other team's arguments and present counterarguments.
  • Allow each team 5-10 minutes for closing statements, during which they summarize their arguments and make a final plea to the class.
  • During the debate, encourage students to use evidence from their research to support their arguments, engage with each other respectfully, and address any weaknesses or counterarguments.

    4. Reflection (20 minutes)
  • After the debate, facilitate a class discussion to reflect on the arguments presented and discuss any remaining questions or points of view.
  • Ask students to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the debate, and whether their own views on the topic have changed or evolved.
  • Optionally, use a rubric to evaluate each student's performance in the debate and provide feedback on areas for improvement.

    5. Conclusion
  • Thank students for participating in the debate and encourage them to continue to practice communication, critical thinking, and public speaking skills in other contexts.

Supplementary Material

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hsieh