English Language
OP2 Not True, Even If: Rebuttals 102
Date: 30 March 2026
Time: 1400-1630
Venue: Yu Neng Primary School
Teachers:
1. Mr Yok Joon Meng (Yu Neng Primary School)
2. Ms Leanna Lyn Gaffar (Yu Neng Primary School)
3. Ms Claire Yeo (Yu Neng Primary School)
This lesson addresses the skill that our debate students find most challenging – rebuttals.
We start off with a recap of the debate structure, before delving into a warm-up activity. It is a quick-fire rebuttal round, where students will have to counter given statements.
We will then move on to the actual lesson, where students will use the “Not True, This Makes Things Worse, Even If” framework to craft their rebuttals. Students will also craft rebuttals that directly address the opponent’s arguments, while furthering their own.
Joon Meng, Leanna and Claire are the teachers-in-charge of the Yu Neng Primary School EL Enrichment programme. The programme focuses on debate and oracy skills.
In 2024, without any external support, Leanna and Claire took on the challenge of coaching a novice debate team.
Over 6 intensive months, Leanna and Claire taught the students everything about debate, from basics like the debate format, to more complex skills like argument construction, persuasive speaking, and rebuttal strategies. Countless hours of preparation were put in by both students and teachers, and their efforts paid off when the Yu Neng debate team won the Division 2 championships of Wits and Words, Singapore’s national primary school debate competition.