Mock Trial and Model United Nations Classes Spread Debate Benefits in Middle and Upper Schools
Rowland Hall is well-known for its top debate program, but Mike Shackelford knows the argumentative and highly competitive nature of the sport isn’t for everyone. That’s why the head debate coach and political science teacher created a new class that exposes more students to the benefits of debate without the pressures of high-level competition.
For years, Mike has known students interested in debate but who don’t take it for a number of reasons, from its workload and competitive format to its time commitment (Rowmark ski racers, for example, don’t have space in their schedules for debate). Additionally, Mike continued, competitive debate isn’t really designed for public consumption. "The technical formats, advanced topics, and jargon can be difficult to access without a lot of experience," he said.
Debate coach Mike Shackelford has long felt that the benefits of debate are important enough that he wanted to find a way to make it accessible to more students.
Still, Mike has long felt that the benefits of debate are important enough that he wanted to find a way to make it accessible to more students.
“We should have even more kids doing debate,” he insisted. “Debate is for everyone.”
So to expand the subject’s reach, Mike began working on a new elective. He started by tapping into his experience with three debate-adjacent programs he’s used in political science courses: Mock Trial, which simulates a real courtroom trial; Model United Nations, which engages students in the principles and functions of the UN; and Student Congress, a debate event in which students study parliamentary procedures and write speeches for or against state bills. Each of these programs, Mike explained, offers group-wide simulations of real-world activities, providing applied applications for the argumentation, public speaking, critical thinking, and collaboration skills built in debate.
The new class, titled Applied Forensics: Mock Trial and Model United Nations, was unveiled in the Middle School in spring 2023, then expanded to the Upper School this spring. Already, it’s attracted a variety of students, from the debate-curious to debate team members, as well as a handful of ninth graders who enjoyed the Middle School class so much that they wanted to take it again. Among these students is Paulina Ize-Cedillo, who is also one of five Rowmarkers enrolled in the class.
"As a Rowmarker, I couldn’t really do the full debate season, but I enjoyed it in Middle School and didn’t want to miss out,” said Paulina. “I enjoyed Student Congress the most because it was a chance to talk about issues I’m passionate about, like the bill I wrote on nutrition. I’m really competitive, and naturally opinionated, so it was so fun to have an outlet to argue and challenge different ideas in a friendly competition.”
Some upper schoolers, such as senior Maddie Mulford, enrolled to learn more about the programs they first glimpsed in political science. Maddie said her interest in Mock Trial was piqued in Mike’s Supreme Court political science class. She even tried to form a team herself.
“I tried starting a Mock Trial team last year and we struggled to get enough participation, so when it became a class I had to enroll,” said Maddie, who also noted that a major draw of the class was its real-world connection to possible careers. “The small in-class simulations made me more curious about what being a lawyer or diplomat is like,” she said.
I enrolled in the class because I needed to improve my public speaking skills, and definitely did. However, the bigger takeaway for me was learning how government systems work and how interesting the law can be. It’s now something I want to explore as a career.—Gautham Parameswaran, class of 2027
This real-world glimpse is just one of what Mike calls the “more realistic, practical, and inviting” takeaways of the debate-adjacent activities that his newest class is centered around. And even if a student’s aspirations aren’t connected to these activities, he said, they’re still benefiting from the glimpse of how democratic institutions function. And that’s just the start of the activities’ benefits. These opportunities also encourage students to get out of their comfort zones to engage in conversations around real-world topics, connect them with their communities, and hone their advocacy skills. They may uncover hidden talents or develop new passions. And, of course, they build lifelong skills and confidence in areas including problem solving, critical thinking, research, collaboration, and teamwork.
"I enrolled in the class because I needed to improve my public speaking skills, and definitely did,” said ninth grader Gautham Parameswaran. “However, the bigger takeaway for me was learning how government systems work and how interesting the law can be. It’s now something I want to explore as a career.”
Beyond in-class simulations and projects, Mike also requires students to participate in at least one state conference or event, which helps further build and solidify the debate skills they’ve been practicing, thanks to the more professional format and consequential stakes of these opportunities. Official conferences also help learning stick, as class members get to observe and collaborate with other talented students across the state, and connect Rowland Hall with local schools in new ways—this year marks the first time in modern history that Rowland Hall has officially competed in Mock Trial and Model UN.
“As frightening as it was, it was a great experience because it forced you to get out of your comfort zone and really put yourself out there, and it was still really fun,” said Maddie about her experience in this year’s state Mock Trial competition (her team even won a round). “I didn't perform as well as I had hoped, but I'm glad because it was an opportunity for growth and I could see myself improving throughout the competition. I've realized that I'm better at public speaking and capable of a lot more than I previously thought.”
In order to tackle the world's most pressing, complex problems, we have put our critical-thinking skills to work and collaborate with others.—Maddie Mulford, class of 2024
For Mike, this type of student reflection is incredibly valuable and he hopes that hearing about their peers’ experiences will encourage more students to enroll in the class. “My goal is to open more entry doors for kids to try these things,” he said, further building their confidence as tomorrow’s changemakers. Because whether they’re roleplaying as delegates for Malaysia and Netherlands at the state Model UN conference or prosecuting an alleged bank robber in Mock Trial, they’re having fun within transformative learning experiences.
“It’s about putting yourself out there rather than giving the perfect speech or performance. It’s about the connections you make and people you learn from,” said Maddie. “I think my main takeaway is that in order to tackle the world's most pressing, complex problems, we have put our critical-thinking skills to work and collaborate with others.”
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