Introducing The Need For Relevant Debate Topics
One of the things that your undergraduates will need to study is how to formulate and develop meaningful debate topics. They'll also have to learn to evaluate debate arguments on their merits, making it important for them to develop the skills to determine the soundness of a topic. The need for relevant debate topics is especially relevant to new or second-year college students, because the process of evaluating and discerning the strength of a topic will be an important learning experience in itself.
Now, if you want to make sure that they have an accurate view of the subject, one option is to use a long essay as the subject of the debate. Just as you would use an essay as your main teaching instrument, this will give them the opportunity to discuss the subject in depth. For instance, a discussion of terrorism can include the reasons why people become involved in terrorist activities, what forms they take, and how terrorism can be combated.