Elementary and middle school students have brains wired for debate, be it in arguing the finer points of an extra few minutes of TV at bedtime, or pleading a case for a new puppy. Now, they have an academic arena to show off those skills. On Thursday, March 21, 2013, Canyons is hosting fourth- through ninth-graders at a districtwide Debate Tournament, scheduled from 3 — 8:30 p.m. at Alta High School. About 90 student participants will debate whether the State of Utah should substantially increase its support of nuclear energy generation within its borders. Alta and Hillcrest students will serve as judges.

The optional debate program is aimed at providing younger students with a way to enhance their critical thinking and reasoning abilities in an environment where academic development and communication skills are promoted and rewarded. It also dovetails well with new core learning standards. The state tournament, sponsored by the National Energy Foundation, is in April.