THE ADVOCATE 

Learners will be able…
… to identify strong arguments of someone with an opposing view to their own.
... to examine reasons for and against a certain argument.
… to get acquainted with justifying a certain aspect, find arguments to support a view different than theirs.
… to reflect how this is connected to the democratic method.

 

You need:

  • 40 minutes
  • At least 6 people
  • Pen and paper (optional)

 

Instructions (Step-by-Step)

  • Divide the learners into two groups. Present the learners with a current relevant controversial topic. Group A is going to argue for and group B argue against this topic.
  • Give the groups 10 minutes to prepare their arguments and non-negotiable points on the subject. Group A presents their arguments first (3 minutes), then group B (3 minutes). After that group A gets to counter-argue (5 minutes), as well as group B (5 minutes). Group A presents their closing argument with 3 non-negotiable points (2 minutes), followed by group B (2 minutes).
  • Now switch groups (therefore, all learners in group A now argue against the topic and all learners in group B now argue for the topic). The whole class must then come to an agreement and find common ground.
  • Discuss the experience.
    • Did they manage to agree in the end?
    • Which arguments did they find more compelling and why?
    • Did the end decision skew into one side or the other?
    • What do they attribute that to?
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