[JohnDClare]

I have taken an idea developed in another thread on this forum and applied it to
Appeasement
if anyone is interested.

The lesson takes the form of an 'Any Questions' debate with audience participation, and it went very well when I did it with my own pupils.

The aim is that pupils form and debate informed judgements about Appeasement.


The lesson sequence went like this:

1. (5 mins) Setting the Scene
a. Rant a bit about how pupils have opinions in so many things - e.g. Tony Blair, Iraq, politicians, Britney Spears - when actually they know virtually NOTHING about what they are talking about. Such opinions are really prejudices, not opinions. If they are going to form proper opinions, they should form them by properly examining the evidence. (This is important, because it makes them draw their ideas from the materials you are giving them.)

b. Divide the class into two groups, and give out the Judgements on Appeasement factsheets. Explain that these statements are all culled from the internet about appeasement, and so they will be able to read them and come to a properly-formed opinion.

c. What the pupils DON'T know is that, in fact, there are TWO different factsheets. One has an overwhelming balance of statements IN FAVOUR of appeasement, the other is hugely biased AGAINST appeasement. The two worksheets LOOK identical, but give copies of one out to one group, copies of the other out to the second group.

2. (10 mins) Give the pupils some reading time.

3. (10 mins) Pair Work
Tell the pupils, working with a partner (within their larger group), to go through the statements, deciding whether they are FOR or AGAINST appeasement, and whether they think that particular statement is a STRONG or a WEAK argument.

4. (10 mins) Group decision
a. Appoint a convener for each group, and get them - using the ideas they have formed from their reading and pair work - to discuss as a group what they think of appeasement.
b. After about 10 minutes, ask the pupils to indicate by a show of hands who has decided for, and who is against appeasement. Given the biased documentatiomn supplied, here should be overwhelming support within the groups for or against appeasement. You can either tell the isolates that they have to change and work with their group, or move them into the other group. Remember, if you move them, to unobtrusively make them leave also their factsheets, so that the pupils might not click that they are being manipulated.

5. (10 mins) Preparation for the Debate
a. Tell the two opposing groups that you are about to arrange an open debate between the two sides. The initial statements will be made by an 'Any Questions' style set-up, with two people from each side making opening statements, but that then you will open up the debate to statements and questions from other people.
b. The side you adjudge to be the winner will get off any homework; the side you adjudge to be the loser will have to do extra homework (obviously they need it), making notes on the factsheets.
c. Set the preparation tasks, therefore, of:
- selecting their two representatives and helping them work out an opening speech which will be hard-hitting and 'make the case'.
- letting them practise making the speech, with a 'coach' to help them deliver it better.
- work out obvious 'help you' questions to ask their own representatives during the wider debate.
- work out hard unaswerable questions to ask the representatives of the other side.

6. (up to 15 mins) Debate
a. Set up the 'Any Questions' table,
b. Start the debate, with the opening statements from the two teams.
c. Throw the debate open to other statements and questions, and sit back and enjoy the sparks! From time to time, draw in pupils who might be happy to sit back and let others do all the talking.
d. At the end, declare the debate a draw and let everybody off their homework!

I hope it works as well for you as it did in my lesson.

[Laurence Hicks]

Thanks for sharing this idea, John. It looks a lot of fun, and I'm sure my kids will like it. Presumably, the same cunning technique (giving groups different worksheets that look the same) could also work for other class debates, too.

[Carole Faithorn]

Laurence Hicks, on Nov 27 2004, 05:03 PM, said:

....Presumably, the same cunning technique (giving groups different worksheets that look the same) could also work for other class debates, too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes indeed. A 'cunning plan' that works well for source based exercises eg on Henry VIII, Oliver Cromwell or for pretty much any topic where you want to 'skew' the views before leading to debate.

[... and it is a wonderful moment when they realise they have been duped! ]

[Laurence Hicks]

Thanks for the tip, Carole. I created a couple of worksheets on the League of Nations ('Was the League of Nations a good idea?'), and had two hugely enjoyable lessons with my Year 9 classes today.

And thanks again for the idea, John. Your lesson sequence worked like clockwork, and the threat of homework really got the students motivated! Highlighter pens helped the students to identify their key statements, while a running commentary made sure each side knew who was winning the debate.

If anyone would like a copy of the worksheets, then please pm me.