History-Social Sciences U.S. Government Take A Stand History-Social Sciences U.S. Government

Overview An activity for older students to think critically, voice their opinion and [independently] take a stand on political issues.

1. Provide an Issue Select a polarizing issue. Gun control, death penalty, gay rights, abortion, immigration, wars, etc.

2. Student Participation Ask students to identify their positions on the issue.

3. Strong Support or Opposition Ask for 1-2 students who strongly support, 1-2 students who strongly oppose, and 1-2 students who have mixed opinions.

4. Visual On the whiteboard, write (on the top) the issue that states the strong support view on one end and the strong opposing view on the other. Each title should be at opposite ends of the board.

Representation Gun control No Gun Control

5. Get up, stand up Ask students who strongly support to come up to the front of the room and stand under the side they support. Ask the students who strongly oppose to come up to the front of the room and stand under the side they strongly oppose. Invite a student or students who have mixed opinions to stand in the middle.

6. Explain Why? Ask each student to explain why they chose their position. Then, ask any student that has changed their mind to move in the direction of their changed position.

7. Stir it up Invite the rest of the class to try to get any of the students in the front of the room to change their position by expressing powerful arguments. Ultimately, the teacher can use the student responses as a basis for discussion, to implement an activity or to obtain feedback about what students know or are thinking for future lessons.