Climate speech: Preparatory assignment

An assignment for the students during Nic Balthazar 's climate documentary : The climate argument. You can view these for free on VRT.nu if you create an account.

In the next lesson, the students engage in a dialogue with each other. As a teacher you choose a few statements that the students have chosen themselves and in the (online) class they vote on the two most interesting.

They first sit together in groups of three or four (this can also be done in breakout rooms online) where they can each say whether they agree and why or why not.

Then one delegate per group is chosen to speak during the class dialogue. First, all spokespersons take turns speaking while the rest of the class notes what is being said. The spokespersons can then add comments or ideas to what has already been said. There is one empty space with the spokespersons in case someone from the audience also wants to add something.

The same thing happens with the second statement, but then they choose a different spokesperson. As a teacher, if necessary, designate someone extra from the group who is now also a co-spokesperson.

During the debate, the students are not allowed to form a judgment about the opinions of the other students. To create a safe classroom climate, the students only give their own opinion: 'I think that .... because I feel that way, because I think that way ... '. Interrupt the students who start with "What she says is good/bad."