Comic Life - Gone but not forgotten

About 10 years ago, our board invested in a computer program called Comic Life. It was an online platform that helped students make beautiful, comic-book-style pages - complete with fonts, templates, panels, balloons and lettering art. It was easy to use, the kids loved working with it and the results were terrific.

I made good use of it, particularly at the start of the school year, to engage students in literacy & media activities, particularly as a way to share their identity & interests creatively. Recently, as I prepare to return to the classroom, I have been reevaluating the utility of these lessons. Unfortunately, Comic Life is no longer available...for free. I looked into similar programs but realized that Google Draw could easily be adapted to fit my needs. 

So, it was time for me to create and determine...

• Do these activities still meet standards (both my own & the curriculum)?
• Can Google Draw be employed to replicate the features of Comic Life?
• Do I think students would enjoy this activity & add it to their repertoire as a method to share their learning?

Here is the first activity (I'll post another in a future blog).

In this cross-curricular literacy & media project, Comic Life (now Google Draw) is used to present an Autobiographical Poem visually.

Step One: Students create their unique Autobiographical poem by filling in blanks to simple questions about their lives. I provide them with a copy of a Google Doc bit.ly/biopoem1 but the questions are...

What's your First Name?
List 4 Adjectives that describe you.
Who are you a brother/sister/son/daughter of?
Name three things you love.
Name three feelings you enjoy and where you enjoy them
What do you give ...and to whom?
What do you fear...or dislike?
What would you like to see?
Name three friends.
Describe where you live.
Last Name

Here is mine (it is also provided as an example in the Doc)

Marc
Active, Funny, Creative, Happy.
Husband of Angela.
Who loves Cats, Music & Hockey
Who feels content in front of the TV,
Creative at the computer &
Happy when sleeping.
Who gives time to writing, 
Energy to Exercising &
Laughter to Friends.
Who fears losing loved ones,
confined spaces &
cottage cheese.
Who would like to see more concerts,
Paris &
Austrailia
Who is friends with Robbie, Steve & James
Who lives in a 3 storey brownstone near downtown
Hodgkinson

Step Two: Students are given time to collect digital photos related to the answers that make up their poem. Photos can be brought from home on a portable USB drive or through Google Photos. I have, in the past, borrowed digital cameras from our Board and, after securing parent's permission, loaned them overnight.

Step Three: Students use Google Draw to create a 1-3 magazine style "splash pages" that amplify their poem. Page Set-up to 8.5 x 11 for easy printing.

Here are links to full-sized versions of my examples
Bio Poem Page 1
Bio Poem Page 2
Bio Poem Page 3

Step 4: Print and Display (with student permission of course).

Some Notes

• The word biography appears in the Grade 4, 5, 6 and 8 Ontario Language Curriculum - so this activity will connect easily. I have a Grade 7 class next year and this expectation from the Writing section is perfect.

Purpose and Audience 1.1
Students will identify the topic, purpose, and audience for more complex writing forms (e.g., a rap poem or jingle, to express a personal view to the class; a report for a community newspaper about a public meeting on an environmental issue affecting local neighbourhoods; an autobiography for a youth magazine, web page, blog, or zine)

• You will want to add font choices to Google Accounts. The style called "Covered by Your Grace" is very close to a typical comic dialogue font.
• Remind them to keep images and text clear from the edge - or it gets "cut-off" when printing.
• Rather than lessons on using the program - talk about the term aesthetic or aesthetically pleasing. Let the students discover the Google tools and encourage them to share their discoveries with each other. I call this "making our ideas go viral".
• You could choose to mention that the following features are useful...but offer no instructions.

• Word Art
• Border Colour & Weight
• Picture Orientation
• Searching for Hi Def Backgrounds in Images

I'll be trying this in September and hope to update this with the results & feedback from students. Please let me know if this works for you or if you find a way to remix it.

Rivalries & Project Based Learning

Earlier this year, I wrote about Project Based Learning using The Triangle Approach. With that in mind, I have been mulling over the best way to introduce elements of the PBL experience to my students in the next school year. In particular, the approach depicted by the triangle on the left - One unifying topic with many project presentation options.

Fortunately, I am still working with a terrific Grade 7 class at Northridge Public School and the they have allowed me to "workshop" a few ideas with them to get some feedback. 

Here is one idea I am mulling over. It is an upgrade on an activity I did ten years ago.

Part One: Mind's On

• Display the following quote and allow some group discussion

"Les hivers de mon enfance étaient des saisons longues, longues. Nous vivions en trois lieux: l'école, l'église et la patinoire; mais la vraie vie était sur la patinoire."

• The Northridge class teased out 90% of it pretty easily.

"The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places—the school, the church and the skating rink—but our real life was on the skating rink."

• Ten years ago, I would ask students if they had seen the quote before - then reveal that it was printed on the back of the Canadian Five Dollar Bill.  
  
• Unfortunately, that bill is no longer in circulation. Probably for the best, according to this clip from the television program "How I Met Your Mother" where an American character visiting Canada declares...

"What's wrong? Other than the fact that this $5 dollar bill they gave you is blue...and there's kids playing hockey on the back - it's like you want us to make fun of you."

Part Two: Read Aloud 

Read the short story "The Hockey Sweater" by Roch Carrier. It can be found in most school libraries; but, if you can find it, there is an incredible anthology called Sightlines (The Grade 8 edition) that has it and many other terrific selections. 

You can also find it here or you can screen the animated short. I typically do both. (I love the chance to do my "Quebecois man speaking English" accent.)

The short story is based on an experience from author Roch Carrier's childhood in Sainte-Justine, Quebec in the 1940's. In it, a young fan of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team (and its star player Maurice Richard) mistakenly receives a Toronto Maple Leaf's hockey jersey. His mother insists he wear it and the young boy must face the scorn and persecution of his peers and even his coach.

Part Three: Activities

There are lots of discussions, activities and connections that can be made with this story. Here are a couple ideas from Literacy, Drama, History & Physical Education.

• Have you ever received a gift that you did not like? How did you deal with it? (Talk about it, Write about it, Blog about it, Flipgrid it, Present it as a short skit).
•  It connects nicely with the Grade 7 & 8 History curriculum - which examines the relationships between French & English settlers and includes the Big Idea that: "Social and political conflicts and changes in the first half of the nineteenth century have had a lasting impact on Canada".
• It is a fun way to launch a floor hockey unit in gym class.

Part Four: Project Based Learning

• Advance a discussion about Rivalries. 
• What is a Rivalry?
• Why is the Leaf/Canadien Rivalry important?
• Have you ever had a rival?
• How is a rival different than an enemy?
• Provide them access to this Multi-Media Tech Set which has links to 32 well documented rivalries from Sport, Buisness, Music, Pop Culture & Life.  

• Each box has an embedded link to a Google Search of the rivalry. Additional links are at the bottom of the page. Invite students to spend time exploring the websites, articles and videos that interest them.
• With a partner select a rivalry that interests you both and research it. Make use of this template to help organize your discoveries.
• Share your research any way you choose - a visual display, a class presentation, an Animoto video, an interactive slideshow or Makey Makey bulletin board.
• As a class - set a deadline for a sharing day.

To help students - I have this research example using the Leafs vs Canadiens rivalry. 

Additionally, I worked with a Grade 7 student from the aforementioned class at Northridge to create this podcast script and also this podcast which includes video.

Stay tuned...I'll be tweeting and posting the results next winter.

The 500 - #476 - Notorious B.I.G. - Life after Death

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 476

Album Title: Life after Death
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
Released: March, 1997
My age at release: 31 
How familiar am I with it: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Hypnotize
Great Lyric:
"I'm Big Dangerous, you're just a little vicious
As I leave my competition, respirator style
Climb the ladder to success, escalator style
Hold y'all breath, I told y'all, death
Controls y'all, Big don't fold y'all, uhh
I spit phrases that'll thrill you
You're nobody til somebody kills you"

Prior to listening to this record, I thought I only knew only one song by The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls, Biggie). It was the song Big Poppa which I remember from my early 90's, pre-Teacher's College/Bartending days. 

However, it was a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Will Farrell satirizing Robert Goulet that galvanized it in my psyche. In the parody commercial, Goulet (Farrell) is promoting a new album, The Coconut Banger's Ball, in an obvious attempt to stay relevant. The album includes renditions of The Thong Song by Sisquo, Who Let the Dogs Out! by The Baja Men and, of course, Big Poppa by Biggie. 

As he puts it....

"...what you get is one full hour of rip roarin’ rap music. Not by some dubious ruffians without the chops, but by a professionally trained voice man. No musical accompaniment. It’s just me out there."

Consequently, I can't hear the name Biggie without this moment coming to mind and the irrisitable urge to shout "Goo-Lay!" Talk about your non sequitar.

When I started my first play-through of Life After Death. I realized immediately that I did know another song: Hypnotize. The chorus is ubiquitous in film and television. In fact, it has almost become a "go-to-musical-cue" to establish a 90's setting for the viewer - much the way that California Dreaming perfectly sets a movie in the 60's.

I do have an education connection to Biggie. About 15 years ago I started sharing the Roch Carrier The Hockey Sweater as a Read A loud with my Grade 7/8 students.

• It's a great short story.
• It's pure Canadianity - a quote from it was on the back of our $5.00 bill for years.
• It allowed me to use my Quebecois man speaking English accent...just like in the National Film Board animated short.  
• I could connect it to cross-curricular activities in History, Art, Literacy & Phys. Ed.

However, most well received was an open-ended activity hinged on the Maple Leaf/Canadien rivalry at the heart of Carrier's story.

Students worked in groups and were invited to explore another famous rivalry of their choosing. 

Some students stuck with sports rivalries (Red Sox/Yankees or Lakers/Celtics) while a few went the buisness route (Coke/Pepsi or Apple/Windows). Many of my boys, some of whom were tough to engage in literacy, research & presentation activities, focused on the East Coast (Biggie)/West Coast (Tupac Shakur) feud. At the time, I know many of them were suprised that...

(a) I would let them do this... 

and

(b) I was sincerely interested in what they could uncover & present. 

It's true. Prior to investigating this record, most of my 90's hip-hop knowledge was taught to me by my former students.

I am currently updating that activity for next year (when I return to a Grade 7 classroom). I am going to build a Google Based Choice Board or Multi Media Tech Set to allow students to explore lots of rivalries and then select one that they can share with the class any way they choose. When I get it done ... I'll put the link to see it right (HERE).

Things I learned...

• This record was released posthumously - Biggie was gunned down two weeks earlier. Consequently, the title is tragically ironic.
• The gunman has never been caught - which has led to wild speculation and a cottage industry of conspiracy theories that rival those surrounding the death of his rival 2Pac.
• Once again, I liked this record far more than I would have initially thought.

6 Minute Podcast Stories

.
As I have mentioned in a few recent posts, like this one and this one, I am leaving my role as an Instructional Coach and returning to the classroom. I'm really excited about this prospect and I'm already organizing activities, lessons and flexible long range plans. Well, as much preparation as I can given that I don't know what grade I will finally land for September. 

The other day I spotted something promising in a post by Grade 5 teacher Tony Vincent. If you don't follow him, you should rectify that promptly by clicking this link to his page. He is an incredibly generous resource for lesson ideas, assessment strategies and easy-to-follow tech tips.

Tony posted a link to the website bestrobotever.com and a podcast called Six Minutes. It is, as you've likely guessed, a repository for a full series of six minute long podcasts. He got me intrigued with the caption ... "Six Minutes is an addicting podcast drama - my 5th graders are obsessed."

I am not sure if I am going to be teaching Grade 5 but, this seemed like the kind of things that had some range...maybe Grade 4-8? 

While driving between schools, I checked it out.

The podcast is presented like a radio play from the 40's, in the Golden Age of Radio. Live broadcasts of Dragnet or The Adventures of Superman had audiences entranced or, in the case of The War of the Worlds, in a literal state of hysteria. 

This iteration has the benefit of advances in multi-track, production technology; but, it still relies heavily on the convincing performances of its skilled cast of actors.

Episode 1 begins with the opening to a ominious and etheral melody that sounds vaguely similar to Gimme Shelter by The Stones. Layered on top is a narrator's ominous prologue

There are kids in this world who are different. Special. They look like us and they act like us. But they are not us...and one of them is missing.

We are introduced to the Anders family who are on a whale watching trip in Alaska. We learn, through dialogue, that the mother, Monica, is a doctor while the father is involved with the military in some mysterious, but clearly important, capacity.  

Their youngest child, a girl named Birdy, falls into the ocean and, after being pulled aboard, reports that there is another girl in the water. Her brother Cyrus dives in and rescues her...clinging to life she gains consciousness long enough to reveal that she remembers nothing...except her name...Holiday. 

It is the kind of story that is sure to hook young listeners. By episode two, more is revealed (often in subtle clues that only keen ears will detect). It ends on a cliffhanger that I am certain will have students, as Vincent put it, "obsessed".

I immediately contacted a Grade 5 teacher at a schools I support. She agreed to let me try out a few episodes with her students to gauge their interest and build some connections to her balanced literacy program. Hopefully, I will post those results and some lesson ideas soon.

The Power of the Six Word Story

In my previous post I highlighted the activities that I introduce to "front-load" the launch of a 10+ week unit using the first season of "Lost".

The Six Word Story Lesson is not my idea originally. Like most great ideas I have, I adapted it after attending a free workshop presented by my Board called "LitCon".  I would love to give credit to the presenter, but I have lost the original slideshow and can not remember her name.

This is an activity I would encourage all teachers - Grade 4 and up - to introduce to their students at the start of the year. There are so many positives to this exercise because it seems deceptively easy at first. Share an idea using only 6 words. Students love the idea that they "won't have to write much" but; they quickly realize that, "a parsimonious narrative cleverly taxes intellect."

The creator is forced to tinker with language and explore the thesaurus in an effort to maximize the impact of 6 words. To make things a little easier, I introduce the activity using a Collaborative Google Slide. This serves a few purposes...

• It allows students to use backgrounds, fonts, images and gifs to help support their story.
• It lets them see what their friends are doing in order to help inspire them.
• It allows them to share skills (like using .png images or uploading a .gif) without the necessity of a lesson on each.
• It provides me with a way to give feedback during the activity - by using the comment feature on the side.

I have presented this lesson about ten times and the following slide always generates an interesting phenomenon.

Some of the students will sigh sadly and even utter an "oh no."

Immediately, an other group will say ..."What?"

"The baby...died." 

"No it didn't. They just didn't use the shoes and they are selling them."  

I love this moment because I always get to say... "You can have either story. That's up to you. But, let's look at the punctuation and see if it adds to the tone of this text." 

This is a great opportunity to talk about the power of punctuation. It is a way of showing the impact the colon, comma, quotation marks and period have in this sentence. I have joked that many new writer's use of punctuation looks as if they have sprinkled pepper on their page. This is a great activity to help them see the impact it can have.

We will revisit this activity later in this unit. However, if it was introduced in September, it could be used throughout the year.

1. To demonstrate understanding of a new math concept or as an exit ticket in math class.
2. To summarize a chapter from their independent reading or from the class read aloud.
3. To share their feelings at the end of a gym class, a school assembly, their weekend or to recap the school week.
4. To pose a question about a topic in Science or Social Studies.

Have you got any ideas? Share them with me and I'll gladly add them to this list and give you credit. If you happen to know who presented this at TVDSB LitCon 2017, I'd love to give her credit.

Lost - Front Loading the Experience

In my last post I talked about launching a cross-curricular unit through subterfuge. I intentional build anticipation by telling students that I am in the process of "getting permission" from the Principal/Superintendent in order to do run a "Mystery Unit". Immediately after March Break, the teachers and I are revealing that the unit is built around the first season of the 2005 television series "Lost". The genesis behind using this unit, and relaunching it as a coach, is in this post from 2018.

I do need to justify over 20 hours of television watching. Consequently, I am keenly aware of the need to make tangible curriculum connections. I often suggest to colleagues that it is treated more like an interactive read aloud - full of intentional stops for discussion, debate and writing challenges.

This year, most of the students are in Grade 7, so I have detailed all of the expectations (over 25) from the Language Curriculum and have detailed them in this table.

The goal in the weeks leading up to the reveal is to front-load information that will maximize the viewing experience. The following activities are in the process of being completed. I'll expand on each in future posts.

• Six Word Stories
• Multiple Intelligences are explored through a series of quizzes from the Smart Options Workbook. Introduction Here
• Lightning Talks using important terms from the series - eventually building a Fluid Word Wall on Padlet with a 6 Word Story GIF made on Giphy.
• The True Colours Quiz. (This one is optional - but really well received if there is time to do it.)
• An introduction to Blogging with Blogger.
• An introduction to Edmodo as a social media platform for sharing ideas. 

The students have been doing terrific work. They are eager to find out why we are doing all this stuff - but they are participating and completing tasks with a sincere effort. 

In my next post, I'll share more details on each of these activities.

Professional Wrestling and the Romantic Lie.

For the past four weeks, I have been working with four classes of Grade 7 & 8 students at 3 different schools. 

About 100 kids ... and I have been lying to them all.

I have been preparing them for a "Mystery Unit" about which "I am not at liberty to share information" because ... "I am in discussion with both the Principal and Superintendent in order to get permission to try this experiment". 

I do provide the following information...

• It is an incredible unit that they will find rewarding and engaging.
• It requires a high level of independent work and they get to be the stakeholders in their own education.
• Therefore, it requires a level of maturity (that I know they possess) but....
• the Superintendent and Principal are cautious - and need to see the evidence.
• So we are going to do some activities that show them how effectively we can work at a high-school level.
• All will be revealed after the March Break and ... fingers crossed...we get the Green Light! 

Almost everything I have told them is true. The three month, cross-curricular unit I have planned has always proven to be rewarding and engaging. It also provides students with multiple opportunities to share their voice and engage in rich debate through Class Discussions, Blog Writing & Flipgrid posts - shared between classes through the Social Media platform Edmodo.

My only fib is in the mystery I have intentionally created around the big reveal...truth be told...the unit has already been green lit, and will be launched when they return from March Break.

Even if you are not a fan of Professional Wrestling, you have likely heard of promoter Vince McMahon of the World Wrestling Entertainment empire. He, and his team of writers, have perfected the tricks originally developed by promoter, huckster and eventual politician PT Barnum in the late 1800's. 

This formula in current wrestling parlance...

• Hint at possibility - Tease
• Create mystery - Create an Angle 
• Build suspense - Generate Heat
• Deliver - Get Pop & Put the Face Over
• Sustain through Surprise - Swerves, Heel Turns & Face in Peril 

Dress it up in the outlandish costumes & over-the-top pageantry and you've got a billion dollar empire.

There is a reason that this approach lands with kids. It's too much to get into here - but there is a lot to discover in the works of anthropologist & philospher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) and educational theorist Kieran Egan (1942- ), particularly his 1999 book Children's Minds, Talking Rabbits & Clockwork Oranges.

Herbert Spencer and Kieran Egan's 1999 Book

In a nutshell - early teens are typically in a state of Romanticism (just like the period) and both could be summarized as

• Showing delight in the exotic (especially the supernatural)
• Putting emphasis on individualism.
• Revolting against convention.
• Evidencing rich imagination.
• Having an intense interest in self-inquiry.
• Resisting order and reason.
• Celebrating transcendent human qualities (particularly redemption).

I guess this was a long explanation to justify my lie. I am a liar with a noble purpose (talk about a Romantic notion). I hope to set these students up for a highly engaging unit that they will find rewarding. I am also confident that they will become better thinkers and communicators by unit's end. I intend to document the journey here. Hope you can join me.

My Mother's Influence on my Profession

At this point in my career, my practice is the product of many influences.

• I have been guided by mentors, colleagues, administrators and students.
• I am the sum of all my opportunities, from my early days on the supply list to my current role as an instructional coach.
• I am shaped by my studies - from formal education to daily blasts of learning from my Twitter PLN (Professional Learning Network).

However, I have to give a nod to the influences that have been there for my entire life. Specifically, on the occasion of Mother's Day, my mum Doreen Hodgkinson (Sutcliffe).

My mom us responsible for so many things that shape me as an educator. I'd like to highlight just a couple.

• From an early age, I was taking to the library regularly and she fostered my love of literature. She let me know that there was a world of wonder to be found in books and that it was up to me to uncover it. She read to me regularly, bringing the text to life with dramatic flare. She only stopped reading to me when I informed her that I preferred to read by myself - I sometimes wonder if this was something she viewed with relief, or sadness (probably a mix of both). When I embark on a read aloud (especially of a book I have read before) I remind myself of the need for panache - and I employ all the tricks of the trade - whether the text calls for a booming Scottish brogue or a meek and mousy whisper.
• She took me (and still takes me) to the theatre. We attended everything from high school to amateur to top level professional productions. I was fortunate to see an eclectic mix - dramas, comedies, musicals and dance performances. I was introduced to "The Hobbit" as a play before I devoured it as a book. I learned about Canadian First Nation history by attending a performance of James Reaney's "Wacousta" at a time I was just old enough to understand it. I even intervened during a performance of "Pinocchio" when the titular character called to the audience for help. She is still a season ticket holder at the Grand Theatre - and she takes me to every performance. My love of theatre, as a performer, audience member and educator, can be traced directly to my earliest exposure.
  
• She taught me about equality at a time when that was a message that I didn't always hear around me. It was the 1970's and racist or homophobic slurs were far more commonplace. However, my moral compass had already been well tuned by my mother's frequent statements about respect for all people. I wasn't perfect - I certainly said things that I now deeply regret. However, when I slipped, I knew in my heart that "my mother wouldn't agree" and that "this was not right". I eventually began to gravitate toward friends who felt like I did and helped me act like I should. She often said that "your friends should elevate you - and make you your best." I took this to heart and have lifelong friends who are kind, honest & generous.
• She taught me that everyone deserves a second chance. She worked as the volunteer coordinator at the maximum security prison in London and at a number of group homes (mainly for young women). She approached every day with a positive attitude and the sincere belief that people could change - if given the chance and had a kind mentor to guide them. She even brought a former inmate to our home to spend Christmas with our family. A person who had no other positive options available to him. That decision has always stuck with me.

I  could go on, but I think those are the big four. Thanks mom, for helping me become a better person and for inspiring me to make a difference in the lives of others. Happy Mother's Day.

I'd love to hear how other's were inspired by their parents - I'll write about my dad next month.

Instructional Coaching Journey - Day 1

Today was the first day of school. This is something I have experienced from both sides of the desk over 40 times. However, for the first time since 1998, I did not begin my day greeting a new group of eager and excited students. Instead, I made a left turn at the end of my driveway and traveled to the Board Office to meet, mingle and learn with an eager and excited group of Instructional Coaches & Math Coordinators. This was the first of many upcoming Professional Development sessions that will help me acclimate and settle in my new role as an Agent of Change for the Thames Valley Board.   

The supervisory team welcomed us with a fun video and a thoughtful treat. In many ways, they demonstrated the collaborative, collegial and professional approach that I hope to present.

Ice Breaker Activity

There was a new twist on an old icebreaker activity. Much like my students, I alternate between liking and loathing these activities. I do enjoy meeting new people and sharing my ideas but, I often find myself caught up in moments of awkward silence at the end of these encounters. More frustrating is being stuck in a veritable "no-man’s-land" between tables and a human log jam, waiting for a chance to move or engage someone else. I know it is in my head - but I always feel utterly graceless and oafish in these moments. I was fortunate today, I was stuck near the snacks and coffee table.

We broke down some numbers from EQAO (The Grade 3 & 6 Provincial Standardized Tests) and solidified our focus as coaches. I summarized it quickly as a personal mission statement and put it at the top of my calendar and into a Canva poster for Social Media. I’m not sure why that works for me. I think it is something about making things concrete for me. It reads as follows “My Focus needs to be intentional & precise, and must be directed toward tangible improvements in Literacy and Mathematics.” I will reflect on it regularly as I begin this challenge.

It is nice to finish at exactly the end of the day. It is also a treat to be able to spend a little time on professional reading & writing. Typically, the first day after school is spent organizing lesson plans and preparing for another frenetic school day. Instead, I did some reading and wrote this reflection. More PD tomorrow.

Alright, Fair Enough

Recently, I was visiting a friend when a noise erupted from the basement. His children, two young boys, had obviously reached a tipping-point in their play, and a screaming match ensued. Frustrated, he did what I have seen many adults do. He interceded, a little angrily, and the argument stopped.

I’m no stranger to this tactic. I’ve done it many times at school. Two students are in a conflict at recess and, immediately, I default to a well rehearsed proclamation - like a code in a program, randomly selecting a line of script.

“Enough!”

“Stop it!”

“Just try to get along.”

“Find someone else to play with”

“You go that way … and you go that way.”

However, I have been thinking about a line from this classic Monty Python sketch

“An argument is an intellectual process”.

Recently, I heard comedian Bill Burr discuss the topic of arguments between friends. He highlighted the power of three words that can bring two sides to a quick and amicable resolution when the exhaustion point in a quarrel is reached.

“Alright. Fair Enough.”

The intersection of these events got me thinking about curriculum and teaching - which might be the mantra of every teacher.

If it is important to learn how to argue, or debate, how can I teach my students (Grade 5 - 8) to do it?

Can I do this in an effective, fun, cross-curricular, & collaborative way?

I’ve decided to call this activity “Fair Enough”.

• Perhaps, the Monty Python argument sketch could be used as a “Minds On”.
• Start with a discussion about arguments. Present them as valuable. Make the connection to science, essay writing, political opinion, sports, laws, etc.
• Allow for Student Voice. Have them Think-Pair-Share stories about arguments they have had, won and/or lost.
• Talk about the idea of a debate as a formal, respectful exchange of ideas in front of a crowd.
• Students find partners and choose a pair of opposing topics. I have started a list here, but students can determine their own.
• Collaboratively (or independently), they prepare their arguments. Depending on age and ability, this could be done as simple point form notes, or as a Ignite or Lightning Talk with a Google Slideshow.
• Practice time can be provided depending on the desired complexity.
• Students go head-to-head in front of the class.
• When ideas have been exhausted, the students look at each other, shrug their shoulders and say “Alright, fair enough.”
• I’ve included a Google Slide that you can edit for your purposes.

Curriculum & Learning Skill Connections

• The connections to Oral Language, Literacy and Drama are obvious.
• I like the idea that we are embracing the importance of an argument as a foundation for progress in our society.
• I think it connects well to curriculum expectations for writing structure (The five paragraph answer sandwich model).
• I like that students who are about to argue are encouraged to collaborate to help each other solidify their points and counterpoints.
• I like that this activity could be unplugged (scrap paper and a pencil) or plugged (Google Slides).
• I like that there is a safe conclusion for both parties: “Alright, Fair Enough”. This is also a useful social strategy for future arguments.

Hopefully, I can share this lesson with a class next year. I’ll write about the results. If it doesn’t go well...Alright, fair enough.