Being respectful of opinions

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Respecting opinions and giving them

What are we going to do and why?

Today we are going to practice giving your opinions and talking about them. 

Why? I want you to be able to talk to someone about opinions you have in a respectful way. So that we may learn from other people's perspectives and opinions on things. 

Today, we are going to try and learn from each other's opinions and have a conversation (not a debate!). 

But first, some rules. 

1. We listen to each other.

2. This is not a debate.

3. We are allowed to comment on other people's opinions, however....

4. We respect each other. 

Expressions for giving your opinion

Giving opinions                                                               Disagreeing

I think/believe that...                                                     Yes, but...    

As I see it...                                                                         I don't/can't agree...

From my point of view...                                               I (completely/totally) disagree...

In my opinion...                                                                 

As far as I'm concerned...                                            Acknowledging what the other person says   

                                                                                                 I hear/understand what you're saying, but...

Agreeing and disagreeing                                          I understand/respect your point of view, but...

I (quite/totally) agree (with)...                                    I can see where you're coming from, but...

Absolutely...                                                                       I see your point, but...

                                                                                                 I suppose so/I suppose he/she is right. 

Giving someone else's point of view                      That's true, but... 

Anthony says...    

Sarah thinks...                                              

Activity 1

In pairs, write some arguments about the question below.

You each can pick a side and write 2 arguments for that side. You have 3 minutes to do so and you are allowed to use your Ipad.

 Use the expressions on the board. 

"Can money buy you happiness"

Can money buy you happiness?

Giving opinions                                                               Disagreeing

I think/believe that...                                                     Yes, but...    

As I see it...                                                                         I don't/can't agree...

From my point of view...                                               I (completely/totally) disagree...

In my opinion...                                                                 

As far as I'm concerned...                                            Acknowledging what the other person says   

                                                                                                 I hear/understand what you're saying, but...

Agreeing and disagreeing                                          I understand/respect your point of view, but...

I (quite/totally) agree (with)...                                    I can see where you're coming from, but...

Absolutely...                                                                       I see your point, but...

                                                                                                 I suppose so/I suppose he/she is right. 

Giving someone else's point of view                      That's true, but... 

Anthony says...    

Sarah thinks...                                              

Now that we have had some practice...

Let's get into what we are actually doing today. 

But first, do you guys remember the rules?

Activity 1:

While you watch the following video, decide whether or not you agree with what is said in the video and why (not). 

Write down anything that is said that you do not agree with. 

Activity 2:

In groups of four, we are going to discuss some statements. 

I will give you a statement and you will have three minutes to discuss in your group. 

The goal here is to hear your group's points of view. The goal here is not to be right! The goal is to hear different opinions and different points of view and have a conversation about them.

Statement 1:

Fireworks is a waste of money.

Statement 2:

The police should focus on getting rid of illegal fireworks, not the legal fireworks. 

Statement 3: 

We should get rid of fireworks because it would mean no more people get hurt on New Years Eve. 

 

Activity 3: Agree / disagree

During this activity you will walk around the classroom. 

There will be a statement on the board. You have to decide for yourself if you agree or disagree with that statement. 

The right side of the classroom stand for " I agree" and the left side stand for " I disagree".

We're going to start off in the middle of the classroom each time. I will give you ten seconds to think, before anyone is allowed to start moving around the classroom. 

Statement 1:

We shouldn't ban fireworks because it is a tradition here in the Netherlands. 

Statement 2:

We should ban fireworks because of all the animals that are very scared on New Years Eve and the weeks leading up to it. 

Statement 3:

No one under 18 years old should be allowed to set off fireworks. 

Statement 4:

We shouldn't ban fireworks because a lot of people think it's fun. 

Evaluation

What did you think of this lesson?

What was it like to give your opinion?

Did you feel uncomfortable at any part during the lesson?

Do you feel like your opinion changed during the lesson?

Do you feel like you heard other opinions than your own?