Silent Debate Discussion Strategy: Explanation
This is a non-verbal, whole-class discussion.
You can add an oral element at the end, if you choose.
It works as follows:
In advance, prepare six large sheets of paper. (More if you have a large class.)
Each sheet of paper should have a statement or question written in the middle of it. This should connect to the topic you are studying.
Explain to the class that they will be taking part in a silent debate.
The rules are as follows:
- No talking
- All contributions must be written
Anyone who is caught talking is sent to the ‘naughty corner’ for thirty seconds before being allowed to re-join the debate.
Keep this light. The ‘naughty corner’ is a way of reminding learners that they need to stay silent, and that silence is a key feature of the activity.
Distribute the sheets of paper around the room.
Make sure they are reasonably far apart.
Ask learners to grab a pen or pencil and to stand up and walk around the room.
Explain to learners that they should visit each of the sheets of paper in turn, read the questions or statements that are written on them, and then write a response on a blank section of the paper, explaining what they think.
Once learners have commented on all the sheets of paper they should walk around the room a second time.
Now, they should read the comments that other learners have written.
They should comment on these by first circling them, then drawing a line, then writing their own thoughts at the end of this line before circling what they have written.
The result will be a clear, visual representation of an exchange of views.
Keep the activity going for as long as you feel is appropriate.
Let learners continue writing comments until you say otherwise.
If you decide, you can add an oral element at the end of the activity.
This involves handing the sheets to various sections of the class and asking them to identify two or three particularly interesting comments.
Learners read these out and a whole-class discussion develops, kicked off by the learners who wrote the comments that have been read out.
Silent Debate Discussion Strategy: Example
Topic: Identity
The teacher might choose the following questions and statements for their sheets of paper:
- How important is identity?
- What exactly is an identity?
- Do we only have one identity?
- A person’s identity is decided by what other people think about them
- People’s identities stay the same over time
- Your identity is less important than the things you do
These have been designed with discussion in mind.
All are open, and all invite a range of responses.
They should provoke a range of comments, leading to sheets that are covered in writing, demonstrating sustained thinking about the topic.
Two points we can draw from this example are that when planning silent debate, you should focus on questions and statements that:
- Are open
- Invite discussion
- Invite a range of responses
This will help ensure you get as much as possible out of the activity.
Silent Debate Discussion Strategy: Extensions and Developments
- Use the activity at the start of a unit of work. When the task has been completed, take the sheets of paper and stick them up on the wall. You and your learners can then refer to these during future lessons.
- Again, use the activity at the start of a unit of work. Keep the sheets that are produced. At the end of the unit, repeat the activity using the same questions and statements. Compare and contrast the two sets of responses and ask learners to analyse how studying the topic has affected their thinking. This is a great way to help learners think critically about the progress they have made and how their knowledge and understanding has developed across a unit of work.
