Previous Lesson

Lesson 27 – Keeping an open mind

Warm up

  1. This is the title and the headings of the six sections of the questionnaire:
    Social and environmental issues
    Social welfare
    Justice
    Education
    Social equality
    The environment
    Animal rights
    Work with a partner and think of an example of an issue for each of the six sections.
  2. Tell students to work with a partner and think of an example of an issue for each of the six sections.
  3. Check their ideas and write them in the appropriate lists, just a word or two for each. Ask questions about them.
  4. Ask which of the six areas is most important and why.

Main Activity

  1. Tell them that they are going to do a questionnaire on the issues, and ask them to read the questions but not answer any. The students should underline any words they do not know.
    Social and environmental issues questionnaire
    Complete the questionnaire by giving a score of 1 to 5 for each opinion according to how much you agree or disagree with it. Then find your total for each section.
    1. I strongly disagree.
    2. I disagree.
    3. I do not agree or disagree.
    4. I agree.
    5. I strongly agree.

    Ask which words they underlined and ask other students to explain before you explain any yourself.

    1. Keeping an open mind comments
      Social welfare and justice
      0-12 You place great emphasis on individual responsibility and self-reliance. You may feel that our ability to create our own future is one of the key things that makes us human.
      13-18 Although you have a developed sense of social duty and a belief in caring for others, you also believe that people must learn to take control of their own lives.
      19-30 You are deeply socially aware and responsible. You believe that it is society\’s duty to take care of its vulnerable members, who may often have little control over their lives.
      Education and social equality
      0-12 You probably feel that education should be for a practical purpose rather than for its own sake. You probably have a strong sense of tradition.
      13-18 You have a strong belief in social justice and equal opportunities for all. You may feel that fate is a stronger force in people\’s life than is sometimes acknowledged.
      19-30 You believe in social equality and have a very strong social conscience. You believe in education as a force for equality and personal development.
      The Environment and animal rights
      0-12 You are a strong believer in personal freedom. You may have a sense of there being a hierarchy of living beings.
      13-18 You have a healthy respect for the planet and the other species that share it with us, and you believe that it is our moral duty to take care of them if we can.
      19-30 You feel a keen sense of urgency surrounding the ecological problems facing our planet. You probably find it difficult to understand the sometimes selfish behavior of other people.
  2. Check that students understand the instructions for doing the questionnaire and for checking their scores.
  3. Tell them to complete it, talking about the ideas with a neighbor as they go.
  4. Ask if the comments describe them accurately.
  5. Clean the board. Ask which are the six areas they had their highest and lowest scores in, and on the board write the areas which showed the most difference of opinion.
  6. Tell them they are going to discuss one of the topics on the board. Point to the topics on the board one by one, telling students to put up their hands for the topic they prefer. For each topic they choose, ask who scored above nine and who scored below nine. Put the high-scoring students on each topic together and the low-scoring students on each topic together.
  7. Divide the students into groups of four to six.
  8. Tell them to discuss their topics and prepare to explain their opinions to the class. 11 For each topic, allow the high-scoring groups to speak to the class, followed by the low-scoring groups. Invite questions from the class and ask questions yourself.
  9. Before moving on to the next topic, take a class vote with a show of hands on whether they now agree with the high-scoring groups or the low. If for any topic there were only groups of one point of view, ask students to put up their hands if the groups made them change their opinions on anything.

Follow up

Students choose a subject that they did not speak on, and write an account of the most valid and interesting points made by the other teams.