Objectives
Encourage to think critically and present logical arguments during both the supporting and rebuttal stages.
Participants
Group activity
Task
- Gather a group of participants and form a circle.
- Start with a statement or claim related to a specific topic or motion. For example: “The use of smartphones should be banned in schools.”
- Pass a ball or any object to one participant in the circle, who will provide a reason supporting the statement.
- Instead of asking “Why?” as in the original exercise, the next participant who receives the ball should provide a counter-argument or a rebuttal, starting with “Why not.”
- After presenting the rebuttal, this participant passes the ball to the next person, who then supports the initial statement with a new reason.
- The exercise continues, alternating between reasons supporting the statement and rebuttals challenging it, forming a “rebuttal chain.”
Example:
- Participant A (holding the ball): “The use of smartphones should be banned in schools because they distract students from their studies.”
- Participant B (receiving the ball): “Why not allow the use of smartphones in schools, as they can be educational tools that enhance learning?”
- Participant B (passes the ball): “The use of smartphones should be banned in schools because they can be used for cyberbullying.”
- Participant C (receiving the ball): “Why not educate students about responsible smartphone usage and address cyberbullying issues separately, rather than banning smartphones altogether?”
- Participant C (passes the ball): “The use of smartphones should be banned in schools because they can disrupt classroom dynamics.”
- Participant D (receiving the ball): “Why not establish clear guidelines and policies to ensure smartphones are used responsibly, minimizing disruptions while still harnessing their potential benefits?”
- (The exercise continues, alternating between reasons supporting and rebuttals challenging the initial statement.)