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Class Discussion Topics Series: Introduction and Topics #1-3

November 26, 2017 2 min read

I’m starting a new series on Class Discussion Topics to be used for anyone: young students, older students, general ed, special ed, adults, etc.

Teachers can adapt to meet the needs of the classroom.Use the topics to start a class discussion – either whole class, or in small groups.  Or maybe pair off students have them discuss it for 30 seconds, then switch partners and discuss again (change the amount of time depending on the age of your class).  You can adapt this to be used has a whole lesson, series of lesson, or just as a way to use a few extra minutes at the end of class more productively.

If you use this in a longer unit, or if a particular topic really gets kids engaged, then you might want students to produce something to show what they learned: art, writing, video, rap/song, video, etc.  Again this can be done whole class, in small groups, pairs, or even individually.  Again, this could be done simply in one day, or spread it out over a week or more.

Some topics may be stand-alone or may be part of series of topics under the same theme. To begin, I’ve chosen three discussion topics in the area of Thankfulness.  It is November after all, with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up. Being thankful is a lifelong skill that can lead to a happier life! Many people choose to end the end by listing a few things they are thankful for. These topics could help students to cultivate this skill. Below are three different topics on Thankfulness which could be used before or after Thanksgiving, or any time of the year at all!

Topic Day 1:
Be thankful for what you already have. What is something you are grateful for if you time to think about it?  The class can quickly brainstorm a bunch of things – indoor plumbing, toothpaste, shoes, clean water, electricity, etc.
Topic Day 2:
Be thankful for something someone else has.  Let’s really things of others today. Can we be thankful for things that other have those things don’t benefit us?  For example: Even though I really wish I had a dog, I’m grateful my friend got one because he doesn’t have any pets at all.
Topic Day 3:
Be thankful for someone who does so much behind the scenes. Try to think of people who help others all the time, but might not get a lot of thanks, like a kind bus driver or volunteer. Or maybe your parent or other relative.
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Hopefully these topics will get your students thinking about being grateful for than the stuff they have. Moreover, maybe they will reach out and tell someone why they are thankful for them!

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