This week, we introduced debate and played a game called, "I couldn't disagree more." I would give the class a simple declaration (for example, "cats are better than dogs"), and each student would take turns refuting the point, starting by saying, "I couldn't disagree more, because..." The goal of the game is to encourage students to exercise their argumentation skills by developing arguments from all sides, which was fun—especially because I purposely gave them sentences with which I was fairly certain they would not disagree (like "homework is boring!").
This was our school's last full week before our winter break, so there have been lots of class parties and holiday decorations cropping up all around. The energy and excitement have been infectious!
