ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

In a moving debate, students move about the room in response to questions asked by the teacher. The activity is useful because it encourages students to participate and be dynamic.

The aim of the activity is to push students to think about their digital habits and rights on the internet.

Note: A question does not necessarily have to be polarising or controversial to participants. For many questions, participants’ minds will not yet be made up.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set up the room: Students will work as one group.

2. Using a visual aid, such as a PowerPoint slide projected on a screen or white wall, the teacher displays a controversial social media post (for example, a post with an insulting comment from a user) and asks students to move about the room by saying ‘If you think you are allowed to say this, stand on this side. If you do not, stand on that side.’ No one can stay in the middle.

3. Students go and stand on their side

4. Once the participants have positioned themselves, they must justify and explain their position, either by volunteering or by using other methods of choosing who can speak (for example, by passing around a ball). Once one side has given their argument, the other side gives their argument. If a participant thinks the other side’s argument is valid, he or she can change sides.

5. After the debate and the explanations, another question is asked and students change positions again, and so on until the end of the activity.

APPENDIX: Example of a controversial post

Oulala ! @Oulala08514297 - 19 August 2019

The law of the Quran is taking over the law of the Republic

Therefore Islam is actually incompatible with democracy and the Republic!

We need to ban this death cult in France like they did in Slovenia and China!