Town Hall Meeting: Plan B (Group Assignment)

History 621B                                                                                                                      Town Hall Meeting

Agenda: Plan B                                                                                                                 Date: Friday, October 19

We will be conducting a "town hall" meeting to discuss the government's Plan B Trans Canada Highway project.

You will be given a side to argue in favor of (regardless of your own personal opinions). You must set aside your personal values, beliefs, and biases, and try to present your argument effectively and persuasively.

Not only should you develop a strong argument (that is backed up by facts, statistics, and research), but you must anticipate any possible counter-arguments that might come your way and have a rebuttal prepared to defend your argument.

That being said, some members of your group should be in charge of identifying possible counter-arguments and coming up with solid rebuttals.

Remember  good debaters often use persuasive techniques to bolster their argument (emotional, logical  and ethical appeals, rhetorical questions, calls to action, etc.)

Roles:  Mayor, concerned citizens (elders, youth -- consider their different perspectives on the issue at hand), MLA's from the area, concerned groups (nature activist groups, Mi'kmaq, representatives from Dept. of Highway and Safety) etc.

Each group member MUST pass in the research sheet (arguments/counter-arguments) and each group member must participate (speak) during the town hall meeting. You can delegate the researching responsibilities within your group and share your findings with the larger group. I will give you 15-20 minutes at the beginning of Friday’s class to organize yourselves.

You will be evaluated on your research, the strength of your argument (how well it is supported), your use of persuasive devices, and your handling of counter-arguments.