History 621B Town
Hall Meeting
Agenda:
Pesticide Use on Prince Edward Island Date:
Pesticide use on Prince Edward Island, more
specifically, pesticide use by potato farmers , has been a highly controversial
topic in recent years. We will be
conducting a "town hall" meeting to discuss the issue of pesticide
use on Prince Edward Island and its impact on the economy, environment, and residents.
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 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 (farmers, Mi'kmaq) 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 will be researching this on your own
(I will be evaluating your research sheets prior to the town hall meeting) and
you will later share your findings with the larger group. I will give you time
to collaborate with your group members before the debate.
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. Please
use these websites as a starting point, but I encourage further research to
enhance your position in this debate.
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2014-06-12/article-3760132/Potato-growers-diligent-with-responsible-pesticide-use-on-P.E.I./1
http://www.peipotato.org/media-centre/responsible-pesticide-use-prince-edward-island-potato-farms
http://www.agrirecup.ca/sites/default/files/news/cm_PEI_obsolete_colleciton_totals_20120208.pdf
http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ee_pesticides04.pdf
http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/potato-paradise-lost-harmful-pesticides-pei
http://www.atlanticfarmfocus.ca/Opinion/2014-08-13/article-3833672/PEI-residents-using-social-media-to-challenge-farm-activity/1
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