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Human continuum
This document describes the human continuum method, an activity where students physically position themselves along a continuum based on their agreement or disagreement with a controversial statement. It is designed for middle and high school students to stimulate discussion and assess knowledge on different topics. The procedure involves selecting a statement, posting agreement and disagreement signs, having students privately consider their stance and line up accordingly. Students then discuss their opinions and can change positions in response to peer arguments. Alternative models include more response options or small group discussions before presenting to the class.
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Human continuum
- 2. PROBLEM Junior high schoolstudents are prohibited to bring handphones to school.
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- 9. OVERVIEW o It isa method that encourages students to express positions on controversial issues. o It is useful to assess students’ knowledge before a lesson or to assess students’ understanding after a lesson. o Because the method involves physical movement of students, it often stimulates even quiet students to speak out.
- 10. TARGET GRADE LEVEL oThis activity is designed primarily for midle and high school students. o Depending on the content selected and the issue to be presented, it can also be designed for upper elementary students.
- 11. PROCEDURES Select a controversialquestion or statement that gets to the heart of the subject being taught. Post signs at the opposite of the classroom with each of these responses (agree and disagree).
- 12. PROCEDURES Give the students3-5 minutes to think about the question or statement and to determine their position. Students that agreed with the statement line up on one side of the room, and the students that disagree line up on the opposite side of the room. Group should face each other.
- 13. PROCEDURES Ask the studentsto express their opinion orally regarding why they agree or disagree with the statement and ask other students to respond to the opinion. The students may change their mind and change their position in the continuum. The teacher may wish to extend the students’ thinking by changing the wording and asking them to move their position along the continuum based on their position on the new question or statement being posed.
- 14. ALTERNATIVE MODELS There aremultiple ways to conduct human continuum strategy. o Provide multiple position option (e.g. Strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, strongly disagree). o Students determine where they stand on the issue and line up along a continuum. o If multiple students align at a certain position, they should discuss privately as a small group.
- 15. o Then, thegroup present the single most persuasif argument to the class. o After each group has presented, they should decide which opposing position was most persuasif.
- 16. REFERENCES NN. n. d.Teaching about Controversial Issues: TheHuman Continuum Method, (online) (www.justiceteaching.org/resource_material/Teaching_Abo utControversial_Issues.pdf) accessed on January 21, 2014. NN. n.d. Continuum, (online), (http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104014/chapters/ Human-Continuum.aspx) accessed on January 21, 2014. Wormeli, Rick. 2004. Human Continuum, (online), (http://paddingtonteachingandlearning.wordpress.com/2013/03 /17/t-l-activity-of-the-week-human-continuum/) accessed on January 21, 2014.