Talking Points     Level 2: Unit 10

Inventions: good or bad?

Time: 20–25 minutes
Activity type: Group discussion
Preparation: Click here to download the Talking point activity.
Make one copy of Talking point 10 for every student.

1. Give each student a handout. Explain the activity. Students should write at least one good point and one bad point about each of the inventions listed. Elicit ideas from the class, and write a model on the board first – for example:
            Good points     Bad points
   cars:  convenient        cause pollution
   
2. Have students form groups of three or four to discuss their answers. Encourage them to discuss reasons for their responses and to suggest ways to minimize the bad points. For example, to help stop pollution from cars, people can carpool to work or take public transportation.
   
3. When students finish, ask groups to share some of their ideas with the class.