Well, THAT’S Debatable…

Use this activity to engage your students in a debate centered on various story elements of The Vanishing Elephant.*

Materials Needed: Four pieces of chart paper, each placed in a different corner of the space, with these words written on them: Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree, Somewhat Disagree, Strongly Disagree

1. State the following aloud:
   a. The company chose to tell this story because they wanted to bring awareness to animal cruelty.
   b. Jenny was happy with her life in the circus and appreciated her handler.
   c. Jenny was unhappy with her circus life and longed to be home.
   d. Real magic was used in the show, and Jenny and Opu actually disappeared. Note: Feel welcome to add your own set of questions!
2. For each statement, have students move to the corner that best matches their position (Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree, Strongly Disagree, Somewhat Disagree).
3. Each group will have two minutes to discuss and solidify their reasoning for why they chose that corner.
4. Each group selects a spokesperson to express the group’s position, while the other groups listen closely. That person has 20 seconds to express the group’s thoughts clearly and persuade their classmates that their stance is right.
5. Direct each group to present their position in turn. Allow students to move to a different corner if they have changed their minds. If anyone moves to a new position, ask what made them change their mind.
6. To culminate, have a group discussion about the story of Jenny’s journey from life in the wild to life in the circus, with a focus on the themes of conservation, empathy and friendship.

Reflection Questions:

• What were some of your favorite discussion points from today’s debate?
• What was it like to think about the show in this way?

NOTE FOR TEACHERS: *This activity can be adapted to any text, lesson or unit to explore and express critical thought.