There’s a moral theme to this week’s Talk Time.
It is a waste of our time to learn about the past as it has already happened and we can’t change it.
This is a very topical statement given that we’re currently in the middle of a history topic. You may already have an opinion on this but it’s always worth pausing to consider a range of viewpoints.
This week’s R2s will help you to provide a balanced argument before you reach a conclusion:
- What are the reasons for (the pros) learning about the past?
- What are the reasons against (the cons) learning about the past?
- Reach a decision. Is it valuable to learn about past events?
- One list may have more points than the other.
- Some points have a greater importance than others.
One way to approach this Talk Time is to have a debate with people in your household. This will not only help you generate ideas but also practise a range of oracy skills. The last half term’s focus was building on the views of others and reasoning. When someone raises a point that you’re in agreement with, use one of the following phrases to start your response:
- I agree with you because…
- That’s a good point. I also think that…
- Furthermore, I’ll add that…
On the other hand, you may disagree with a point made by a family member. When that’s the case, it can be hard not to interrupt them. The oracy focus for this half term is turn taking. To be respectful of others’ opinions, wait until a person has finished speaking and then respond using one of these sentence starters or one of your own:
- I hear what you’re saying but…
- That’s a good point. However…
- I take your point but…