Before you start developing your argument, hold an informal debate with your classmates about an issue that affects all of you. Form small groups, and choose an issue you’re familiar with and that lends itself to argument, such as a disagreement affecting your hometown, school, or state. You might scan the school paper or a local publication for current issues worth discussing. Explain your perspective on the issue, and then state your position. Offer reasons and, if possible, evidence from personal experience or readings to support your argument. Ask the other members of your group to identify counterarguments, giving their own reasons and evidence. Take turns speaking while the other members of the group listen, respond, and ask questions.

When you are finished, take a few minutes to reflect on the exercise. What did you learn about presenting an argument? Did you have to adapt what you said based on your classmates’ values, beliefs, and concerns? What kind of questions did they ask? What seemed to interest them the most about the issue? How did they react to your argument? What reasoning and evidence did they find most convincing? Least convincing?