Hot Topics Debates
The adult world has a lot to say about the pros and cons of controversial topics related to kids, but does anyone ask kids what they think? Jane Healy, author of Endangered Minds, says, "Too much 'teacher talk' gets in the way of higher-level reasoning because it prevents children from doing their own thinking."
To help kids think through issues, have a debate with preteens about topics such as Harry Potter books or video game ratings. Assign preteens to either the pro and con side, and challenge them to use the Bible as they prepare their cases. Help preteens use a concordance and Bible dictionary to research what the Bible has to say about their topic. Finally stage the debate so preteens can use their brains to work through a thorny issue from God's perspective.
The goal of this activity isn't to determine a position on controversial issue but to teach preteens that the Bible applies to real-life issues -even if kids don't agree with the side of the debate they've been assigned.
Excerpted from Children's Ministry Magazine |
