Lesson Plan
Agree/Disagree Guide
Students will engage in a structured whole-class discussion responding to personal values statements, practice articulating agreement or disagreement, justify positions in writing, and reflect on their viewpoints.
This lesson fosters self-awareness by helping students identify personal values, strengthens critical thinking as they justify opinions, and builds respectful communication through structured discussion.
Audience
4th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, individual writing, and reflection.
Materials
- Values Statements Slides, - Position Justification Sheet, - Agreement Reflection Sheet, - Corner Posters (Agree, Disagree, Sometimes), and - Timer or Stopwatch
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Review Values Statements Slides.
- Print a copy of Position Justification Sheet for each student.
- Print a copy of Agreement Reflection Sheet.
- Create and place corner posters labeled “Agree,” “Disagree,” and “Sometimes.”
- Review and post classroom discussion norms (listening, respect, no interrupting).
Step 1
Warm-Up
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle or meeting area and review discussion norms.
- Explain the lesson’s goal: exploring personal values and practicing respectful debate.
- Model a response by reading a sample statement and thinking aloud your agreement/disagreement and why.
- Outline the process: read statements, move to a corner, discuss, then write.
Step 2
Whole-Class Discussion
10 minutes
- Project Values Statements Slides; read each statement aloud.
- After each, students move to the “Agree,” “Disagree,” or “Sometimes” corner.
- In corners, students discuss their reasons for 1–2 minutes while teacher circulates and prompts deeper thinking (Why? Can you give an example?).
- Invite one representative from each corner to share key reasons with the whole class.
- Differentiation:
- Provide sentence starters (“I believe… because…”).
- Offer visual cues or translations for English learners.
- Challenge advanced students to propose a counterargument.
- Assessment: note student engagement and quality of reasoning during shares.
Step 3
Independent Worksheet Activity
10 minutes
- Distribute Position Justification Sheet.
- Students choose one statement from the discussion and write their position plus three supporting reasons.
- Encourage use of sentence stems introduced earlier.
- Teacher circulates to provide scaffolds, prompts, or mini-conferences.
- Differentiation:
- Offer a graphic organizer for students needing structure.
- Extension: have advanced students write a rebuttal to an opposing view.
- Assessment: collect and review sheets for clarity, reasoning depth, and alignment with discussion.
Step 4
Cool-Down Reflection
5 minutes
- Hand out Agreement Reflection Sheet.
- Prompt students to reflect on questions such as: Did your opinion change? What did you learn about others? What surprised you?
- Students complete reflections independently, then share one insight with a partner or aloud.
- Reinforce the importance of respecting different viewpoints and self-awareness.
- Assessment: collect reflections to gauge personal growth and understanding.
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Slide Deck
Do You Agree? Values Statements
A set of statements about personal values. For each, decide if you Agree, Disagree, or Sometimes.
Welcome students! Today we’ll explore different value statements. Read each slide, decide if you Agree, Disagree, or Sometimes feel that way. Encourage students to look at the icons and think about what each statement means.
How to Participate
• Read each value statement.
• Move to the corner: Agree, Disagree, or Sometimes.
• Talk with classmates: Why do you feel that way?
• Be respectful listeners.
Explain the process: 1) I’ll read the statement aloud. 2) You move to the corner labeled Agree, Disagree, or Sometimes. 3) Discuss with classmates for 1–2 minutes. 4) We’ll share reasons as a class.
Helping Others
Helping others is one of the most important things we can do.
Slide icon: two hands holding a heart. Prompt students: Why might helping others be important?
Trying New Things
Trying new things can be scary.
Slide icon: a lightbulb with a question mark. Prompt: What makes trying new things scary or exciting?
Sharing
Sharing with others makes relationships stronger.
Slide icon: two people sharing a book. Prompt: How does sharing affect friendships?
Rules
Rules are there to help everyone stay safe and fair.
Slide icon: a checklist. Prompt: Are rules always helpful? When might they not be?
Being Different
Being different from everyone else is a good thing.
Slide icon: a puzzle piece standing out. Prompt: How can differences make our group better?
Discussion
Value Corners Debate
Overview
During the Whole-Class Discussion, students will break into three corners (Agree, Disagree, Sometimes) to discuss each value statement in small groups. This activity helps students practice respectful dialogue, active listening, and deeper reasoning.
Norms (Classroom Agreement)
• Listen respectfully without interrupting
• Use “I” statements and sentence stems (e.g., “I believe… because…”)
• Encourage everyone to share their ideas
• Stay in your assigned corner and focus on the question at hand
Roles (Assign in Each Corner)
• Discussion Leader: Keeps the group on task and calls on speakers
• Scribe: Takes brief notes on main reasons shared
• Time Keeper: Watches the clock and gives a 30-second warning
Process Steps
- After the teacher reads a statement aloud, students move to the corner that matches their view (Agree/Disagree/Sometimes).
- In your corner, unpack your thinking for 1–2 minutes.
- Use the Guiding Questions (below) to drive your conversation.
- Discussion Leader selects the top 1–2 reasons to share with the whole class when reconvened.
Guiding Questions
- What is one reason you feel this way?
- Can you give an example from your life or a story?
- How might someone in another corner respond?
- What evidence or experience supports your view?
- Can you think of a counterargument to challenge your position?
Wrap-Up
After each corner shares one key reason, the teacher can:
• Acknowledge common themes across corners
• Highlight respectful language used
• Prompt a quick whole-class reflection: “What surprised you about the different viewpoints?”
Time: 10 minutes total (1–2 minutes per statement in corners, plus sharing)
Materials: Corner posters (Agree, Disagree, Sometimes), timer, guiding question posters
Next, transition to the Independent Worksheet Activity.
Worksheet
Position Justification Sheet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ____________
- Which statement did you choose? Write it here:
-
My position (circle one): Agree ⃝ Disagree ⃝ Sometimes ⃝
-
Write three reasons to support your position. Use sentence stems if you like:
2) ____________________________________________________________________
3) ____________________________________________________________________
- Graphic Organizer: Draw a spider map. In the circle below, write your position. On the branches, write each reason.
[Draw your map here]
Sentence Starters:
- I believe ______________ because _______________.
- One reason is _______________.
- This is important because _______________.
Cool Down
Agreement Reflection Sheet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ____________
-
What is one new thing you learned about yourself or your classmates today?
-
Did your opinion about the statement you chose change after hearing others? Why or why not?
-
How did listening respectfully to different viewpoints help our discussion?
-
Draw or write one thing you will remember about practicing respectful dialogue: