Prop 37 Debate

The third and fourth graders in my class and Elysha/Jennifer’s class participated in a Prop. 37 debate with the 5/6 classes today.  First, we came together as a large group in the library and talked about valuing multiple perspectives and opinions.  Then, we watched an ad for “Yes on 37,” and another for “No on 37.”  After that, we broke into small groups and 5/6 learners were assigned a “yes” or a “no” position to debate in their small groups while the 3/4 learners listened and gathered information.  Altogether, there were 9 groups of 3rd-6th grade learners, and each debate was facilitated by a neutral adult.  At the end of the debate, we gathered together again to give the learners a chance to share questions and talk a little bit about their own perspectives on the proposition.  Finally, we voted.  The results were: 31% voted NO, 69% voted YES.  There is some question as to the fairness of our election process… whether people were stuffing multiple ballots into the box instead of just one… we will never know.