Author: Jemila Birhanu (Ethiopia) | Uploaded on 1 June 2022

 

Read what a teacher says about this activity:

Prove me wrong is a way for learners to discuss topics. It helps them analyse, compare and connect related topics to prove given statements about a topic.

Stage 1: Prepare

Select and prepare a number of statements for the lesson you are teaching. 

You can write the statements on the board or give them orally.

Stage 2: Give statements

Start the discussion by giving one of the statements. 

Example: “A verb and a predicate are similar.” 

Stage 3: Prove me wrong. 

Give learners a few minutes to brainstorm (in pairs, groups or individually). 

Say “Prove me wrong!” 

When they answer, ask more questions based on their responses:

Learner: “We learn.” ‘Learn’ here is a verb and a predicate, so they are similar. 

Teacher: What if the sentence was “We learn English”? So here, is ‘learn’ the predicate? 

And continue like this.

Stage 4: Extend 

  • You can use the discussion to move towards the objective of your lesson.
  • Let learners explain their ideas and give them your conclusion.
  • They can call out a friend’s name to help them when they are out of ideas.
  • Write the responses closest to your lesson objective on the board to guide the learners and keep them on-topic.
  • Make sure every learner speaks their mind, even if it seems odd or off-topic. 

Glossary

Prove: establish truth or correctness with an example or explanation

Explain: make clear, define

Collaboration: working together