Stay on Topic!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Sometimes, it's hard for people to stay on topic. Learn how to handle those wandering discussions and return your group to good order.

As you already know, there are a few basic rules to follow during a group discussion.

1. Come prepared for the discussion (read the book, study the issue, and take notes).
2. Speak loudly and clearly.
3. Listen to others carefully.
4. Disagree respectfully.

If your group discussion begins to go off-topic, try some of the following ideas.

Use these sentence starters to introduce some of your own ideas.

• Something I noticed is ________.
• An idea I have is ________.
• I'm wondering ________.
• That reminds me of ________.
• An example of that is ________.
• A story that illustrates this is ________.

Ask group members questions such as these.

• What did you mean when you said ________?
• Can you give an example of ________?
• Can you explain some more about ________?

Disagree with what others have said with one of these statements.

• I see it differently because ________.
• I have a different opinion ________.
• I can see your point, but ________.

Add on what others said before with one of these statements.

• I think what you're saying is ________.
• It's an important point because ________.
• I think we can agree that ________.

Using those ideas should help you know how to keep a discussion on track.

Now, move to the Got It? section to learn some more!