Recently in Mr. Walsh’s AP Language and Composition junior class, the students engaged in a four corners activity. This activity involved four corners that resembled disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, and agree, based on a variety of claims made by AP students that were both funny and serious. Mr. Walsh would state a claim, have the students pick a corner, and then ask the students why they went to each corner, having them argue their opinions and reasoning as to why they agreed or disagreed on that idea or perspective. One example of these claims was “Should the person in the middle seat on a plane get both the armrests?” along with other unique statements, allowing the students to increase their understanding of claims and argue why the side they chose was right in their eyes.
This activity represented a turning point, enabling students to utilize critical thinking skills, actively listen to and understand other arguments, and learn about the impact and importance of different claims and perspectives. Additionally, all of this happened while moving from corner to corner, making the learning process engaging and allowing the students to physicalize their ideas. The students greatly enjoyed this activity and were able to better understand claims, getting the opportunity to apply these concepts later on during the AP course.
