The Penny debate is a really fascinating one, not only for teachers and educational institutions but for students alike. Even though many of them might not be updated with the latest news when it comes to the penny debate, they can be given assignments that help them discover more on the topic. At the same time, teachers can use the penny debate in class to encourage students to uncover more of the USA’s history around money and producing them.
As with any other controversial topic, there are two parties: those who support the change and those who are against it. This is the case with the penny debate too, so it can be a nice opportunity to teach students how to debate and argue in favor or against a topic. This is the penny debate article you were looking for. We will share more about how you can use this in the classroom.
Research and Writing
When students get an education, they learn about many topics that are of interest to them. There is a lot of theoretical knowledge passed on, the knowledge that helps students expand their perspective and view of the world. However, teachers should find ways to help them advance their education and skills. Using the penny debate in the classroom is one of the ways you can do this.
The penny debate is a controversial one. On one hand, it costs more than a penny to make a penny. On the other hand, the penny has been part of our history for quite some time, and getting rid of it might mean cutting our connection with the past.
You can find the penny debate essay examples for academic needs that help you explore the topic in more detail and find essay topic ideas for students. If you ask them to write a penny argumentative essay, you should offer some suggestions and guidelines too. This will help students research the topic more, but also find arguments to support their points of view. The penny debate can be an essay topic as students will boost their writing skills considerably.
Debates
Besides writing argumentative or persuasive essays, students could get involved in a lot of other activities. The penny debate is a hot topic around the country, but one that is approachable in debates too. If you want to teach students how to be part of a healthy debate, you could organize some around this topic. You can divide the class into two groups, one that is in favor of getting rid of the penny and one that is against it.
Students should research and come up with facts and stats that support their points of view, but also prepare their arguments. They need to answer and counterbalance what the other party says, so it would be an exceptional activity that would help them develop their oratorical and persuasive skills tremendously.
Discussions Within Classes
The penny debate is a hot one as everyone knows it costs more to make the penny than the coin is worth it. On top of this, a few countries have already gotten rid of the penny for quite some years for the same reason. Why is the US postponing making a decision on this matter? Well, this is a topic you could spark a discussion on within classes. You can encourage students to express their own opinion on the subject and analyze together what would be a good decision.
To make sure you get the discussion going and students are engaged and participate actively in it, you could prepare some questions. For example, you could ask them what are the arguments in favor of getting rid of the penny. Ask them to think about the cost of making a penny, about the decision of other countries to get rid of it, and how much time is wasted in the process of counting pennies. They should take into consideration all the parts involved in the process: the bank that produces pennies and the retailers and consumers.
However, you should ask them to think about why the penny should be kept too. For example, ask them to analyze the price of the products and how it would change if pennies would not exist anymore. Would the prices be rounded up or down? What is the impact on consumers? Students should also think about the people and organizations that benefit from the existence of pennies, such as charities that raise money this way. How would people react if the USA would get rid of the penny, the coin that has the face of one of its most loved presidents? The penny has a sentimental value too and this could be taken into consideration.
Final Thoughts
As a teacher, you want to support students in becoming the best version of themselves. You can use the penny debate in the classroom to help them develop skills such as research, writing, communication, conflict management, and so on. At the same time, they would find out more about the history of producing money and a few insights into the process.
