Balloon Debate
Time: 30 minutes
Equipment: Each person is given a piece of paper with their occupation on it.
Aims: To evaluate the capacity for lateral thinking and argument.
Method:
- Facilitator explains the scenario to whole group.
- Everyone is in a Balloon, going to Chilecito, Argentina. Unfortunately, the balloon develops engine problems and starts to descend over the shark infested sea. Therefore, one person will have to be thrown overboard to lighten the load.
- Facilitator explains timing. Each person will receive a card with their occupation listed on it. The will have a moment to think. Then each person will have 3-4 minutes to reason with the others as to why they should be left on board.
- After the initial round of 3-4 mins to reason why you should not be thrown overboard, the Facilitator chooses one person to be thrown overboard.
- The person thrown overboard joins the facilitator to choose the next person to be thrown out of the balloon.
- The people remaining in the balloon now have only 1-2 mins each per round to explain why they should remain.
- Gradually people are voted off the balloon and join the facilitator in deciding who should be thrown off next.
- Eventually there is only one person remaining – the winner!
- Here is a list of 10 possible occupations. You might think of more.
- CNN Journalist
- Teacher at Santa Fe School
- Local Government Politician (Santa Fe)
- Archbishop
- Popular Tango dancer
- Mother of 8 children. From shanty town.
- Owner of large factory in Santa Fe
- EIL Travel Award winner
- Brian Cowen
- Person who runs a workshop for street kids – making products to sell to tourists.