Introduction
Central Questions:
Are video games damaging the behaviors and minds of people, or do they actually have beneficial impacts? What are the positive and negative effects of video games?
Task
Today, we will explore these questions through a class debate!
The two panels will discuss the impacts, either positive or negative, of video games on our society.
YOU have been chosen as an expert within the field to sit on one of the panels.
- One group will present arguments on the positive effects of video games, and the other group will present arguments on the negative effects of video games.
Ready? Continue to the Process.
Process
Task 1: Research for Debate
1) Use the provided links for developing your position of either for the pros or cons:
- The Washington Post: A new study shows benefits of violent video games for kids' learning
- American Psychologist: The Benefits of Playing Video Games
- PsychCentral.com: Violent Video Games Leave Impact
- The New York Times: Shooting in the Dark
- Psychological Science: Effects of Violent Video Games....
- ITHP.org: The effects of violent video games: Do the affect our behavior?
- raisesmartkid.com: The positive and negative effects of video games
- Science Daily: Violent video games are a risk factor for criminal behavior and aggression
- Buzzle: Positive Effects of Video Games
- Video Gameologists: The Positive Side of Violent Video Games
- charoletteobserver.com: Education and video games are no longer enemies
- USA Today: Video game invades classroom, scores education points
- ProCon.org: Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?
- NPR: Video Games May Affect The Brain Differently, Depending On What You Play
- NPR: Why You Should Play Video Games
- Education.com: Negative Potential of Video Games
- Livestrong: The Negative Effects of Video Game Addiction
- Vittana.org: Video Games Pros and Cons
**There is a lot of information online about pros and cons of gaming. Feel free to use other websites you find useful to build your argument.
Task 2: Prepare your Argument
1) Take notes on your Debate Preparation Worksheet to summarize your research and main arguments.
OPTIONAL: You can choose to prepare a PowerPoint Presentation to summarize your information. This is especially helpful if you find charts or graphs with statistics that you want to present during the debate.