The Empath, the Sweetheart, and the Skeptic

This innovative modification of a peer response activity asks students to pitch their thesis statements to each other in small groups, with respondents playing the roles of an active listener (empath), a "Sweetheart" (someone who really loves the thesis statement), and then the Skeptic (someone critical of the thesis statement).  The activity will help students both support and challenge their peers’ arguments, while also cultivating a sense of the importance of audience, listening, and responding among members of the group.

Author(s): Selby Schwartz (original) and Donna Hunter (added an Empath to the original)