Wow, what a great topic! I �m assuming grade 7 is ages 11/12, and that each student has to persuade the teacher to choose their destination and time.

To prepare them, I would go through a few possible scenarios to get their brains geared up. Ask them to consider: 1) What are they hoping to learn? Is the visit interactive: Do they just want to observe, or do they want to ask questions? Imagine if you could interview Socrates, Tutankhamun, Helen of Troy, Napoleon or Vlad the Impaler... (We are assuming language isn �t a problem. If you can go back in time, you can speak the lingo). Consider the level of interest: what is exciting, exotic, dramatic about their choice? Ancient Athens or a little village in the middle of nowhere? Will they choose an ordinary day, e.g. walking through the streets of ancient Rome, or will they choose the day of Caesar �s assassination? Focus: Scientific e.g. Archimedes in the bath, Love interest e.g. did Cleopatra really roll herself in a carpet to meet Julius Caesar? Nature: what did T-rex really look like? (Mind he doesn �t bite your head off! Safety aspects of your visit!) Political: e.g. Guy Fawkes plotting with his co-conspirators... Intellectual: Shakespeare composing a play... Do they want to be with ordinary people, or do they want to be in a castle, with the king? 

 

The language needed. They will need to use elements of the language of persuasion, as they need to persuade the teacher to choose their destination: We should go to... We could find out why... We would ask... It would be better to... The best place to go would be ___ because...  It would be interesting to know about... You should choose my destination because... If we went to ____, we could find out why/we would have the best time because... Descriptive language, plenty of adjectives and powerful verbs to bring that scene to life... Is their opening going to be gentle or is something dramatic already happening as they step out of the machine (in medias res)... Also superlatives: the most interesting/fascinating destination will be/the best place... 

 

I �m not sure about the counterarguments to a piece of creative writing? I guess you will have to react to each suggestion individually... 

 

Just a few ideas.  

 

Ahmed,

 

You raise some very interesting points.

Lynne Cunliffe makes excellent comments.

 

I don �t know whether young people would want to visit a time in History of political, artistic, or philosophical importance.

 

What would be my choice? 

I would want to visit the time of my youth, perhaps 1935.

My classmates could all visit their young Parents, their Grandfathers and Grandmothers. They would see transport; entertainment; education; health; living conditions; cleanliness; public amenities; social welfare; and particularly, money and finance; as it was then, in comparison with now.

 

Was it REALLY as we all remember it?

 

Were people happier THEN, or now?

Was that fantastic holiday ALL fun and games?

Were the bad things REALLY BAD, and were the good things REALLY GOOD.

 

And this is where we begin to see the Counter-Arguments, the foolishness of trying to live, IN REALITY, past experiences!

 

Because we discover that the Beautiful Girl, who we first kissed and fell in love with, had kissed every other boy in the class!

The Teacher, we disliked, was adored by his family, for beautiful reasons that we were unable to see!

The handicapped Child, who we all scoffed, went on to outclass us in every aspect of life.

The Snob, who we hated, because he sneered at us, did so because he was envious of the �happy lives � that we lived.

The Rich Lady, who embarrassed us with unasked-for gifts, was a genuine, kind, loving person.

 

Seeing these people, as they REALLY WERE, would completely confuse us. These revelations, would probably make us doubt all of our ideas about the past, when compared to modern life. We would probably revise many of them.

And, possibly, most of all ... our Family and our Friends!

We might discover Secrets, which would be better if they remained unknown to us.

 

There are Pros and Cons about revisiting the past!

 

But, on consideration, I think that Curiosity would win!

It �s likely that we would decide to take the Risk!

We would probably all Enrol tomorrow!

 

Les Douglas