Make three sections on the board and label them as "Agree," "Neutral" and "Disagree." Have the entire class stand up and get them to discuss controversial topics, for instance, should we legalize marijuana. Depending on their opinions, move them to the respective side of the room according to the board labels. This activity helps the students hear and understand the opinions of others. They also learn how to rationalize their opinions according to the information presented in the class.
Get students to read and write a weekly journal. Ask them to respond to two issues raised by other students in every class. Get them to discuss a concept they read in that week's reading material. You can do it either electronically or through a notebook from the library reserve.
Divide the class into groups of three to five students, and divide children's books among the groups. Ask them to go through the book and find out the underlying message in the book, for instance, the role of a particular character in the book. Once they have come up with an underlying meaning, they will discuss it in the class.
This exercise illustrates the issues of heterogamy and homogamy, and helps illustrate the issues of forming a family. Create a list of 10 hypothetical, individual personalities whom students would consider their potential spouses. These hypothetical personalities could be interracial, gay, belong to a lower economic bracket or different religious background, or have a particular occupation.
Ask your students to think what their family will be like, and their future plans. The students have to suppose they are getting married within five years, and then consider how their future plans are affected by their spouse selection, and what their family will think about the selection. This will provide the students with an interesting class discussion.