Part 1: Email to Establish Ground Rules & Topic Write a mock email to another student who is learning ASL (you will not actually need to send this email)—if you don’t know another student, you can write your email to an imaginary ASL student. In your email, strategize with your friend about how you could lead a discussion between hearing and Deaf friends about one important issue that affects the Deaf community. Choose a topic, like the Deaf vs. deaf debate, whether Deaf students should learn to lipread, Cochlear implants, or any other topic of interest to you. Propose some ground rules for the discussion so everyone’s ideas will be heard and everyone will feel welcome.

Part 2: Discussion
Get ready to lead your discussion. Gather at least two friends or family members—if you don’t know anyone who is Deaf to include in this discussion, that’s okay. If there are no Deaf participants, ask people to consider how a Deaf person’s opinions might vary from their own. Using paper and pen, computer, tablet, or a whiteboard, take notes on the discussion, making sure to write down your own personal comments in addition to comments from others in the group. Sum up the discussion into four or five main points that the group made about this topic.

Finally, as a group, consider how ASL could be a valuable skill to have in life and in what ways you, or others in the group, might use it in the future.

Turn in a copy of your mock email as well as your notes from the discussion, including your own personal comments. If your notes were on a whiteboard, take a photograph of them and turn the photo in.