JOSH TONNIGES: In class today, what my kids have been preparing for is a candy bar hearing. They have to pick a candy bar and talk about, how does this represent America? If this was going to be the nation’s candy bar, what’s the arguments for making it the nation’s candy bar?

TITLE: Sweeten Your Argument

JOSH TONNIGES: Alright class, let’s get started. Just to go over a few things, I randomized the group order.

We’re gonna go with Group 3, which is the Twix; and then Group 6, M&Ms; Group 1, the Feastables; Group 5, the Kinder Joys; Group 4, 100 Grand, and then finishing up with Group 2. . . .

STUDENTS (IN UNISON): The 3 Musketeers.

JOSH TONNIGES: I made the candy bar a competition. The best scoring team will be awarded extra bonus points on the next quiz.

I’m gonna put a timer up on the screen. It’ll cut you off at 3 minutes.

I take supporting evidence and responsiveness together, and then participation, and so on, and the best teams that we’ll see are ones that are going to actually use governmental principles in their speech.

Why is Twix America’s candy?

TEXT ON SCREEN:
Skill:
Make an Argument

ISAIAH: Twix’s unique characteristics and widespread popularity make it a clear choice to represent American society.

To be totally honest, I wanted to do 100 grand, but a different group picked that first. So we just sort of thought, with the left and the right Twix – emphasizing the choice aspect of it.

TRAVIS: This concept can represent the American emphasis on individualism and personal freedom. The ability to choose between left and right Twix bars metaphorically signifies the diverse options and choices that Americans have in their lives.

JOSH TONNIGES: You have those groups that are going to be very informational-heavy, and they’re going to know lots of stuff. How could you reason and what are your evidences that you’re going to use to describe why you feel that way?

TEXT ON SCREEN:
Skill:
Cite Research

SABRINA: According to Statista Research Center, M&M made $688.7 million in 2017, which is almost double the runnerup, Hershey’s, who made $383.3 million. The numbers speak for themselves. M&Ms are bought more by Americans, and one can therefore conclude that Americans prefer these delicious candies.

JOSH TONNIGES: My hope is that the kids are going to bring in certain concepts, things like limited government and popular sovereignty, and how their bar or their wrapper accentuates those themes within the government. Because if they do that, then we can start getting into some really good discussions.

BIANCA: M&Ms enable people to enact their First Amendment right to freely identify with their favorite colors and flavors while being a part of a united group.

ANDREA: Just being calm and knowing your facts and also how to express it, I think, is the best thing.

JOSH TONNIGES: Students have the ability to critically think, think about their opinions, what they want within the world that they live in, and be able to express that in a verbal way, I think, is very important.

KAELYN: These significant changes to the name of the bar are similar to the changes that the United States underwent in its early days.

JOSH TONNIGES: There might be some things or some issues that I try to push them on is like, Have you thought about the alternate perspective? Is there any kind of relevant constitutional application?

TEXT ON SCREEN
Skill:
Improvise Answers

JOSH TONNIGES: The second part of your bar, which is the Musketeer part of it – does that have significance in our government today?

KALLISTA: It’s a very big part of our democratic values allowing people to bear arms, and, uh, it also represents how in the United States of America, you can disagree with other people. You can have your own opinions and views, and you’re allowed to protest those views.

KATHERINE: There is a line between them. But they still are connected, because that’s kind of how the government works – the federal and state governments have to work together.

AKASH: We wanted to take a different route as opposed to just saying its flavor symbolizes this, just showing that, you know, we truly researched into it and created a cogent argument based off of it.

TEXT ON SCREEN
Skill:
Expand Your Argument

AKASH: Republicanism is what allows diverse political perspectives to be represented in our government. Mr. Beast’s candy bar, Feastables, does exactly this by representing the nation’s dietary restrictions and preferences in the production of its candy bars.

SKYLER: In fact, if there’s anyone who should understand Feastables, it is the people. Out of any candy bar brand, Feastables has the greatest social media presence, because Feastables knows where the power lies. Popular sovereignty.

LUKE: According to the New York Times, the parent companies of…

In today’s culture, opinions are probably just stated without much evidence to back them. Evidence is very, very important to back up how you believe in these issues.

TEXT ON SCREEN:
Announcement of Winner

JOSH TONNIGES: There was actually two groups that I gave the same score to, but I used the tiebreaker to help me decide, and so your winner is the Feastable bar.

LUKE: Luckily, my team of Skyler, Akash and I won using Mr. Beast’s Feastables bar. I’m glad to be improving my skills already.

(END)