Convince Me
Practice making data-driven arguments that they to get difference audiences to change their behavior
Set Up
This activity will take 30 to 45 minutes. You should have these materials on hand:
- Printouts of the Walk this Way infographic from Good Magazine
- A room with space at the front
- At least 10 people
- Planning to show the videos offline? Click here to download them in advance.
Kick-Off The Activity
In this activity you will practice using data to make arguments that try to convince different people. You will learn how to use data to tailor an argument for a specific audience. We'll look at a sample visualization about an issue, identify stakeholders who are trying to swayed by the story it tells, and try to make arguments that convince them to take action. Start the activity by playing the kickoff video below for your group.
Have Everyone Share Back
Play this video after you've finished making arguments to convince your volunteer stakeholders to move forward. Ask different people to explain why they made the arguments they did, and ask the stakeholders why something convinced them or not. Highlight similarities in the arguments people made, or arguments that worked for one audience but might not for another. Point out particularly strong uses of data in support of arguments to start a conversation about how to use data in appropriate ways to convince people.
Wrap-Up and Talk Next Steps
Now that you've practiced this with some example data, this video will help you think about where to go next. For example, who are some of the main audiences your organization tries to convince? What are some pitfalls to be aware of when crafting arguments for specific audiences?