There has been an explosion on your ship. Your ship is sinking! There is only one lifeboat. There is a small, deserted island about 10 kilometers away but the ocean is filled with sharks. You must choose who will go with you in the life boat to the island.
Give each student a worksheet. Students work alone and complete the chart in pencil. It’s important to insist that they do this before choosing who will go in the lifeboat. Otherwise, they’ll just start making choices and never will get to the characteristics of the individuals. One way I do this is to not tell them how many people they will choose. Working alone at this point also gives them time to think, to develop their own rationale on which to base their choices and gives them a position to defend.