Class discussions are an impactful tool for instruction, and there are many ways to use them across different subject areas. Let's look at some different types of discussions...

• Deep Dive Discussion - This type of discussion is the most common as you can use this general approach for all subject areas and concepts. Use analytical and open-ended questions to encourage students to share their own unique ideas and opinions in their initial responses. Then, students will explore the concepts more deeply through whole-group collaboration in the comment section.

  • Examples: The Cold War, Climate Change, Gender and Sport, Freedom of Speech, Identifying Media Bias

• Peer Feedback - Each student shares their work (such as an essay, poem, lab report, math solution, art piece) in their initial response. After submitting, each student gives and receives anonymous feedback in the comment section. As always, the teacher knows who is who!

  • Examples: Essay Peer Review, Argumentative Writing Sample, Peer Review of Lab Report, Special Right Triangles

• Applying a Concept to the Real-World - Take any concept and ask students to each find an example of it in the real world.

  • Examples: Physical vs Chemical Changes, Aristotelian Persuasion Speech Analysis, Logistic Functions, Expeditions in History, Vaping and CoVID-19, Real World Math Template

• Reflections - After a lesson, unit of study, or project, have students complete a reflection of their learning.

  • Examples: Post-Lesson Reflection, Exit Ticket Reflection, Literature Reflection, Weekly Check-In

• Project Update/Topic Brainstorm - Prompt students to share their initial topics, project plans and any roadblocks faced when brainstorming and providing anonymous peer feedback.

  • Example: Project Proposal Brainstorm, Creating Fertile and Research Questions

• Text Analysis - Students analyze and text and share their insights.

  • Examples: English Literature, Poetry Analysis, Speech Analysis, Mini DBQ Document Analysis

• Student Presentations - After each group presents, students can each post a piece of anonymous feedback for the group and engage in a reflection.

  • Examples: Performances

Subject-Specific Activities & Examples

English Language Arts (ELA)📚

• Creative Writing Practice

  • Examples: Creative Writing

• Building and Evaluating Arguments

  • Examples: Rhetoric and Persuasion

• Literature Reflections

  • Examples: English Language and Writing, English Literature, The Great Gatsby, Things Fall Apart, 1984, Lord of the Flies

• Text Analysis (author intent, themes, poetry etc.)

  • Examples: Famous Speeches, Short Stories, Shakespeare, Poetry

• Harkness tables, Fishbowls, Socratic Circles

  • Examples: Featured RoundTables, Should Minimum Wages Be Higher?, Should All Students Learn How To Code?

• Silent Debates

  • Examples: Cancel Culture, Why Do We Study Philosophy?, Should Parents Control Your Phone?

• Argumentative Essay Prep

  • Examples: Argumentative Writing

• Journal Writing

  • Examples: Featured RoundTables, Easy Discussion Prompts & Icebreakers

Social Studies & Humanities 🏛️

• Exploring Current Events

  • Examples: Russian Forces Invade Ukraine, What is Cryptocurrency?,

• Political Cartoon Analysis

  • Examples: Editorial Cartoon: Freedom, Analyzing a Political Cartoon

• Primary Source Analysis

  • Examples: Primary and Secondary Sources, Why Consult Multiple Sources and Perspectives?, Gender Roles in Advertising. Tide from 1950 to 2019, I Have A Dream - Speech Analysis (Martin Luther King Jr.)

• Silent Debates

  • Examples: Why Did Americans Win The Revolution?, Heroes or Villains in U.S. History: Andrew Jackson, Should Laws Expire Every 19 Years?

• Journal Writing

  • Examples: A Journal Entry from Lincoln's Assassination, Living in New France: Journal / Creative Writing,

Geography 🌍

• Key Concept Exploration

  • Examples: The Earth's Carrying Capacity, The Lorax and the 5 Themes of Geography, Sustainable Farming, Plate Tectonics

• Map Analysis

  • Examples: Different Types of Maps

• Case Studies

  • Examples: Water Scarcity and Conflict: An International Case Study, Nile River, Land Use Conflicts in the Amazon Rainforest

Math ➗

• Math Talks

  • Examples: Number Talks, Place Value, Order of Operations, Multi-Step Mental Math

• Discussions About Math in the Real World

  • Examples: Array Division, Is Math Everywhere?, Order of Operations: How much should an NFL Player eat?

• Flipped Classroom Problem Solving

  • Examples: Special Right Triangles

• Graph of the Week

  • Example: Data & Graphs, Kid's Screen Time

Science 🔬

• Discussing Real World Applications of a Concept

  • Examples: CRISPR: The Good, The Bad, and The Immortal, Acid Rain and the Environment

• Current events in STEM

  • Examples: PCR vs Rapid Tests, What is Web 3.0?, Are Genetically Modified Organs Ethical?, Developments in Nuclear Fusion Energy

• Lab Analysis

  • Examples: Lab Report - Peer Review

• Scientific Method

  • Examples: Why Learn the Scientific Method?

Social Sciences 🧠

• Psychology

  • Examples: Constructivism: Piaget and Vygotsky, Are 'Learning Styles' Real?, Cognitive Bias, Why Do We Study Social Sciences?

• Sociology

  • Examples: How Do You Think Like A Sociologist?, Deviance, What is Sociology?, Sociological Perspectives: Why Do They Matter?

• Research Methods

  • Examples: How To Conduct Sociological Research?, Paradigms and Theories, How Do You Read A Scientific Article OR Making Sense of Science

The Arts 🎨

• Discussions About Art in Society

  • Examples: Can Art Amend History?, Function and Context of Art, Renaissance Art: Applying Ideals to the Modern World

• Analyzing a Piece of Art or Music:

  • Examples: The Great Wave by Hokusai, Lyrical Analysis - DNA by Kendrick Lamar, Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Spring

• Music, Painting, Dance and Photography Critiques

  • Examples: Does Bad Art Exist?, Impressionist Painters, Elements of Dance

• Peer Feedback Activities

  • Examples: Gallery Walk with Student Artwork, Performances - Peer Review

Business & Economics 📈

• Key Concept Exploration

  • Examples: Supply and Demand, Progressive Taxation

• Case Studies

  • Examples: How Will You Invest 100 Million Dollars?

• Real-Life Scenarios & Current Events

  • Examples: Is Amazon A Monopoly?, SWOT Analysis, Picking Stocks, Universal Basic Income

Languages 🈴

• Writing Practice (Fun Prompts, Journaling, Reflections)

  • Examples: ¿Cómo te sientes?, Cosa fai di bello?, French: When Should You Leave Home?

• Grammar Discussions

  • Examples: "El Agua" or "La Agua"?, Using the Future Tense in French

• Oral Practice Using the Live RoundTable

  • Examples: ¿Cómo te sientes?, Avec qui aimeriez-vous dîner?

Professional Development 👩🏽‍🏫

• Exploring Pedagogical Concepts

  • Examples: John Hattie's Research on Visible Learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Educational Technology, Bloom's Taxonomy vs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Explore Parlay Together!

  • Examples: Exploring the Parlay Universe, How to Use Parlay