Unit 4: Discussion Planning

Welcome to Unit 4!

Unit Objectives:

• The learner will be able to select texts and develop questions for inquiry discussions.
• After being provided with criteria for and examples of effective inquiry questions, the learner will be able to compare examples and non-examples, differentiate between the two, and explain their conclusions.
• The learner will apply the concepts and criteria to develop their own discussion topics and create related activities in their specific discipline.

Guiding questions for this unit:

• How do I select texts for an inquiry discussion?
• What makes a good question for discussion and how do you develop them?
• How do I plan an inquiry discussion?

1. Think About & Discuss

Do you already have some ideas regarding texts you might choose for inquiry discussions? What are they, and why are you considering them? Are you leaning toward fiction, nonfiction, or a combination? Why?

Share your ideas on the Discussion page.

2. Read: Guidelines for Choosing Texts & Developing Great Questions

Guidelines for Choosing Texts
Selections must raise genuine questions for readers. These might include complex questions about: Ethical and moral values, such as fairness, integrity, or rights Humanity and human nature, such as friendship, compassion, or honesty Policy decisions or current events, such as self-driving cars, age limits on extreme sports, school uniforms, or cell phones in schools Historical topics or mysteries (Students might explore multiple perspectives on the same topic or use primary sources to come to a conclusion.)
They must support extended discussion. The text supports multiple interpretations, perspectives, explanations, or opinions Dilemmas, questionable decisions, ambiguities, and "cliffhangers" all lend themselves well to discussion
They must be accessible & engaging Students should have enough background knowledge to be able to make sense of the text.  This is not to say that the texts should not be challenging or complex! Students will build understanding together through the discussion, but the topic should not be something completely foreign to them. It should be limited in length so students can read them at least twice, and work with them closely in preparing for discussion. Engaging texts hold students’ interest! This might be because students can identify with the characters in the text, or the topic is relevant to their lives.

Developing great “big” questions for discussion This is very challenging, yet very important!
Big questions should be: Contestable and arguable: The question invites multiple interpretations and brings about reasoning rather than pure speculation.  You should be able to write at least two different answers to it, supporting each answer with evidence from the selection. Authentic: You or your students have genuine doubt and curiosity about the answer to the question. Central to the text: It is a meaty question about a significant issue or theme raised by the text.  If the question can be too simply applied to another text or multiple other texts, it is too general. For example, “Should Marie tell her mother where the ivory is hidden?” (from the “Ovatniah” discussion in Unit 3) is specific and central, while "Should children ever keep secrets from their parents?”, while interesting, is too general. Clear: Everyone should be able to understand the question quickly and in the same way. These should be written in simple, student-friendly language.
Steps to Help Develop a Big Question: First, try identifying two or three big concepts, controversies, conflicts, or themes that are relevant to the text, like growing up, friendship, courage, fairness, etc. Then, develop several big questions around these themes.  You can also think about writing your questions by juxtaposing two concepts or themes. (Theme A vs. Theme B) Test the questions.  Ask yourself: What are the possible positions for each question? Are there at least two positions that can be easily justified? Do you think that all or most of your students will take the same position, or is it something the students are likely to disagree on? (They should disagree!) If it is hard to easily support more than one position, or if you think most of your students will take the same position, then the question may not be truly contestable.  Sometimes rewording it helps. Think carefully about how you can word the question so that it will invite exploration of multiple perspectives.  Asking a question that poses some kind of dilemma to students using the word “should” is a good strategy. Is the question easy for everyone to understand in the same way? If your questions pass the test, choose the one you think is the best and most contestable, authentic, central to the text, and clear.  If not, they may need some rewording or a little rethinking.

Resources for Texts:

You might have ideas for texts you could use, such as short stories, picture books, nonfiction articles, or news articles. Here are some ideas for where to find more!

• If your class has a subscription to any of the Scholastic magazines, these can be a good resource.
• Readworks.org: This site includes fictional stories, poems, and nonfiction articles at various reading levels. These are geared toward young readers all the way through high school. (Quick tip: Searching "news debates" leads to readings about interesting issues, and there is a built-in discussion question)
• CommonLit.org: This site also contains readings for students in 3rd-12th grade in a variety of genres (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). Looking at the discussion questions for each passage may give you insight into developing questions for inquiry discussion. (They would typically need to be adapted, though.) It also supports a "text set" search, if students need to read more than one related text.

3. Do Part 1: Big Question Check

Complete the Google Form linked here to check your knowledge about big questions.

Big Question Google Form

4. Do Part 2: Time to Plan!

Independently or with a partner, plan for an inquiry dialogue lesson. There is a planning template linked here with all the parts you will need.(Make a copy to fill it in.) Remember, you will need to select a text first. The links above have a lot of great texts to choose from! There is also an example here for you to refer to.

When you are finished, get feedback from a peer and revise if needed.

Sample Completed Inquiry Dialogue Plan

Inquiry Dialogue Planning Template

Unit 3: The Elements of a Discussion (You might need to look back at this information, so here is the link back to Unit 3)

5: Final Reflection & Thank You!

Revisit your initial ideas about class discussions. Has your thinking changed?

What are My Ideas About Discussions in Class?

Thank you for participating in this mini-course. I hope you are able to implement some of these ideas--and the plan you created--in your own class. I know I've said it before, but this all takes practice. The payoffs can be really great if you stick to it, though!

Links to other units:

Unit 1: The What & the Why of Inquiry Dialogue

Unit 2: Arguments-- What They Are and How To Facilitate

Link to Introduction Page

References and Resources

Reznitskaya, A., Wilkinson, I. A. G., & Snow, C. E. (2017). The Most Reasonable Answer: Helping Students Build Better Arguments Together (Annotated ed.). Harvard Education Press.

Whitfield, D. (n.d.). Establishing A Great Books Curriculum - Choosing a Teaching Approach - Teaching Through Shared Inquiry. National Great Books. Retrieved January 5, 2022, from https://www.nationalgreatbooks.com/cirriculum/teachingshared.html#texts

Readworks.org

CommonLit.org