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Hi, 

I am working on implementing more science discussions in my classroom.  What are some strategies that are helpful in keeping the conversation on topic?

Thanks!

Hi Kennedy! 

One thing that comes to mind is the use of 'Claim, Evidence, & Reasoning' discussion. Using this as a model could help things stay on task. There are some helpful tips via STEMscopes. Some discussion strategies that I gained from a conference breakout session with STEMscopes included tips for argumentation: 

- student can only speak 3 times 

- students must segue between the last response and their own

- students must cite evidence to back up their claim, such as refering to text

- recognize that it is not a debate, but a discussion! 

A good idea for tracking which students have talked is to have a double sided card (or more, depending on how many times you want to allow them to talk) with one side being the color green and one side being the color red. Students start with the green side showing, but flip it to the red side once they have talked. 

I hope you have been able to facilitate some great science discussions this semester! Looking forward to the next - 

Joy

***I'm a preservice teacher who has not implemented this yet in a classroom. I attended the ISTS Iowa Acadamy of Science fall conference in Des Moines this year, and received this information from a breakout session there with STEMscopes.***

I love the discussion part of teaching science to my middle school students. This uses two parts of literacy that are difficult to teach (speaking and listening) and are so essential to the way that science is practiced in research. I find that it is critical to post the group norms and to teach them right away to develop positive socialization during the discussion. When I present a question to the class, often I will have the students begin with pair-partner discussion where each pair-partner shares for 60 seconds and the other listens to allow them to develop some of their thinking. I then engage the class, where I will ask students to share their ideas. I have also randomly called on students to share through a popsicle stick name draw (they can always pass). We as a class, listen to each other's ideas and share when we have made a connection, can build on someone else's idea, or have an “Ah-ha” moment. Sometimes I will also award participation points which students keep if they participate positively.

I really like the suggestions made earlier. Give the students guidelines that they must stay within. This ensures there is no frustration on your part or the students. Having students brainstorm prior to the discussion with a partner may help prevent it from falling flat. It is always discouraging when you ask for input and just get blank stares.

Discussions are a great way for students to dig deeper into their learning. It is also a great way to grow your classroom community! Some ideas to keep the discussion on the topic is to actually have the topic written down so all the students can see it. This will help students remember the topic and it can catch their eye if they're getting off-topic. Another idea is to let students think about the topic and discussion prior to having the discussion. This will allow students to think about things to say that are relevant and lessen the chances of run-off conversations. Lastly, spend a few weeks teaching your students what it means to be a listener. This can be the most difficult part of discussions because things may be said twice, someone might reply to something that is not yet relevant, and it'll help the discussion just go more smoothly.