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How to Get Students Discussing Books—and Much More
Barry GilmoreLausanne
Collegiate School
Memphis, TN
Warm-up: Make a List
Books in which a younger character knows more (or thinks he or she knows more) than
older characters
Our List: Youth vs. Maturity
• Friendships
• Lovers
• Villains and heroes
• Orphans and adopted children
• Stories that include a journey
• Strong girls
• Outsiders
• Books narrated in first person
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Speaking Volumes: Discussion Methods
Lines
Circles
Big Paper
Technology
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
• Students take the survey
• Class lines up from 10-50
• Discuss:
• What do the extremes represent?
• Which individual items were easiest/hardest to answer?
• What does this survey tell us about the class? About ourselves individually?
Lines
• Surveys• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
• Shorten the point range
• Read one statement at a time
Lines
• Surveys• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
The giant in “Jack and the Beanstalk” gets what he deserves.
Agree Not sure Don’t Agree
1 2 3If I were Lucy, I wouldn’t forgive Edmund so quickly.
Agree Not sure Don’t Agree
1 2 3
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
• Sample statement:
Romeo is never truly in love with Juliet, but only with the idea of being in love.
• Students choose a side—agree/disagree
• Undecideds may stay in middle, but can’t speak
• Discuss by calling on alternating sides
• At the end, make those in the middle choose
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
• Sample statements:
~Harry Potter is too selfish.
• Anyone can tap in after a participant has spoken once (and finished speaking)
• Only those in the middle may speak
• No one may re-enter the circle within 2 mins.
• Change statement as necessary
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Our List: Youth vs. Maturity
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Character is right
Character succeeds
Character is wrong
Character succeeds
Character is right
Character fails
Character is wrong
Character fails
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Truly in love
Get what they deserve
Truly in love
Don’t get what they deserve
Not truly in love
Get what they deserve
Not truly in love
Don’t get what they deserve
Lines• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Character is good
Gets what he deserves
Character is good
Doesn’t get what he deserves
Character is bad
Gets what he deserves
Character is bad
Doesn’t get what he deserves
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Brainstorming Two:Utopian/Dystopian Stories
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
My perfect society would be…
The worst thing about the society in the story is…
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall
Posters• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
My perfect society would be…
The worst thing about the society in the story is…
Create your own utopia
State of the school/country/world
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
My perfect society would be…
The worst thing about the society in the story is…
Create your own utopia
State of the school/country/world
Strengths and weaknesses of characters
Aspects that are like/unlike our society
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
My model using Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things: Both schools/classes read the novel Teachers post 15 AP-style essay prompts on forum Students log on and post at least 6 times (time limit: one week) Teachers assign completion grade for completing postings Students have a few days to read through all postings Teachers choose 3-4 of the prompts and give them on the same day as a timed AP essay (students choose 1 prompt from list
of 3-4) Students have the option of getting back online to discuss the essays they wrote, etc.
Replies Author Last Post
Travel 16 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Water Imagery 8 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Parents and Siblings 4 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Politics 21 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Language and Style 17 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Humor 19 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
The Symbolism of Names 26 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Alienated Characters 23 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Belief Systems 9 Gilmore Guest, April 7, 2005
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
1.Groups – choose a topic• Safe and unsafe places
• Reactions of townspeople
• Characters who change their minds
• Important words
• Imitation
2. List of quotations
3. The Electronic Conversation
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Allison: but, the time was not come yet; and every time that wind blew over france shook the rags of the scarecrows in vein, for the birds fine of song and feather, took no worning. book 1, ch 5Jenny: ok…what does that mean?Caitlin: the scarecrows are the aristocracyLucy: once again the birds are dirtyCaitlin: i thinkJenny: wait a seecLucy: no,no,the wind is the scary mean people and the scarccrow are the porr people fighting the revolutionAllison: yeah lucy that’s what I was sayinLucy: and rthe poor are scarred away until the revolution comesJenny: I think that there were so many times the thwe revolution could have occurred that (wind in vien) that when it actually cam the rich had no idea it was coming
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
1.Groups – choose a topic
2. List of quotations/scenes
3. The Electronic Conversation
4. My response
5. Group Summary
Lines
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• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Although the barbaric human is often mentioned, we feel that the most important thematic issue within animal imagery is how the poor people are referred to as dogs and pigs. But social class differences are also illustrated symbolically by other images, such as the description of the ragged scarecrows (symbolizing the poor), while birds symbolize
the upper class.
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
1.Groups – choose a topic
2. List of quotations
3. The Electronic Conversation
4. My response
5. Group Summary
6. Formal Writing (Individual)
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
Technology• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
In addition to the obvious use of imagery as a way of categorizing social groups, Dickens uses such symbolic language to foreshadow the coming revolution. In portraying the broken wine cask early in the book, he offers a general statement of “warning” for the reader that is wholly missed by the aristocracy, who, like “birds fine of song and feather,” go about their usual business heedless of the coming turmoil.
Lines
• Surveys
• Get off the
Fence
• Grid
Circles
• Fishbowl
• Brainstorm
Big Paper
• Wall Posters
• Silent
Discussion
• Combining
Voices
Technology
• Online Forum
• Electronic
Discussion
Speaking Volumes
Barry Gilmorewww.barrygilmore.com
bgilmore@lausanneschool.com
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