What is a Discussion Group?

A discussion group consists of about five people, all contributing equally to a thoughtful conversation about a given text or video.  What kind of skills do you need in order to successfully participate in a group discussion?

-SL 6.1  I can effectively participate in different types of discussions with different people about 6th grade topics, texts, and issues.
-SL 6.1  I can build on others' ideas and express my own ideas clearly.
-SL 6.1A  I can come to discussions prepared to share my ideas because I have read or studied the required material.
-SL 6.1A  I can participate in discussions more effectively by using examples and evidence from the text to help me reflect on the ideas in the discussion.
-SL 6.1B  I can follow rules, set goals, meet deadlines and carry out my assigned role in shared discussions with peers.
-SL 6.1C  I can ask and answer questions using appropriate explanations or details that add to the discussion of a topic, text or issue.
-SL 6.1D  I can think through the ideas in a discussion and show that I understand different perspectives by sharing my thoughts and restating what others have said.
-SL 6.3  I can explain a speaker's arguments or claims and separate those that are supported by reasons and evidence from those that are not. 

ROLES
In our discussion groups, we will have different jobs that aid us in talking about our text.  
1.  Discussion Director:  this person DOES NOT contribute to the conversation.  We never hear their opinion on any subject.  Rather, they quietly guide the discussion and keep careful track of who talks and how often.  When necessary, they draw out students who are reluctant to share.
2.  Vocab Verifyer:  this person's task is to look up tricky words and, when the discussion begins, share those definitions with the group.
3.  Question Creator:  this person reads the text and creates a list of thoughtful questions to ask which will stimulate conversation.  If the discussion lags, the Discussion Director can call upon the Question Creator to reignite the talking.
4.  Record Reporter:  this person takes brief notes (AFTER the discussion) of the ideas exchanged during group time and then reports them to Mrs. K.  
5.  Grade Giver:  this person pays careful attention during the discussion to see that everyone completes their assigned job.  When the conversation is over, they will look over the Discussion Director's tally of student comments to make sure everyone participated equally.  They will give each student in their group a fair, honest grade and hand those grade-sheets to Mrs. K.