Usually when students do group work they talk so they can make something: a poster, workseet, presentation, etc. Their discussion only goes as deep as the product requires. In my seminars there is no product beyond the conversation so the quality of the discussion is the point. 

Every student will need to reason in public about questions that don't have clean answers. They'll take positions, support them with evidence, listen to eachother and adjust their responses. 

Students will participate simultaneously in small groups of five to six students. Each group begins by discussing the same open question, drawing on the readings and primary sources from the unit. The students have the freedom to evolve their discussion as they see fit but are kept on subject by the facilitator. I circulate among the groups and take notes but don't participate.

Facilatator: Each group has a student facilitator who keeps the conversation moving, draws in quiter voices and pushes for evidence.  Facilators work from a 1-page card which has a short sequence of questions that anchors the discussion without scripting it. They also have freedom to push the discussion in other directions as long they stay on topic.

Participants: The other participants are respoinsible for contributing to the discussion. This includes listening, building on others' ideas and challenging them with evidence.

Teacher: My job is to bite my tongue and stay out of the conversation. I circulate, observe, and take notes on what I hear. The students talk to eachother -- not to me.

Seminars typically happen every other Friday, on the 5th day of a two-week unit. That works out to about eight seminars per semester.

Groups and facilitators are posted as students walk in. Desks are already in clusters. 

The first 10 minutes are review: students reread their prep sheets, notes and readings.  I meet briefly with the facilitators and let them study the facilitator guide.

Discussion runs about 30 minutes. 

The final 15 minutes are for peer feedback and self-reflection.

Seminars count for 20% of the semester grade, which makes each one worth about 2.5%. This keeps each seminar low-stakes so students have room to take risks, try out ideas and improve over time.

Students rate each groupmate's contribution to the discussion on a four point scale and write one thing that person should keep doing and on thing they should try doing next time. Facilitators are rated on how they kept the discussion flowing and providing everyone opportunities to contribute.

The night before, every student completes a 1-page prep sheet that identifies the big ideas from the unit and the specific evidence that supports each one. A discussion is only as good as what a students bring to it and the prep sheet ensures every student arrives with something to say.

The prep sheet also helps quieter students. Having their thinking already on paper gives them a starting point to enter the conversation.

Students who don’t complete the prep sheet still take part in the discussion, but their seminar grade is reduced by 20%. They must also answer the central discussion question in writing, in my classroom, before school, at lunch or after school, within one week of the seminar. Students who don’t complete the written response receive no credit for the seminar. 

Prep Sheet

Facilitator Guide