Discussion Skills Challenge Task Cards - Great for Socratic Seminars

Do you have students who struggle with participating in group discussions? Or others who over-share their opinions but rarely ask questions to others? Do you conduct Socratic Seminars but struggle to see student growth? These challenge cards can help!

Learning to engage in meaningful discussions is one of the most valuable lessons we teach in the ELA classroom. These cards aim to help students become more aware of the different types of contributions they can make in group discussions, while also giving them clear goals for achievement.

*Great for Socratic Seminars or Lit Circles!*

CONTENTS

• 27 individual board-game style cards to challenge students!
• 1 Post-discussion reflection exit-slip to help students reflection on their participation.

Tips for Use in the Classroom

1. Print, laminate, and cut cards: you want to print enough for your class size, but I even print double as I often give students more than one.
2. Shuffle cards and hand out to students before the discussion. I often give students more than one if it going to be a longer discussion.
3. Give students time to think about their goal; you may even want to have them write down some ideas and thoughts pre-discussion.
4. After the discussion, have students reflect using the post-discussion exit slips.

A Note on Printing

If you have a good color printer at work/home, print these on thicker carkstock for durability. However, I found that printing them at a printshop (such as Staples) was worth it as the quality was much better; you only have to do it once as once laminated they do last! Remember to print double-sided.

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Teachers Like You Said:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Valerie H. said: "Used these with an underskilled class of juniors who could not stay on track and/or responded but couldn't discuss. These were awesome. Kids enjoyed the challenge of being handed a few cards and having to meet the instructions. Even normally quiet kids got involved."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Edmond H. said: "This resource really lived up to its purpose. After the initial use with both my 7th and 8th graders, I immediately noticed a difference in the level and depth of conversations in their shared inquiry discussions. They dove deeper into the text and really loved the challenge of accomplishing their goals. The follow-up reflection is really great, too. My students really enjoyed reflecting on what they did well and even spent time congratulating each other on a successful discussion. They're already asking me when our next discussion is. I highly recommend this purchase for anyone that uses literature discussions in their classroom. "

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shannon R. said: "These cards were excellent additions to our in class discussions - my students loved them and the quality of discussions was noticeably higher when using them!"