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Week of March 21st - Asynchronous Discussions
Asynchronous Discussion Expectations

Since this class is designed to explore various aspects of adolescent literature, it's important to also explore various ways in which we can invite our middle school students to discuss texts. For this week, you will be asked to record your discussions and post your recordings on your student portfolio.

 

I recommend that you meet with your group during the scheduled class time assigned for this course (4:00pm - 5:15pm) as your discussions will be due by 9 pm on Wednesday, March 23rd. 

Virtual Team Meeting
Suggested Asynchronous Work Schedule

Exploring History

Our recorded discussions this week will unfold into two parts:

PART 1: SHARING AND CONNECTING

  • Take time to share your work constructed from this week's challenge. As you each share your thoughts, others should consider and respond using any of the following:

    • Make a connection - text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world​

    • Ask a question

    • Make a clarification

    • Make a prediction

    • Visualize - explain what this helps you see

    • Synthesize - use what's being discussed here with other information to create new understandings

PART 2: EXAMINING HISTORICAL FICTION + NONFICTION

When you have elements that are not only speaking to historical events but also compare and contrast thinking, it's important to invite students into spaces that critically examine these various ideas. While you may have read different historical pairings for this challenge, let's take some time to think through an exercise called "Challenge the Text." Use the 3 steps below to help navigate your group discussion. 

Review + Connect

Taken from Learning for Justice (formally known as Teaching Tolerance), take a moment to reflect on your reading experiences in connection to the provided "Challenge the Text" questions. Connect with 2-4 questions provided on that resource for you to discuss with your group members as well as invite them to respond on their text experiences as well. 

Share + Discuss

From your chosen "Challenge the Text" questions from Step 1, share your thoughts around your text experiences. In addition, use the questions to the right to talk as a group around your reading experiences. How can you use these questions alongside your reading experiences from this challenge?

Teaching Implications

Think about many of these critical questions from "Challenge the Text" as well as your discussions as a group around examining truth. What are things that teachers need to consider when working with historical fiction and nonfiction texts? How might these ideas influence your practice in the future? 

Remember....discussions not only help us understand text in deeper ways but it also allows us to gain different perspectives that may invite new ways of thinking or ask new questions. Engage and share your experiences!  

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