COMPARISON OF DISCUSSION-BASED STRATEGIES FOR GUIDED

GENERALIZATION
by Dr. Miguel Q. Rapatan
GUIDED CORE SOCRATIC PINWHEEL PHILOSOPHICAL FISHBOWL
GENERALIZATION CER SEMINAR DISCUSSION CHAIRS
FORM (CLAIM-
EVIDENCE-
REASONING)
SITUATIONS/ DISCUSSION DISCUSSION DISCUSSION DISCUSSION DISCUSSION
TEXTS/ MATERIALS: MATERIALS: MATERIALS: MATERIALS: MATERIALS:
PROBLEMS/ Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher prepares Teacher
POSITIONS AND prepares three prepares three prepares three three positions or prepares three
ESSENTIAL or more texts/ or more texts/ or more texts/ choices (e.g., Agree, or more texts/
QUESTION (EQ) problems/ problems/ problems/ Disagree, Neutral; 1 problems/
situations/ for situations/ for situations/ for Factor, 2 Factors, 3 situations/ for
students’ students’ students’ or more Factors) for students’
discussion. discussion. discussion. students’ discussion. discussion.
Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher introduces Teacher
provides the provides the provides the context of the EQ, provides the
EQ common to EQ common EQ common to provides the EQ, and EQ common
the three to the three the three the positions or to the three
materials. materials. materials. choices that are materials.
Teacher asks Teacher asks possible answers to Teacher asks
the EQ for each the EQ for the EQ. the EQ for
material one at each material each material
a time. one at a time. one at a time.
ANSWER CLAIM: CLAIM: CLAIM: CLAIM: CLAIM:
Students Students are Students are Students have to An initial
answer by grouped into grouped into choose among the group of
making a inner and outer three with each positions. Teacher students (4-5)
claim. circle. group points to places in form a circle
Students in corresponding the classroom where in front of or
inner circle to each groups representing at the center of
acting as presented the different choices the class.
players are situation/ text/ or answers are Students take
paired with a problem/ supposed to stand. turns stating
partner in the position. The Students then go to their claims.
outer circle three groups the designated area Students
serving as face a of the choice or outside the
coach. Provocateur position. Each group class first act
 Students in who moderates takes turns in stating as observers or
inner circle the discussion their positions. audience.
take turns and asks
stating their questions
claim to each about students’
other. Coaches answers.
in outer circle Provocateur
take note of asks students
their claims. in first group
the EQ and
state their
answers or
claims.
Provocateur
does the same
for students in
next groups. It
is up to the
provocateur to
have each
group finish
the entire CER
process or
have each
group share
answers during
each stage of
CER.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE: EVIDENCE:
TEXT Teacher asks After students Students in Students in each Students in
students to state their each group cite group or their initial group
support their claim, players the text that representative in the go on to cite
claim. Students in inner circle supports their hot seat take turns in the text(s) that
mark text in may claim. citing the text that supports their
different ways immediately Students in supports their claim. claim.
such as using cite the each group can Teacher may ask
highlighter supporting take turns students to clarify
pens or adding text. Coaches sharing the the texts they cite.
post-it strips or note the cited pertinent texts.
using figures texts.
(e.g., boxes,
circles, stars).
Students cite
these parts as
evidence of
their claim.
REASON REASONING: REASONING: REASONING: REASONING: REASONING:
Teacher asks After players After students After students in After students
students to cite the in a particular each group cite the in the circle
justify their supporting group cite the text, the students go cite their
evidence. text, they can text, they give on to explain their supporting
Students immediately the reasons for cited text in relation text, students
provide reasons go on their choices. to the claim. go on to
for their cited explaining The Students from explain their
text as evidence how their provocateur opposing positions choices.
for their claim. chosen text may then ask may next clarify or Students can
justifies their follow-up ask questions about then clarify or
claim. questions to each other’s claim, ask questions
After listening clarify their evidence and about each
to each one’s claim, reasoning. They may other’s claim,
claim, evidence and also explain why evidence and
evidence and reasons. The they disagree with reasoning.
reasoning, provocateur another answer. Students
players may may also agree Teacher may also outside the
agree or or disagree ask students or circle may at
disagree with with the groups to clarify any time tap a
each other’s group’s their reasons. After student in the
answers. They answer. all groups share, circle. The
may also ask Students from teacher will ask tapped student
questions to other groups students if any of the gives up his or
each other in can also ask reasons in another her seat for the
the inner circle questions of group make more one who
to clarify the students in sense to them than tapped him or
citations or the first group their own. If so, her. The
reasons. that answered. teacher asks students student then
Coaches note When done, to change their side takes his or
their partner’s the and walk over to her seat in the
reasons. provocateur another group. circle and adds
At the end of goes to the Teacher asks to or
discussion, next group and students who elaborates on a
teacher will does the same switched sides to given reason
then ask actions until explain their move. he or she
players to face the third agrees with or
their coaches. discussion shares his or
Coaches give material is her own
feedback covered. disagreement
regarding their with any of the
partner’s given reasons.
claim, The same
evidence and process from
reasoning. claim to
reasoning is
 Another round again done for
is done when the second and
for the second third materials.
material, (Note:
teacher asks students who
students in the have already
same pairs to sat in the
switch roles. circle may be
The same asked to
process of remain outside
sharing is then the circle as
repeated. For observers and
the third allow those
material, the who have not
teacher asks yet sat in the
the students to circle to have
choose which their turn
role they during the
would like to discussion of
take. The same the second or
process of third material.
discussion is The teacher
continued. may also give
a time limit
per material so
that the three
materials are
covered in one
period and
may require
that all
students sit in
the circle
during the
discussion of
any of the
three
materials. In
other words,
students get to
choose when
they will sit in
the circle.)
COMMON IDEAS Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks
students (either students in students in students in whole students in
individually or whole class to whole class to class to look at the whole class to
 in groups) to look at the look at the board and from the look at the
determine the board and board and recorded discussion board and
repeating from the from the comments, from the
words or recorded recorded determine how to recorded
recurring ideas discussion discussion reconcile the discussion
in the reasons. comments, comments, different positions comments,
determine the determine the and answer the EQ. determine the
repeating repeating From the agreed repeating
words or words or position or choice, words or
recurring ideas recurring ideas teacher asks students recurring ideas
in the reasons. in the reasons. to go back to that in the reasons.
position’s or
choice’s reasons and
find the recurring
ideas.
GENERALIZATION Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks Teacher asks
students to students to students to students to combine students to
combine the combine the combine the the recurring ideas combine the
recurring ideas recurring ideas recurring ideas in a sentence to form recurring ideas
in a sentence to in a sentence in a sentence a generalization. in a sentence
form a to form a to form a Teacher may to form a
generalization. generalization. generalization. provide a prompt to generalization.
Teacher may Teacher may Teacher may help ensure the Teacher may
provide a provide a provide a alignment of the provide a
prompt to help prompt to help prompt to help students’ answer prompt to help
ensure the ensure the ensure the with the EQ. ensure the
alignment of alignment of alignment of alignment of
the students’ the students’ the students’ the students’
answer with the answer with answer with answer with
EQ. the EQ. the EQ. the EQ.

NOTES:
A. BEFORE DISCUSSION:
It is assumed in the above that prior to the discussion, the teachers has already presented the
learning target(s) for the activity.
Students may be asked to read each discussion material and answer the GG form one situation at
a time PRIOR to discussion. Students present their written answer for the given situation in the
discussion-based strategy. In this way, students may be more prepared to share their ideas in the
discussion.
B. DURING DISCUSSION:
Teacher takes the lead in the Core CER strategy. However, in the other strategies the students
take charge of the discussion with the teacher prompting at certain points and writing on the
board claims and reasons and common ideas in given answers. Teacher may make special marks
on comments that are particularly insightful (or the teacher may ring a bell to recognize a very
good or thought-provoking comment).
C. AFTER DISCUSSION:
Teacher has students evaluate their participation in the activities and their accomplishment of the
identified learning targets.
Above strategies have been adapted for PEAC INSET purposes. Videos of above strategies are
shown during the INSET sessions.