Spider webs and Halloween go together. But Discussion Webs aren't just for reading. Creative teachers use discussion webs across the curriculum. And Discussion Webs aren't just for use in middle schools and high schools. Using this approach, students are asked to respond to a yes-no thinking question.
Students think individually about the question that's up for discussion.
They look in the text for information they might use to support their opinions. The partners share supporting ideas from the text and from their own experiences. Then the partners pair up with another set of partners. They work as a group of four to eliminate contradictions and inconsistencies in their thinking as they come to a consensus and decide upon one idea that a spokesperson for the group will share with the class. Small group discussions also encourage active participation by shy or quiet students and by students whose first language is not English.