About Discussion and Debate in the Classroom

Included on this page:

  • Cathy O'Connor explains what is meant by classroom discussion.
  • Downloadable Assessment Rubrics and a Talk Moves Map
  • Supplemental Classroom Activities that Support Academic Discussion and Debate
  • Featured Debate and Discussion Videos

Cathy O'Connor explains what is meant by classroom discussion.

Cathy O’Connor of Boston University discusses what is and is not a classroom discussion.
She also explains that discussion of text leads to many significant academic tasks.

Rubrics and "Talk Moves Map"

RUBRICS designed to support discussion, debate, and argumentative writing in the classroom
Talk Moves Map
TALK MOVES MAP to assist teachers with navigating student responses that may occur during classroom discussion

Supplemental Activities to develop Academic Discussion and Debate

Teachers frequently comment that they need additional activities that contribute to students' readiness for academic discussion and debate in the classroom. Below are eight that can be used with Word Generation or any debatable topic that arises in the classroom.

Featured Debates and Discussions

New York City:

Word Generation Debate Tournament

Boston:

Fishbowl Discussion about Unit 2.13's Topic: Should doctors be allowed to assist seriously ill patients with suicide?

Development of Word Generation was led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) and Suzanne Donovan (SERP). Major SERP contributors to program development include: Claire White, Alyse Krantz, Halley Wheeless, Matt Ellinger, David Dudley, and Patrick Hurley. Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland collaborated with SERP to develop Word Generation.


Support for Word Generation was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Noyce Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through grant numbers R305A090555 and R305F100026. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.

Share by: