Plug and Play: Evolving Class Discussions with Stacking Circles

In this post, I'm introducing a new Post Label: Plug and Play, for short posts on activities that can be used for a variety of different topics or readings.

Here's one that I crafted near the beginning of this semester, but kept chickening out on using because I was terrified it would be too complicated and wouldn't work. When I finally pulled it out to use for Week 8, I was surprised at how well it went. It's based on the concept of the Socratic Circle-- but I'll be honest, I hated the Socratic Circle when we did it in high school, and it didn't quite fit my needs for this course. So I altered it into something I've been calling "stacking circles."

Three stacked circles, or, if you prefer, donuts. Or a great reward for class participation? Photo: Sharon McCutcheon.

 

Steps

1. Assign several readings which relate to/build off of one another-- I used three for our 50-minute class on medical racism and The Underground Railroad. 
2. Have students sign up for one of six groups. Three groups will be discussants of a particular reading, and three groups will be commenting on the discussion of one of the first three groups.
3. Write guiding questions or ideas on the board to root the discussion in the topics you want addressed. I used "Argument/Main Point? Evidence? Themes?", but you could get more specific. Students can look to this if they get stumped for topics.
4. Note that you will time each group (I used 8 minutes each for my 50-minute session). Have the entire class sit in a circle (mine just barely fits). 
5. Have Group 1 sit in the middle of the larger circle and begin. Remind Group 4 to take notes on the ideas that are introduced and the ways that the discussion develops.
6. Repeat with Group 2, but encourage them to consider how their source adds to, contradicts, or develops the points of the first source. Remind Group 5 to take notes on the ideas that are introduced and the ways that the discussion develops.
7. Repeat with Group 3, asking them to use their source to build on the ideas of the previous two. Remind Group 6 to take notes on the ideas that are introduced and the ways that the discussion develops.
8. Invite Groups 4-6 to share their impressions of the conversations. Was there anything that surprised them? Did the groups miss anything important about the readings?

Variations: More or less groups for more or less readings/students. Speaking groups acting as listeners for other groups. 

What does this activity offer?

Most importantly, the construction of stacking circles emphasizes the way that texts can build on one another. As a result, this is particularly nice for any historiographical debate or examination of primary and secondary source comparisons. One text can answer all our questions, or it can completely overturn whatever we just thought we knew from the previous text. Exciting! 

This activity also encouraged students to reflect on how they best participate, and try on what it might be like to approach participation differently. There are almost always students who like to speak in class frequently, and those who hesitate. In my beginning remarks, I encouraged people to try a role that was new to them-- for those who always have something to say, try being an observer, and really listen to what others are saying; for those who speak up less frequently, try choosing a role in the first three groups. 

Logistically, this activity was a nice break from the problems that arise with large group discussions in a small classroom. The big discussions can be unwieldy-- either everyone clamors to speak or no one wants to because the sea of faces is too forbidding-- and the circle can fill the room, making it awkward to see everyone or to enter or leave the circle. You end up missing many things you'd like to talk about. Small groups offer more potential for students to hit topics that are important to them, but then I miss much of their conversations about it. Moving between these groups is a constant tripping hazard, and instead of being an encouraging listener in each group, I often feel like I'm surveilling everyone. This strategy combines the community of the big group with the in-depth discussions of smaller ones.

Finally, I wanted to highlight that active listening is a critical component of class participation, something that can get lost when sitting in rows or even in a circle. The quick shifts of speakers and their positioning as central was an indication that there might be new ideas expressed frequently, and that they deserved attention. 

One nice side effect I wasn't expecting: Progressive circles proved to be a relatively low stakes way to put people in new conversational groups. Frequently small group discussions had been defined by proximity in the classroom and thus were fairly uniform each time. Counting people off had been repetitive in a different way-- clearly I count the same way each time without intending to!

Strong feelings about circles? Proposed amendments to this activity? Have a better name idea? Let me know in comments!