Today was our last instructional day on To Kill a Mockingbird and students finally had the opportunity to freely discuss their ideas and get input from others about the novel as a whole. We looked to find closure on the novel.
1. Homework check. As students arrived, I asked them to show me their homework — the quotation(s), question, and statement (if Honors). As I checked, students read directions on their desks about how to participate in a fishbowl seminar: of the two circles, the inner circle answers questions and discusses and the outer circle asks questions and takes notes.
2. Round 1 of Fishbowl: Half of the students discussed the questions fielded to them from the outer circle. We focused on finding evidence in the book, making sure not to move onto another topic without agreeing on a conclusion, and allowing all students to participate. The first round lasted about 20 minutes. Students in the outer circle took notes on the same piece of paper they did their homework on.
3. Round 2 of Fishbowl: We switched seats — outer circle moved to inner circle and vice versa — and continued the discussion.
HW: Study for WordSkills Test on Monday. Use quizlet to play study games here: http://quizlet.com/_145au
ALEXA GARVOILLE 