Getting Started with Great Books in the Classroom : Checklist for Conducting Shared Inquiry Discussion

Before participating in a Shared Inquiry Discussion, students will need to read the story, or have it read to them, twice (see Lesson 4).

Click on a checklist item. Details will appear to the right.

Arrange seating in a circle
Determine group size
Prepare a seating chart
Explain the four rules
Distribute the Building Your Answer form
Pose an interpretive question (see Lesson 2)
Give students ample time to reflect and write an answer
Lead discussion by asking questions (see Lesson 3)
End discussion after...
Conduct a brief closing activity

9. End discussion after ...
When is discussion over?
There is no simple answer. Theoretically, the inquiry into the meaning of the text is never complete. It is not a matter of achieving consensus or arriving at the "right" answer. Discussion should last long enough that students’ ideas have been explored and enhanced by the process. It should not last so long that participants become tired of the question or story. (It’s better to end too soon than too late.) As students become more proficient, they will become able to spend longer in discussion.
Two signals:

When students begin to range well outside the scope of the question, it can be a signal that their curiosity for that question has been satisfied.

When the same answer seems to be repeated with little or no development, it can be a sign to move on.
Last, it’s almost always a good idea to decide beforehand the maximum amount of time you will spend in any single discussion.

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Click here to read the JGB text for Jack and the Beanstalk.

The best introduction to Shared Inquiry and using Junior Great Books is the Basic Leader Training Course.
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