The Spider Web Discussion Teaching Technique

by: Sixth Grade Teacher Zack Mouw

As a teacher, I’m frequently asking myself if a particular method of instruction works. If a lesson flows well, I like to know why. If it flops, I adjust. One particular method that seems to consistently work in sixth grade is spider web discussions. A spider web discussion is a socratic seminar approach to learning developed by Alexis Wiggins in which the students take the lead and manage the class literature discussion while the teacher acts more as a coach and tracks student interactions to give feedback after the lesson.

In sixth grade, one of our novel studies in Reading class is The Giver by Lois Lowry. This dystopian novel often opens up a new world for our students–they wrestle with the values of the community in which the characters live, the impact the setting has on the plot of the story, and how the characters are shaped because of their choices or lack thereof.

After an introductory lesson on the genre, I typically read a dystopian short story to the class to help the students get better acquainted with the genre so that they are able to make connections more readily when we begin The Giver. After only a few pages into the class novel, the students are typically teeming with questions and curiosities about the community in which Jonas, the book’s protagonist, lives.

Hands begin flying up when students read about the bizarre rules of the community or when they come across the term “release” and wonder what it could mean. In most Reading lessons, it can be challenging to ensure that all voices are heard and all curiosities satisfied. I try to provide plenty of opportunities for students to engage with their peers and discuss their thoughts about the text, but in a normal class setting, not all students will get to share their ideas with the whole class. Because our sixth graders are highly intrigued by the plot of The Giver and many have a natural desire to lead, spider web discussions provide the perfect platform for students to engage with the text together.

To prepare students for these discussions, we first take some time in our sixth-grade Advisory program to consider listening and speaking essentials. Students start out by individually brainstorming ideas about what these “essentials” are before collaboratively settling on a top three or four, which usually include how to agree thoughtfully and disagree respectfully.

Once students have a better understanding of proper etiquette in group conversations, I provide each of them with a preparation guide for the chapter(s) that will be discussed in the first spider web meeting. The students are required to read the assigned chapters and complete the preparation guide in order to participate in the discussion. The guide consists of several sections–one for creating a personal goal for the discussion, one for jotting down thoughts and opinions about the chapter(s), one for listing open-ended questions, and one for adding a significant quote or short excerpt from the text. There is also a section for self-reflection to be completed after the lesson that allows students to consider whether or not they achieved their goal(s) and to rate themselves based on their contributions to the class conversation.

Once all preparation guides are submitted and approved, students are ready for the spider web discussion–the conference room is usually buzzing with excitement, as students come eager to participate! My role is to track the discussion and map out how the conversation flows from one student to the next, creating what looks like a spider web. In addition to noting how often students participate, I also record what kind of contributions they make. I write down whether the students are showing proper decorum, developing focused threads of conversation, and grounding their responses in text evidence. Directly after each meeting, I display the “spider web” they’ve created by sharing their thoughts during the lesson, and students note and reflect on their contributions to the group discussion.

I am always blown away by how much the students improve as they get more practice with spider web discussions and continue to set and reach personal and class goals. Not only do the sixth graders grow in their discussion decorum, but they also learn how to build on their classmates’ insights to develop the core conversation points and extract the big ideas from the text, all in a fun and engaging way! Moving forward, it's safe to say that we’ll continue to hold spider web discussions in sixth grade and continue to see students develop analytical and critical thinking skills in the process.