The communication of scientific ideas is a central part of the program’s vision. In OpenSciEd, discussion is the glue that connects science and engineering practices to one another, and it connects those practices to disciplinary core ideas and cross-cutting concepts. Discussion is also the way that a classroom community makes sense of what it is investigating. Finally, discussion is the key to a classroom learning community in which all students’ ideas are shared and valued. There are three basic types of discussion used consistently across Open SciEd units to achieve these goals:

• Initial Ideas discussions: These occur at the start of a unit or new lesson sequence to get students’ initial ideas out on the table.
• Building Understandings discussions: These discussions help students make their reasoning with evidence public so that other students can connect with it, critique it, and build on it if possible. They provide the teacher and students with an opportunity to clarify which understandings emphasized in the storyline have been developed and which need further development
• Consensus Building discussions: This discussion presses toward a common (class-level) explanation or model, resolving disagreements, different perspectives, or partial understandings. This supports public revision of earlier ideas, as new ideas are shared and as students learn information that makes visible the limitations of previous understandings held by individuals or even the class as a whole

Regardless of the type of discussion, it is always important to consider how to make it possible for all students to contribute ideas. Teachers are encouraged to set aside time for students to think individually and in small groups as part of a discussion plan.

Check out this document for more information and helpful teacher prompts for each discussion type!