ABSTRACT
Classroom discussion of text has long been a part of content area classrooms and can have a profound impact on students’ comprehension of text. However, research has shown that typical classroom discussions of text are often structured in ways that induce student passivity and suppress student engagement. The teacher, and the classroom environment fostered by the teacher, determine the extent to which discussions are successful. Typically, classroom discussions of text feature a series of questions asked or initiated by the teacher. After asking a question, the teacher calls on students to respond to, or answer the question. Following the response, the teacher typically evaluates the responses to let students know whether their responses are on tar-
Think about the types of act iv i t ies that usua l ly occur af ter students are ass igned a chapter to read in a content area textbook. Consider the pros and cons of each act iv i ty in terms of : (a) fac i li tat ing student comprehension, (b) e l ic i t ing cr i t ica l th ink ing, and (c) foster ing student engagement and mot ivat ion for learn ing the content .
