Café Conversations

Purpose

Students write responses, sketch visuals, write summaries on paper “tablecloths,” and roam to evaluate, add to, and discuss other’s ideas.

Materials

• Paper “tablecloths” for desks (bulletin board paper)
• Markers
• Prompts or questions for each café

Instructions

Round 1: Think, Talk, Write

1. Organize students into groups of 3-4.
2. Place bulletin board paper over desks to create paper tablecloths.
3. Provide students with a prompt or question.
4. Students discuss potential answers.
5. Students write their final, individual responses on their paper tablecloth.

Round 2: Think, Talk, Sketch

1. Students roam to another section of the room to form a new group.
2. Students read and discuss the written responses.
3. Students place check marks beside the ideas with which they agree and question marks beside ideas they challenge.
4. Provide a second prompt or question.
5. Students discuss potential sketches to visually represent their responses.
6. Students sketch a variety of visuals on their paper tablecloth.

Round 3: Think, Talk, Summarize

1. Students roam to another section of the room to form a new group.
2. Students view and discuss the written responses and visuals.
3. Students place check marks beside the ideas with which they agree and question marks beside ideas they challenge.
4. Students discuss how to summarize the importance of the concept represented in the previous two questions in a hashtag response.
5. Students write their final hashtag summaries on their paper tablecloth. (Students may have different hashtags.)
6. Observe students’ thinking and clarify/verify as appropriate.

Classroom Management

• Model ways to respond on the “tablecloth.”
• Role-play how students should appropriately stroll to each new “café.”

Differentiation

• Promote access by providing an idea/word bank, response/sentence stems, or visual supports.
• Promote access by allowing students to use teacher/student notes or partnering students with a supportive peer.
• Provide response support by allowing students to dictate their ideas to a scribe.

Think It Up!

• Have students think more deeply about the concept by responding to a Think It Up prompt as an exit ticket or journal entry:
  • Evaluate all the responses you read and viewed, and select the best written response, the best visual, and the best hashtag summary.
• Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.