ELL Discussion Strategy: Show and Share

In this strategy, students are asked to select or draw and image they feel relates to a concept, topic or text. Students share their images with one another. The teacher then leads a whole group discussion where students comment on their own picture, or another picture. *Note: this activity is most easily accomplished via technology!

The example below shows how a teacher used this show-and-tell activity in Jamboard to start a discussion about life cycles.

This activity ensures that all students are participating, even if the student doesn't feel comfortable talking during whole group discussion. When students connect a visual to a content concept, they're better able to solidify their understanding. This activity allows the students to connect to multiple visuals, to share their ideas, and to hear ideas, noticings and wonderings from their peers as well.

On the teacher side, it allows the teacher an opportunity for informal assessment and a chance to correct misconceptions. Student noticings and image choices can also provide the teacher with insight to student thought patterns. 

How do I use it?

1. Students find (or create) a photo, painting, or object related to the topic, and then think about following questions on their own.
• What are we looking at?
• What do you notice?
• What makes you say that?
• What do you wonder?
2. Students then share their image or object with the class. This can be done virtually with a tool like Padlet or Jamboard, or with sticky notes and chart paper.
3. The teacher then leads students in a whole group discussion. Students can volunteer to discuss their own picture, or choose one shared by another student that gives them ideas.

This is a great way to jump start discussion in your classroom. To add additional scaffolds for discussion, consider including sentence frames also!