Discussion Walkabouts | Socratic Seminar

DATE WITH DESTINY | Discussion Walkabouts
Discussion Walkabouts | Socratic Seminar Poetry and Imagination 

Purpose: Discussion Walkabouts, allow students to have multiple conversations with various peers about a poems, text, question, or concept. For younger student it is a great tool to build imagination! Multiple, micro discussions allow students to expand and deepen their understanding and interest in various topics. For this reason, Discussion Walkabouts are an excellent seminar protocol to use as an anticipatory set before students begin to do research on poetry or creative writing.

There is a place where the sidewalk ends?
Procedure: 

1. Determine the focus of the discussions, time students spend at each location, the amount of locations, groups or pairs that walkabout to each location, and the learning goals. Give students a Walkabout Itinerary and place a master itinerary schedule on the board. The Walkabout guild should resemble a vacation itinerary with seven or eight appointment openings.

2. Determine the length of time students will have at each location.

3. Model and explain to students the purpose and logistics of the walkabouts.

4. The teacher places poems, questions or pictures around the room on butcher paper with big picture themes. I place poems from, "Where the Sidewalk Ends” around the room and a list of Imagination Question Stems.

Location: Peppermint Wind

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
for the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
the place where the sidewalk ends.

Shel Silverstein

1.     What do you see, imagine, and or visualize?

2.     Can you draw a picture for me with your words? 

3.     Can you act out what you imagine?

5. Give students a brief amount of time (usually about 2-5 minutes) to fill in their itinerary sheet, having them write the name down of the “location”. Students get  only one visit per time slot, and they may not skip a location. A maximum or 2 or 4 students is allowed at each location depending on class size and Walkabout locations.