We talk constantly about getting students to work collaboratively and in groups, but how often do they get to just discuss topics in class? This idea popped into my head this morning as I was watching the Croods for the second time. Just so happens that in my Earth Science class we are learning about geologic history. The movie just dovetails so perfectly into that topic that I realized what a perfect focus of our first ever online discussion group it would be!
Connections
It is of utmost importance to have an interconnected mind since connections form meaning. An interesting example of how everything is connected to philosophy can be found
here. When watching this movie it is difficult not to ponder some aspect of the extreme change that occurred on Earth. Even though this is a simplified movie with cinematic overtones, really deep ideas and questions can arise which I think will lead to complex conversations. This will be the first time I use a video as a prompt and the first time I'll be holding a discussion group with my students. Is this a strategy you employ in your classroom? I'm interested in how to illicit thoughtful discussion generated by the students themselves. If you have experience with this please share in the comments, and I'll be keeping readers updated on how this project is going!
