FISHBOWL

1. Choose a central topic or text that is open-ended to provide responses from multiple viewpoints. The strategy can be used as a before, during, and after reading strategy. If students are being introduced to new content or discussing familiar content, they should come to the discussion prepared to actively engage in the  strategy.
2. In the inner circle, four to five students will be seated in a “fishbowl.” The other students will create an outer circle around the inner circle. Only the students in the inner circle are allowed to talk. It is important that students in the inner circle interact with the other circle members with respect and interest in the content discussion.
3. The outer circle will be instructed to demonstrate reflective behaviors using Writing to Learn to support both comprehension of the information and to make note of the student behaviors during the process.
4. A facilitator (teacher or student) will pose questions during the discussion to support comprehension of the content and to model how to ask informed questions about the content. The facilitator does not participate in the actual discussion itself.
5. Students will rotate in and out of the fishbowl throughout the discussion. This may be teacher directed or student directed. A person in the inner circle may indicate they are ready to transition into the outer circle and vice versa. Monitor accordingly.
6. Once the discussion is over, provide time for students to reflect on the process and their participation as an observer and a discusser.

• Students may be given the opportunity to use Writing to Learn to respond to the topic and to generate additional questions prior to engaging in the strategy. 
• Students may be grouped in smaller inner and outer circles for simultaneous discussions.
• Students may need to hear example questions and responses so that they can actively engage in the activity and at high levels.
• Students in the outer circle may use a rubric or checklist to provide feedback to participants in the inner circle.
• Students in the inner circle may conduct a demonstration to explain to the outer circle how something works or is performed.

Scaffolds for Multilingual Learners

Entering/Emerging:

• Provide visual support (e.g., posters, photographs) for students to name and briefly describe objects, people, or places.
• Provide sentence stems and frames for stating main ideas and/or restating details of content-related topics, as well as connecting ideas to one’s experiences (in home language and English). 
• Provide time for students to think and create an oral response (in home language and English).
• Model appropriate nonverbal behaviors to show engagement and listening.

Developing/Expanding:

• Provide examples of transitions to help students connect ideas. 
• Model examples of paraphrases and summaries that are presented orally
• Provide sentence stems and frames for questions.
• Provide frequent opportunities for students to participate in both structured and less structured dialogue.
• Provide examples of clarifying questions that students might ask.
• Model how to generate new questions to maintain conversations.

Bridging/Reaching:

• Model how to categorize details of main ideas seen and heard in videos and other technologies.
• Model how to sequence a series of illustrated events from oral passages.