Ms. Discussion Meltdown and her students are in desperate need of your help in creating an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable to challenge one another in a respectful and intelligent manner. To get a feel for this classroom, read the transcript below of a recent classroom discussion. As you do so, try to identify both problems in this discussion and the ways that these problems might be addressed. When finished reading the transcript, you will be asked to discuss the prompts below with your peers before engaging in your final task. You might peruse the prompts before reading the transcript.

1. What are some specific problems or limitations in this discussion?

2. What was Ms. Discussion Meltdown's role in the unraveling of this discussion?

3. During this discussion, what actions might Ms. Discussion Meltdown have taken to steer this discussion in a positive direction?

4. Drawing on the podcast you listened to, what planning might Ms. Discussion Meltdown do to ward against students personally
attacking one another in her classroom?

5. In the future, what might Ms. Discussion Meltdown do in her
classroom to foster an environment in which students will both
challenge and respect one another in discussion? Before responding, review to both the "Discussion Starters" and "Fostering Student Interaction" sections of Chapter 10.

Now that you've discussed ways to address Ms. Discussion Meltdown's dilemma, it's time to create a discussion plan that you believe will engage students in respectful and intellectual discussion. Click on "Flip the Script" to do so.