Fishbowl

What Is It?

In a fishbowl, students form two circles. The students in the inner circle model an expectation while students in the outer circle observe and take notes.

Fishbowls can be used as a way for a teacher to have students model language or behavior expectations for the class, or they can be a discussion tool where a small group of students has a discussion while the rest of the class watches and takes notes. Periodically, students will shift out of their role as a note-taker to join the discussion and share their own thoughts or perspective.

This addresses both content and language objectives while students are engaged in a content-based activity.

Why Use It?

We use the fishbowl...

• To center students as models for the language and behavior expectations in partner work.

• To clarify any misconception of the tasks, the use of materials and resources, as well as behaviors.

• To engage students in both content and language objectives while working on a content-based activity.

Instructional Steps:

When used to model expectations and language:

1) Students form a circle to watch and listen to two students in the center of the circle as the teacher guides them in the step-by-step directions.

2) Guided by the teacher, the two students engage in an activity and the sentence stems to be used as they engage in an activity such as an open (categories are not given) or a closed (categories are pre-defined) sort, matching, a science exploration, re-reading a book part or retelling.

3) All students then pair up to engage in the activity using the activity that was modeled.

When used as a discussion tool:

1. Choose a central topic or text. Develop an open-ended question to start the discussion. If using a text, students may read the text before hand or the strategy may be used to introduce the text (i.e., create a question that makes the central them relevant to the students).

2. Ask for or select 4-5 volunteers to be in the “fishbowl.” Only the students in the fishbowl are allowed to talk. After a class demonstration with one “fishbowl”, there can be several “fishbowls” organized in the classroom to ensure that all students are engaged.

3. Instruct the outer circle to remain quiet, observe and take notes on the content and process of the inner circle’s discussion.

4. The first few times, play the role of the facilitator yourself. Once the process is familiar, select a student facilitator. The facilitator does not participate in the discussion, but poses questions along the way to prompt deeper discussion and to ask sure everyone inside the fishbowl has a chance to talk.

5. At first or with younger students, identify the focus of the discussion and provide text dependent questions for students to answer during the fishbowl discussion.

6. Allow the conversation to progress where students take it. Rotate students in and out of the fishbowl throughout the course of the discussion. Set up a procedure ahead of time so students know to expect this rotation. Allow the fishbowl discussion to continue for at least 15- 20 minutes, depending of the students’ age.

7. After all students have rotated through the fishbowl, divide the class into small groups and invite students to debrief. Students can use their observations from the outer circle to highlight strengths of the discussion and make suggestions for ways to engage each other more meaningfully. The following discussion starters may facilitate the conversations:

   1. What did you observe during the discussion of the text?

   2. What is one thing you heard that is similar to your point of view?

   3. What is one thing with which you disagree?

   4. How did you feel while on the outside of the fishbowl?

   5. How did you feel while on the inside of the fishbowl?

8. Wrap up the process with a full class discussion about the discussion Pose a final question and give everyone an opportunity to talk to a partner. After this discussion, you may have the students do a quick write answering the guiding question.

9. Add these specific questions to scaffold the experience for Emergent Bilinguals:

   1. Observer question: What helped you understand the information that was being shared (context or non-verbal cues, use if L1, etc)?

   2. Fishbowl questions: How do you feel knowing that peers were listening to what you were saying? What do you wish you could have said more clearly or what point do you wish you could have made in your first language?