Imagine a classroom where students are actively engaged in discussions, exchanging ideas, and deepening their understanding through structured conversations. That’s exactly what the Conver-Stations Protocol fosters—a dynamic and interactive way to review, reflect, and connect learning across an inquiry
What is the Conver-Stations Protocol?
Conver-stations encourage continuous dialogue in small, rotating groups, allowing students to explore different perspectives on a topic. Instead of staying in static discussions, students move between groups, integrating ideas and refining their thinking. This strategy works well with complex discussion prompts, multimedia sources, or inquiry-based reflection tasks.
How to Use the Conver-Stations Protocol in Your Classroom
Follow these steps to facilitate an engaging and effective Conver-Stations discussion.
Step 1: Set the Stage for Success
Before starting, establish discussion norms to create a supportive environment:
Encourage active listening by using sentence stems like “Yes, and...” or “I hear that you think… but I think…”
Ensure equal participation by inviting quieter students to share their thoughts.
Stay on topic and respect others' perspectives.
Pro Tip: Post discussion norms on the board or provide students with a visual reference to reinforce expectations throughout the activity.
Step 2: Organize Student Groups
Arrange students into groups of four and have them number off 1-4.
Assign each group to a different Question Station, where they will discuss a specific prompt, image, video, or text excerpt for 3–5 minutes.
Step 3: Begin the First Rotation
Students discuss their assigned question or source within their original group.
They share insights, build on ideas, and challenge each other’s thinking.
Step 4: Rotate and Expand the Discussion
Direct students who are 1s and 2s to move to a different Question Station, while 3s and 4s remain.
The original group members explain their discussion to the new arrivals before continuing the conversation.
Pro Tip: Provide students with discussion note sheets to track key ideas from each rotation. This helps them integrate new perspectives.
Step 5: Continue Rotating
Direct 3s and 4s to rotate while 1s and 2s stay put.
Repeat the process, ensuring that all students interact with multiple perspectives before returning to their original group.
Step 6: Debrief and Reflect
Facilitate a whole-class discussion where students share key takeaways, surprising insights, and remaining questions.
Encourage students to identify connections between discussions and consider how their thinking evolved throughout the rotations.
Use this reflection to set goals for future discussions.
Pro Tip: Ask students to write a quick reflection on how their understanding changed or how they contributed to the conversation.
Why Use the Conver-Stations Protocol?
Conver-Stations take student discussions to the next level by:
Encouraging deep engagement with multiple perspectives.
Strengthening listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills.
Providing structured movement to maintain energy and focus.
Allowing students to build on prior knowledge in a collaborative setting.
With the Conver-Stations Protocol, discussions become fluid, student-driven, and deeply engaging—turning your classroom into a hub of inquiry and conversation. Try it out and watch your students thrive in meaningful dialogue!
About inquirED
inquirED was founded by teachers with the mission of bringing inquiry-based social studies to every classroom. Inquiry Journeys, inquirED’s elementary social studies curriculum, is used in schools and districts across the country to help students develop deep social studies content knowledge and build the inquiry skills that are essential for a thriving democracy.
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