Tabletop Twitter Silent Discussions are a fun twist on a traditional class discussion. The catch is that the whole conversation takes place SILENTLY on the chart paper! It's a fun alternate way to do a station rotation.

To set up, you’ll need to copy the large quotes and paste them onto larger poster size paper. I have included 7 questions so that you can place one at each table or station. They address characterization, symbolism, setting, word choice, etc. You will also need to project the 2 pages of directions onto your Smart Board, or make a copy of them and put them where students can see.

To begin this Tabletop Twitter, students will first read the question, then write an insightful answer. They may put a hashtag comment for fun after their comment. As the activity goes on, they have the option of responding to a comment that a classmate has already made as well. After a set time you deem appropriate for your students has elapsed, direct them to silently move to the next station.

After visiting all of the stations, students will return to the station where they began. You’ll put the second page of directions on the Smart Board, which instructs them to read all the comments and come to a consensus about which comment was the most thought-provoking or insightful, and which hashtag was the cleverest. Afterwards, they will report out to the rest of the class, and/or do a gallery walk to the other tables to see the final products!

If you are interested in differentiating this activity, I have included a set of questions with “helpful hints” for students to keep in mind as they address each question. I used these for my in-class support class.