As you listen to students talk with each other, use the note-taking guides to make notes about their discussion ideas and techniques. Then, you will easily be able to use the rubric to evaluate and assess their reading and thinking.

Provide students with a copy of the discussion rubric and discussion stems. You could have them put it in their Reader’s Notebook, so they have a frame of reference and know what you are looking for whenever they participate in partner, group or class discussions.

The included note-taking guides can be used to take quick notes about your students’ discussion techniques, as well as, their listening and speaking skills.

Included are small group note-taking guides and two whole-class note-taking guides. 
The small group is organized as a discussion circle. 

The whole class note-taking guides are arranged in a large class circle including 25 individual student spaces and a traditional classroom guide with 36 individual student spaces for note-taking.

There are codes at the bottom of each page to guide your note-taking and to make it a little quicker for you so that you will be more attentive to the discussion ideas rather than note-taking.