Snowballing Discussion Strategy: Explanation
Imagine a snowball rolling down a snow-covered hill.
The more it travels the more mass it picks up.
As it progresses, the snow that is in its path is removed from the ground and becomes part of the snowball.
At the bottom of the hill, it stops rolling.
Now, it is considerably larger than what it was at the start of its journey.
This activity works in the same way: the movement from small to large through the accumulation of similar material.
To begin, learners are asked to think silently about a question, statement or topic.
They are invited to make a few notes about their thoughts, and are then asked to turn to the person next to them and to share what they have come up with.
Pairs discuss their ideas and compare notes.
They search for common ground and identify where they agree.
Pairs are then asked to form a group of four with another pair.
The process of sharing is repeated, with each pair taking it in turns to relay their thoughts, including an explanation of those points on which they agreed and those points that remained contentious.
Finally, everyone is brought back together by the teacher and different groups of four share their thoughts with the whole class.
The comments made here can form the basis of a whole-class discussion or can be left unchallenged (depending on the teacher’s goals).
Snowballing Discussion Strategy: Example
Topic: Imagery in a poem.
The activity begins with each learner thinking about how imagery is used in a poem they have recently been studying.
Learners note down their thoughts. This could include specific examples from the text, general comments, or questions they have.
The teacher signals for learners to move into pairs.
Each pair discusses their ideas.
It may be, for example, that in one pair, Learner A feels the use of imagery is derivative and lacks originality, whereas Learner B feels it is intended to conform to a particular tradition.
Such disagreement leads to a useful discussion.
The discussion snowballs again as pairs move into groups of four.
In our example, it may be that Learner A is now outnumbered three to one and must try to persuade the others of their point of view.
Finally, the teacher brings the class back together and leads a whole-class discussion, beginning with two or three groups summarising what they discussed.
Snowballing Discussion Strategy: Extensions and Developments
- When learners are thinking individually, ask them to note down three points. They should share these in their pairs so they have six points that they must then whittle down to three. In groups of four, the same thing happens. This results in a process of discussion and refinement. Ultimately, you want the groups to have three solid points they can bring to any whole-class discussion.
- An alternative is to go from thinking individually to working in a group of three to working in a group of six. This is harder to manage for the teacher (particularly the groups of six) but presents learners with a different discussion experience. And it can be a lot of fun!
