The task of in-class discussions is always to get as many voices represented as possible. The fishbowl technique puts students in an ownership position of the class discussion. It lets them ask and answer thoughtful questions that synthesize their thoughts and viewpoints with vital class content.

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The fishbowl method should be implemented to facilitate broader discussions and help all students find their voice in their school. By the end of the discourse, students will be confident that they’ve been in the water with you all along. The outward processing of information will deepen understanding and be a confidence booster for the class. This is education.

What Is a Fishbowl Discussion?

A fishbowl discussion is a strategy for organizing student-led group discussions. A fishbowl discussion is similar to a Socratic seminar but increases the chances for participation. For a fishbowl discussion, you’ll separate your class into a talking group and one or more observing groups. Groups will rotate throughout, ensuring everyone gets a chance to speak in this student-centered strategy.

This technique puts a group of students on center stage to discuss among themselves. The rest of the class takes notes on the discussion’s content and the students’ performance in the “fishbowl” itself.

By giving students ownership of the discussion, you’ll see participation increase. The observers will also discuss the most interesting points brought up by each fishbowl and provide constructive feedback on how each individual contributed to the group.

Talking Is Just Like Swimming: Steps for A Great Discussion

You’re a content expert who loves teaching. Your passion will rub off on your students, and they will show you they know how to swim when you guide them to the fishbowl.

Just follow these steps to create an unforgettable lesson for your classroom.

1. Create a List of Questions

Create a list of open-ended questions related to the text. Students should have access to these questions ahead of time. Perhaps the students help generate several of these questions the period before discussion day. You can post the questions within the classroom, on your Canvas page, or in Google Classroom.

They should all be thick questions—reasonable minds should be able to have differing opinions and responses. The answers should be debatable, conversational, and transitional.

2. Group Students Together

You know your class dynamics and should pool students together into balanced groups. You could start with dividing out your most consistent communicators—students you know who won’t be too shy to get the ball rolling.

These groups can be as small as two people or as large as half of the class. You will probably want to use 4-6 students per group to have enough thought diversity for the conversation to stay vibrant.

My favorite method for grouping students for a fishbowl discussion was pre-determined combinations. Then, I would number students inside each group (each group would have a number one, two, etc.). That way, at the end of the discussion, I can quickly repair all the like-numbers together for debriefing.

During the discussion, students can pay particular attention to their like-numbered partners.

3. Assign Questions to Separate Groups

As the facilitator, your main job will be to pose questions to the group in the fish bowl and to keep the conversation flowing. Ideally, you will need to speak less and less as the class gets used to the concept. You may incorporate questions from other groups into every or several fishbowls. Doing so is entirely dependent on your meta topic. However, each group should be responsible for a certain number of questions to cover more information that will benefit your students.

Assigning the questions (some of which can be student-generated) is another way of providing ownership to the class. When students feel a sense of autonomy and drive in their education, they are more likely to increase their effort.

4. Responsibilities for those Observing

While in the fishbowl, students should be attentive to their interlocutors, understand the questions to be discussed, and loop everyone in their group into the conversation.

While observing, students should take notes of the discussion. If your groups require additional accountability, you can have the observers rate the speakers’ contributions. Students could then have the opportunity to personally debrief their efforts while in the fishbowl with their peers.

5. Add Some Fish to Your Bowl

High school students are taking part in a discussion—photo from Canva.

Bring up the first group. You may have this group sitting in the front of the classroom or the middle of a circle. Prepare a timer. The time for each session will depend on how many groups you have, the age of your students, and the time in class. You should leave sometime after the last group to have a formal debrief and avoid having a group get cut off from the bell.

Kick things off with an open-ended question. When possible, get out of the way and let the students lead. You may want to pace the room to keep the observers accountable to the lesson, but your primary focus should be keeping the conversation going.

6. Catch and Release

After the allotted time, students should rotate to the next group. Remember to kick things off with a sure-fire question to get the ball rolling. 

7. Clean the Tank

After the final group, it’s time to debrief. During this time, the class can work through some of the following questions:

  • What is an observation you made during the discussions?
  • What is one thing that you heard that you agreed with?
  • What is one thing that you heard that you disagreed with?
  • What is a question that you wanted to discuss but wasn’t?
  • Was there a question that you wish your group could have discussed?

This debriefing can be organized in several ways. The easiest would be a full-class discussion with you moderating. You could also divide the students into new groups. 

My favorite way is having a member of each of the original fishbowl groups join a new debriefing group. As I mentioned above, you could do this by numbering each student in their original groups and then matching the like numbers across all groups. This would make the debriefing session student-led, which has the chance for both the greatest discussion and the biggest distractions.

Finally, before the end of class, ask one final question for your debriefers to answer. This both regains control of the classroom and allows you to add one last note to the day.

Guidelines for Fishbowl Discussions

Use the fishbowl method to solidify content understanding whenever you want an encompassing discussion. Here are some great times to incorporate the strategy:

  • When having just read a long text
  • As a summative assessment
  • When discussing a topic with opposing or multiple viewpoints
  • When comparing multiple texts

A fishbowl discussion is a wonderful opportunity to practice mindful listening. Students will be able to show their peers that they can respectfully listen and analyze the viewpoints of others. They will know that their voice is valued and desired to be in the conversation.

If you think your class needs extra emotional learning from this exercise, you can add some extra questions to your debriefing time. You can ask how it felt being in the fishbowl vs. being an observer. Always feel free to take the time to work through any complicated feelings that arise during the activity. While this is especially important with a younger class, students of all ages can benefit from an emotional debriefing as well.

Fishbowl Topic Examples

  • Who or what is most at fault for the deaths in The Crucible?
  • What were some of the leading causes of _________ War?
  • Who is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
  • Discussing what makes music good.
  • Debating Federalism.
  • Comparing The Hate U Give to A Raisin In the Sun.
  • Examining the motives of the animals from Animal Farm.

Fishbowl Discussion Checklist

  • Prepare your questions ahead of time.
  • Inform students about the upcoming activity at least one day prior.
  • Decide how students will be assessed as speakers and as observers.
  • Determine how groups will be created.
  • Have goals in mind for the discussion—feel free to ad-lib in some questions if the conversation is leading in new directions.
  • Be mindful of the debriefing period. Some students will start mentally checking out after the last fishbowl.

Fishbowl Discussion FAQ

Why Is It Called a Fishbowl Discussion?

This method places a segment of the class into an isolated bubble—a fishbowl—while the rest of the class quietly observes the student-led discussion.

Is the Fishbowl Method Better Than a Socratic Seminar?

Each method has pros and cons, but the fishbowl technique has more intentionality in its design. Students who usually talk too much during a Socratic seminar are restricted to their time in the fishbowl—leaving plenty of space for students who typically let others speak to add their voice to the discussion.

Does the Fishbowl Method Work in Elementary School?

Yes, it absolutely can. I would recommend smaller groups and shorter timeframes, but you can certainly do this with younger students.