Alexis Wiggins

“Spider Web Discussion: The Best Class You Never Taught”

Spider Web Roles

It can be helpful to assign roles to students during SPIDER Web depending on the number of students, dynamic, or goal. Here are some of the roles I have used during class to help give more direction and purpose when needed, or to help quiet “superstars” and encourage shy kids.

  1. Web Grapher: Graphs the conversation web. Circle the name of the student that starts, then draw a line from the first student who talks to the next. Continue.
  1. 3 Question Asker: Asks three, and only three, questions during the entire discussion, so they must be very thoughtful questions that aim to spark new or better discussion. Cannot speak aside from asking her three questions.
  1. Key Passage Leader: Identifies the 2 – 4 key parts of the text that need to be discussed and/or analyzed. They may be chosen for their key plot points or their depth/analytical merit. These are the passages that are key to the plot and/or understanding of the text – the big moments and passages. (Can be helpful to assign this role in advance.)
  1. Textual Evidence Leader: Keeps the discussion firmly rooted in the text. As people discuss, the Textual Evidence Leader tries to find the quote to support the point being discussed, or prompts the speaker to do so. If the class does this well on their own, the TEL may not need to prompt much, but they are there to remind the class of when they need to refer to the text to support their points.
  1. Rubric Leader: In charge of the rubric and the big picture of what’s happening in the discussion. Helps people accomplish their given roles by prompting them if need be, reminding them that they haven’t done x, y, or z as a group yet. May only speak once or twice near the middle or end of discussion to get the class focused on the goals.
  1. Host: Invites students to the discussion who are silent and have not yet participated much or at all. Hosts should aim to be a “good host” and offer less intimidating, easier questions to their “guests,” as being put on the spot is stressful. A question like, “What did you think, Jamie?” might seem easy but is often too vague for a shy student to tackle well. Worse, the student may not have been attentive and has been caught out in not knowing what is currently being discussed. So the Host is encouraged to learn to ask questions like, “Do you think he’s trustworthy as a character? Why not?” or “Why do you think she lies to her mother?” or “What do you like the most about this book? The least? Why?”
  1. Vocabulary/Literary Terms Leader: Charged with having a printout of the current vocabulary and literary terms we’re working on as a class and making sure that at least one new one is used each time, either by him or someone else in the class.
  1. Feedback Giver: The only student who is silent the whole class and is not expected to talk (i.e. cannot talk). The job of this student is to have a copy o the discussion rubric and to take notes throughout the whole discussion on what worked well and what didn’t. The feedback giver speaks only when the discussion has ended and the debriefing begins. The Web Grapher shows the graph of the discussion and the Feedback Giver then proceeds to share her observations.