A/B Partner Talk Protocol

This protocol was developed to scaffold equitable partner talk for how/why reasoning. It reinforces a culture of student talk in which ideas about science are worth probing, expanding, critiquing, and revising. This protocol has been particularly useful for teachers who wonder, “how do I begin the shift my classroom culture away from ‘right answers’ talk and towards collaborative knowledge construction talk?” The protocol includes space for children to reflect on how their partner’s ideas have impacted their thinking, which can extended as an opportunity for classrooms to discuss and develop explicit talk norms that emphasize sense making and equitable participation over right answers.