Kagan Structure: Inside - Outside Circle by Natalie Robinson

What is it? How does it work?

natalierae23 — 2025-10-10 16:55:31 UTC

A strategy where students create two circles, a small circle on the inside and a larger circle on the outside. Students discuss prompts given to them from the teacher. These prompts can be answering questions, discussing topics, or a problem. Each circle rotates so students can talk to each other.

Inside- Outside Circle

natalierae23 — 2025-10-10 16:56:30 UTC

natalierae23 — 2025-10-10 16:58:01 UTC

Classroom Application

natalierae23 — 2025-10-10 17:04:03 UTC

I would use this strategy when I wanted students to discuss with each other. This strategy is good because it gets kids up and moving. It also helps students talk to a variety of their peers instead of just talking to their partners or table groups. Specifically I would use this strategy during a socratic circle or discussing a book we just read. I also like the idea of using this for Social Studies and discussing Social Studies topics.

Sample Activity

natalierae23 — 2025-10-10 17:08:08 UTC

Socratic Circle:

Students finish reading a chapter/book.
Students use the Inside - Outside Circle method to discuss questions the teacher provides them about the text they read.

Question examples:

"How did the character _____ develop throughout the story?"
"what was the overall message of the story?"
"What are some predictions you can make for the rest of the story?"