Name: _______________________

The Scarlet Letter: Pinwheel Discussion

Part 1: Prepare for the Discussion

Group Members: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Character: _________________________

Directions: Create interesting questions to ask during the discussion. Each group member will ask at
least one question to other characters, and answer questions as well. Be sure to prepare
INTERESTING questions for each of the other characters.

1) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

2) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

3) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

4) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

5) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

6) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

7) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

8) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

Directions: Now, prepare to answer ANY questions the other teams might ask YOU. Turn the page 
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Directions: In the space below, predict what questions other groups might ask your character.
Prepare to answer any questions they might ask you, as your character would (I, me, my). What
should you remember about your character to be prepared to answer these questions?

For example, how would your character answer the following example question:
What is your deepest desire in life and why?

What character traits best describe you (your character)? How can you show these traits? What
behaviors or mannerisms will show that you have these traits?

 I am ___________________: We can show this by

 I am ___________________: We can show this by

 I am___________________: We can show this by

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 Part 2: Extended Practice

Only work on these questions AFTER your entire group has practiced, practiced, practiced and
checked in with the teacher! 

Directions: On answer each of the following questions in the voice of your character. Use the
pronouns I, me, my to write in your character’s voice.

1. What motivates you in life? What do you desire most?

2. What conflicts or challenges have you faced? How did you respond to these challenges?
3. If you could change one action or decision, what would it be and why?
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you good at? What is hard for you?

Part 3: Listen During the Discussion

Directions: During the discussion, students are either participating, listening actively, or taking
notes. Use the space below to take notes during or after the discussion. Do not take notes on what
your group says. Do take notes on questions and answers that other groups say. Write at least 2
questions and at least 2 answers from the discussion. You may either complete the questions
below, or you may use the back of this page to organize your notes in your own way (your choice).

Question: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who asked this Question? _________________________________
Answers: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who answered this question? ______________________________
Do you agree or disagree with the team’s response to this question? Do you believe they answered it
the way that their character would?

Question: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who asked this Question? _________________________________
Answers: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who answered this question? ______________________________
Did you agree or disagree with the team’s response to this question? Do you believe they answered it
the way that their character would?

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 ACC Question Writing Resource

Sentence stems for writing interesting questions:

Why did…
What would you … if…
How did / do you feel about…
Do you agree or disagree that … and why?
If you could ….
Would you rather…

Sentence stems for writing interesting questions:

Why did…
What would you … if…
How did / do you feel about…
Do you agree or disagree that … and why?
If you could ….
Would you rather…

Sentence stems for writing interesting questions:

Why did…
What would you … if…
How did / do you feel about…
Do you agree or disagree that … and why?
If you could ….
Would you rather…

Sentence stems for writing interesting questions:

Why did…
What would you … if…
How did / do you feel about…
Do you agree or disagree that … and why?
If you could ….
Would you rather…

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 Name: ________________________

The Scarlet Letter: Pinwheel Discussion

Part 1: Prepare for the Discussion

Group Members: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Role: Discussion Facilitators (leaders)

Directions: Your role is unique, because you will be in charge of keeping the discussion moving.
During the discussion, you must make sure that each character answers each question completely,
and that every person has a chance to talk / share their point of view.

What will your team say or ask if a character does not say enough?

What will your team say or ask if a character does not completely answer the question?

What will your team do or say if nobody has an answer to a question?

Hint: Did they hear / understand the question?

What else should your team be ready to say or do to keep the discussion moving?

Directions: Now, prepare at least 5 interesting questions to ask, predict how each character will
answer your questions, and assign each question to a person in your group. Each facilitator will have
a chance to lead one round. During the discussion, if a character answers a question in a way that you
disagree with, you should respectfully disagree and share your idea!

Below is an example of an interesting discussion question. Fill in the blanks to predict how each
character would answer this question: What is your deepest desire in life and why? In other
words, what do you want most in life?
- Hester would say that her deepest desire is to be free of ____________________________ or to find
happiness with ______________________________________________________________________________________
- Arthur Dimmesdale would say that his deepest desire is to be a good _______________________
and to be free of _____________________________________________________________________________________
- Roger Chillingworth would say that his deepest desire is to ____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Question 1) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 2) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 3) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 4) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

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 - What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 5) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 6) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

Question 7) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________?
How can you rephrase this question, if the characters are confused?

Who will ask this question? ___________________________

- What would Hester’s answer be?

- What would Dimmesdale’s answer be?

- What would Chillingworth’s answer be?

7
 Part 2: Facilitator Notes During the Discussion
Directions: During the discussion, students are either participating, listening actively, or taking
notes. Use the space below to take notes during or after the discussion. Do not take notes on what
your group says. Write at least two ideas that each character says during the discussion. As the
facilitator, you will conference with your group at the end of the discussion and decide which team
BEST represented their assigned character. These notes will help you decide who, and why.

Hester’s ideas

Dimmesdale’s ideas

Chillingworth’s ideas

Which team do you believe did the best at answering all questions as their character really would?
Give reasons to support your choice.