Picture of the Day: IS Discussion Classes

These pictures are of my second year International Studies (IS) course students during our discussion classes. Thirty students belong to the second year IS program, but we usually split the class into three groups of 10, which also helps promote discussion.

I also have the students move their chairs to the middle of the room, which I think has been really effective in creating a more comfortable environment for group discussions:

The students in the next picture look a little more relaxed than the ones in the previous group, probably because we spent a lot of time joking around and talking about slang during this lesson:

We are currently focusing on a unit on Friendship and personality traits, so the girls in the next picture are talking about what traits are most important to them in a friendship, while they also practice model conversations.

Most of the students chose 1) thoughtfulness, 2) honesty and 3) trustworthiness as the most important qualities in a friend.. which I would agree are pretty important. 

I wonder if American students would prioritize traits differently?