This study was conducted to analyze how students make sense of science through small-group discussions. The focus was on the process of turn-taking observed during such discussions. While large-group discussions tend to be organized, small-group discussions tend to be disorganized, that is, characterized by overlapping discourse. However, the overlapping discourse helps the students make sense of science. Back-channel discourse, conflicting discourse, and cooperative discourse are three types of overlapping discourse that contribute to scientific sense-making. 1. Back-channel discourse enco...