Setting up cooperative groups in the classroom requires thoughtful planning and careful instruction. Cooperative groups are most effective in a safe learning environment that is well managed. Teachers need to manage the noise, materials, and physical classroom environment, as well as giving directions and solving problems. After a lot of set up, multiple opportunities for the group to work together need to be given and used appropriately.
Roles
Students need to be given explicit roles in the group during cooperative group activities. Each student needs to have a clearly defined role to accomplish, such as a recorder who writes all of the notes and/or the answers. Other roles can include time-keeper, presenter, and facilitator. The roles should be modeled for the students in explicit teaching as frequently as needed. Each role gives the student a purpose and can be assigned randomly or strategically by the teacher.
Students need to be given explicit roles in the group during cooperative group activities. Each student needs to have a clearly defined role to accomplish, such as a recorder who writes all of the notes and/or the answers. Other roles can include time-keeper, presenter, and facilitator. The roles should be modeled for the students in explicit teaching as frequently as needed. Each role gives the student a purpose and can be assigned randomly or strategically by the teacher.
Think-Pair-Share
Think-Pair-Share is a quick activity that gets students thinking about the given topic or lesson and sharing their thoughts with their fellow students. The first step is one of the most important steps that is frequently missed or forgotten. Students need time to collect their thoughts before sharing with a partner. Next, the students are asked to pair up and share with a partner, typically the student sitting next-to or near them. This part of the activity encourages free expression and discussion of the topic at hand. This gets students engaged in active thought processes and using metacognitive skills. Lastly, the sharing can then be done as a class, with each pair sharing-out their thoughts or solution.
Think-Pair-Share is a quick activity that gets students thinking about the given topic or lesson and sharing their thoughts with their fellow students. The first step is one of the most important steps that is frequently missed or forgotten. Students need time to collect their thoughts before sharing with a partner. Next, the students are asked to pair up and share with a partner, typically the student sitting next-to or near them. This part of the activity encourages free expression and discussion of the topic at hand. This gets students engaged in active thought processes and using metacognitive skills. Lastly, the sharing can then be done as a class, with each pair sharing-out their thoughts or solution.
Jigsaw
A jigsaw activity breaks up a larger activity into smaller, more manageable parts that student groups can complete and share out. Each group (expert group) gets a task to complete, such as summarizing the main points of a story, paragraph, or other text. After the students summarize in their group, each student from the group should be prepared to share in a second group. The second grouping includes a person from each original group. This second grouping should then have one person able to share out about each chapter, story or part of the text. Then students will present their knowledge about their portion of the text.
A jigsaw activity breaks up a larger activity into smaller, more manageable parts that student groups can complete and share out. Each group (expert group) gets a task to complete, such as summarizing the main points of a story, paragraph, or other text. After the students summarize in their group, each student from the group should be prepared to share in a second group. The second grouping includes a person from each original group. This second grouping should then have one person able to share out about each chapter, story or part of the text. Then students will present their knowledge about their portion of the text.
Reverse Jigsaw
A reverse jigsaw activity is similar to regular jigsaw in that student groups (expert groups) prepare their notes and/or presentations in their group in the same way. After their material is planned out, instead of teaching their topic in another small group the expert group teaches their content to the rest of the class.
A reverse jigsaw activity is similar to regular jigsaw in that student groups (expert groups) prepare their notes and/or presentations in their group in the same way. After their material is planned out, instead of teaching their topic in another small group the expert group teaches their content to the rest of the class.
Write-Around
In this activity students are grouped together and write parts of a story, a graphic organizer, or other written activity. One student may start with a line summarizing a text or creating a new text and then pass it to the next student who adds their line. This continues until each student has contributed and/or a second round adding to the story. For a graphic organizer, each student responds to a prompt in their "box" then the paper is turned and each student responds to the other students' response. This activity concludes when each student has written a comment on each of their peers' statements.
In this activity students are grouped together and write parts of a story, a graphic organizer, or other written activity. One student may start with a line summarizing a text or creating a new text and then pass it to the next student who adds their line. This continues until each student has contributed and/or a second round adding to the story. For a graphic organizer, each student responds to a prompt in their "box" then the paper is turned and each student responds to the other students' response. This activity concludes when each student has written a comment on each of their peers' statements.