Engaging Learning Strategies

 Carousel

PurposeTo share information or ideas with a group: most commonly used to deepen understanding

Process Write one topic or question at the top of each piece of paper (use chart paper if ideas are to be shared with the

entire class). Create as many groups as there are topics or questions.

Each group moves to a paper at the teacher’s signal and writes an answer to the question or comments on topic.

At the teacher’s signal, groups move to the next stop (paper) on the carousel.

Audience AssessmentGive each group a different color of marker; each group must add one comment to each chart. Everyone writes, rotating the responsibility at each stop.

Variations and Extensions

Each group takes one of the charts and exhibits to the whole class the main ideas of the chart.

Post the charts and refer to them later as needed.

Individuals or groups of students go around a second time and add Post-its to reply or add to the previously-written comments.

Resources NeededPaper, markers, Post-its (optional)

Cooperative Board Relays

PurposeTo practice with content; show what you know

Process Students form several groups; each group is given a section of the board to write on

The leader poses an open-ended question or a thought-provoking statement

Teams get 30 seconds to discuss

One player from each team takes a turn at the board to write answers to the question in the team’s space in a given amount of time (15-60 seconds)

The next player can either add to the previous player’s answer or write new information

Teams may borrow from other teams’ answers

The game is over when all teams have answers that show knowledge and understanding of the topic Audience Assessment

Everyone sees all the answers. All players have the chance to answer and add ideas.

Examples The leader may say:

List 3 events from our novel.

What are examples of irony?

Draw the parts of a flower and describe their function.

List everything you know so far about our new unit on the water cycle. Variations and Extensions Students must only draw pictures to answer questions.

Each group works on a question together and draws the answer together.

Give points for each part of a drawing that shows knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Exit Card Assessment

PurposeTo quickly assess some aspect of the day’s class: most commonly used for showing what you know

ProcessStudents are given a notecard and are asked to answer a few questions as their ticket, or Exit Card, out of the room.

Examples Questions for the Exit Card:

What are three new ideas you learned today about density?

What are two things that went well with your group today?

What are two questions you have for our guest speaker tomorrow?

Fan and Pick

PurposeTo recall information and demonstrate comprehension: most commonly used for showing what you know

Process 1. Teacher prepares cards containing questions, words to define, or tasks to do, quotes to identify, or problems to solve2. Students form groups of 4 members3. Each team member has a role:

first person fans the cards

second person picks a card and reads aloud

third person answers question, defines word, etc.

fourth person “tutors” (helps respond to the challenge posed by the card)

4. Roles rotate with each new pick

Gallery Walk

PurposeTo share individual or group information with the whole class: most commonly used to deepen understanding

ProcessStudents individually or in groups create a product from a given assignment. They place their products around the room on tables or the walls. Students then walk the gallery to see each other’s work.

ExamplesPost art work, writing, projects, mind maps, or any other group or individual piece of work

Audience AssessmentEach student must have an assessment question accompanying her display, and viewers write answers.

Variation and Extensions Stay and Stray: Students post their work as in a Gallery Walk, but one student from the group

stays with the work to explain it to viewers. Teacher signals every minute or so, whereupon a different person from each group stays with the display.

As they proceed along the Gallery Walk, students take notes on anything they question. Then they speak to the student who made the work about their questions. An alternative is for students to write comments or questions on a card, Post-it, or piece of paper that is attached next to the exhibit piece.

Resources NeededWall and/or table space, Post-its, index cards, sheet paper for comments

Inside-outside Circle

PurposeTo engage students in conversation about topics with a variety of partners—this structure provides a low-stress, high-engagement atmosphere: most commonly used for processing

ProcessStudents form a circle within a circle and pair up. One student in the pair is in the outside ring and one in the inside. The teacher then asks a question, generated by either the teacher or a student, to which partners respond in a minute or two. The inside ring then moves clockwise a given number of spaces to talk with someone new about the same question or a new one.

Examples Problem-solving focus: What do we need to do so we can include more people in our groups?

Content Focus: Should we continue spending money on the U.S. space program?

Content Focus: In your opinion, what was the most troubling issue concerning the colonists? What would you have done to solve it?

Audience AssessmentEach student in a pair can share one insight (select randomly from around the circle). Students can individually summarize the main points of their conversations. Teacher can scribe a whole-group brainstormed list of ideas from the conversations.

Jigsaw

PurposeTo learn large amounts of information quickly

ProcessStudents work in groups of three to six to become experts on an overall theme or unit of study. They learn about the topic and prepare a way to present it. Then students split into mixed groups to share what they have learned with others.

Examples Amendments to the Constitution

Geometric shapes

Types of catastrophic natural events (tornados, blizzards, tsunamis etc.)

Main events in a book or character studies; for example: Six groups of four each read about an event or character; students reform into four groups of six each and present to each other the four different characters

Audience/AssessmentAll students present information.

Variations and Extensions Group members use a graphic organizer or other note-taking method to record what is presented by experts.

Experts create questions on their material for a quiz.

Resources NeededText for jigsaw groups to study (one for each person)

Mind Mapping

 PurposeTo process learned information: most commonly used to deepen understanding

ProcessStudents use color, visuals, shapes, lines, keywords, etc., to create an image that represents their thinking about a topic.

Examples Mind Mapping topics could be:

Students map the main characters of a book and include personality traits. Examples of the traits note page numbers and descriptive information, such as age, color of hair etc.

Students map four different ways to display mathematical data collected from a survey. Audience Assessment

For group maps, each student can be given a certain section of the map or a certain colored marker. Students make a key to indicate which section each student completed. Each student can also then be an expert on his section, and teach another.

Variations and Extensions Using a Carousel, students add to each other’s maps.

Students can write paragraphs about the topics on the map.

Random Partnering

PurposeTo quickly partner students so they can process information and share thinking: most commonly used for processing

ProcessPartners are assigned in fun, simple, quick ways, based on a category or concept

Examples CLOCK: Students draw a clock with the hours indicated, and are given time to sign up partners for each of the

hours. Teachers then call for clock partners:Discuss the homework questions with your 10 o’clock partner.

SEASON: summer, fall, winter, and spring partners

COLORS: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue partners

SCREAMING EYES: Students stand in a circle with their eyes looking at the floor. At the count of three, they lift their eyes and scream if they make contact with another pair of eyes. Those who make eye contact are then partners. Repeat until everyone has a partner.

ANIMALS: Each student takes slip with an animal name written on it (there are two slips for each animal); students find their like-animal either by asking or by making the sound of that animal.

OPPOSITES: Slips with antonyms or pairs like salt and pepper, are used to pair students

SYNONYMS: Slips with a word and its synonym are used to pair students

Ready, Set, Recall

PurposeTo recall and document material learned at a prior time or to engage students in a new topic by eliciting what they already know about it: most commonly used for showing what you know

Process Students list everything they can remember about a new or already-taught topic.

Individuals then team up to combine their lists.

In round-robin format, the teams create a composite class list. When a team can no longer add anything new, they pass for the moment, but might come back in again later if an idea occurs.

Examples Recall everything you know about:

Weather

Battles in the Civil War

Main events or characters in a story Audience Assessment

A different student from a team must share each time during the round robin. Collect individual student brainstorm lists. After the process is over, have each student create a list of new learning.

Variations and Extensions Make a game to see which team is the last to pass.

Students circle unfamiliar topics, and underline or highlight topics they know well. Students then group and regroup to learn from and teach each other.

If used to begin a unit, students could group by study topics.

Say Something!

Purpose To discuss and create deeper understanding for a text while a class reads it together: most commonly used for processing

Process In pairs, students read a section of a textbook, article, etc., and then each says something

about what they just read. Speakers can make a personal connection, note something they found interesting or confusing, or a main point of the section.

They continue to read and “say something” until they are finished with the reading. Stress that students should say one thing, not lots of things.

ExamplesStudents might say:I think I know where this story is going—Marvin is going to get lost in the woods, I’ll bet.

Yeah, and the author is setting things up for some stormy weather to make it scarier.

Audience Assessment Each partner must contribute each time they pause to discuss.

Snowball

PurposeTo recall information, solve problems, and frame relevant questions: most commonly used for processing

Process Give students half or whole sheets of scrap paper on which they write an open-ended question

At the count, students crumple their papers into snowballs and toss them into a pile

Each student picks up a snowball and writes an answer to the question

Students re-crumple their papers, toss them into a pile, and retrieve another one to write on

Repeat as often as there is room on the paper Examples

Snowball questions might be: What is your favorite part of the novel?

What would you do in the main character’s predicament?

What is an important event in the American Revolution, and why was it important?

What is one thing you know about the battles of the Civil War?

Solve a math problem; second-round person: Do you agree with the solution?

Stay and Stray

 PurposeTo share and gain information about group work products; to gather a sense of the thinking of the class

Process1. Work groups post products and decide the order in which single members will stay to explain and answer questions while the rest stray. 2. At the leader’s signal, the first “stay” members remain with their products while the “stray” members move to other groups’ products. 3. At every signal to change, a different group member goes back to stay with the group’s work, and everyone else (including the person who first stayed) moves on to view the next product. The result is that everyone sees all but one product.

Examples Groups examine each other’s culminating projects for a unit.

Groups examine each other’s “want-to-know” questions as class begins a unit. One group agrees to compile all the lists.

Audience/AssessmentEach group’s ideas and work are publicly seen. Groups can post response sheets to gather audience feedback.

 Think, Ink, Pair, Share

PurposeTo engage learners in conversation; to scaffold speaking in large groups, especially for groups that are unwilling to or lacking confidence to speak in larger groups: most commonly used for processing

Process Students think about a question or topic for 1-2 minutes

Students write down their thoughts

Students share with one or two partners about a given topic for a given amount of time (assign one partner to be first; be strict about time so each one gets an equal amount of sharing time)

One student shares the small-group comments with the entire group

Whip Share

PurposeTo increase participation, make connections, and deepen understanding: most commonly used for processing

ProcessTeacher or student creates a sentence stem which each student finishes one at a time around the circle (or room).

Examples Sentence stems could be:

My favorite scene in the book was … because ….

One thing that surprised me about the video was….

The most dangerous kind of weather is… because ….

One place I could use some help on my project is ….