Activities that Create Opportunities for Interaction and Group Work
Hand, Mouth, Ear and No
What is it for?
Facilitating clear roles in group work while practicing skills such as active listening, giving clear directions and analyzing information.
How does it work?
Each student in a group of 4 gets one card. Each card defines a specific role in the group.
I most recently used it for a reading group working with the book Stone Fox. I photocopied pictures from the text and pasted them on card stock. The groups had to put the pictures of the story in chronological order by laying that out on a table. Using the In order to do this, they had to be specific not only about the characters and action depicted in the pictures but also about word
This is an activity I adapted from Tools for the Mind.
Facilitating clear roles in group work while practicing skills such as active listening, giving clear directions and analyzing information.
How does it work?
Each student in a group of 4 gets one card. Each card defines a specific role in the group.
- The EAR only listens, it does not speak or use hands. This card gives the student a chance to listen and learn from others' mistakes.
- The MOUTH speaks but does not use hand or any other body language. It allows students to practice giving clear and specific directions.
- The HAND listens to and does exactly what the mouth says.
- The NO can only say "No" when he or she disagrees with what is happening.
I most recently used it for a reading group working with the book Stone Fox. I photocopied pictures from the text and pasted them on card stock. The groups had to put the pictures of the story in chronological order by laying that out on a table. Using the In order to do this, they had to be specific not only about the characters and action depicted in the pictures but also about word
This is an activity I adapted from Tools for the Mind.
Think Pair Share or Think Pair Square
Think-Pair-Share (Lyman, 1981) is a summarization strategy that can be used in any content area before, during, and after a lesson. The activity involves three basic steps. During the "think" stage, the teacher tells students to ponder a question or problem. This allows for wait time and helps students control the urge to impulsively shout out the first answer that comes to mind. Next, individuals are paired up and discuss their answer or solution to the problem. During this steps students may wish to revise or alter their original ideas. Finally, students are called upon to share with the rest of the class.
There is also a Think-Pair-Square-Share. In this strategy, partners discuss answers with another pair before sharing with the class. This activity ensures that all students are interacting with the information. Teachers can use this activity as a formative assessment as they walk about the room listening to student conversations. Other links for more about Think Pair Share/Square: Instructional Strategies Online Reading Quest Above definition quoted from here. |
Carousel
Before the start of your lesson arrange the tables in your classroom into a circular formation On each group of tables set out a different activity to help students revise the topic they have just completed. Number each of the groups of tables and then put corresponding numbers into a hat. Students on entering the classroom should pick out a number to determine which table they sit at. Instruct students to move clockwise around the carousel to the next group of tables and allow them another 5 minutes to complete the task there. Continue to move students around until they have completed the activities for all of the tables.
Definition quoted from here. You can also post flip chart paper in various places on your classroom walls. Individual students or groups travel the room with a specific color marker answering questions or adding ideas to the flip chart paper. You can track the group's progress by the distinct marker color. |
Jigsaw
In its simplest form, the Jigsaw instructional strategy is when:
1. Each student receives a portion of the materials to be introduced; 2. Students leave their "home" groups and meet in "expert" groups; 3. Expert groups discuss the material and brainstorm ways in which to present their understandings to the other members of their “home” group; 4. The experts return to their “home” groups to teach their portion of the materials and to learn from the other members of their “home” group Great link for jigsaw instructions, complete with graphics. Above definition quoted from here. |
Fishbowl
Teams of three of four work on a problem or exercise. At the same time, other teams of three or four observe the first teams. While the first teams work, the second teams focus their attention on team dynamics, points-of-view, listening and preparing to discuss the performance of the team they observed.
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