Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning
Jigsaw - The Holocaust comes to mind for this activity. There are so many aspects and resources about this that a jigsaw is would be perfect. I would explain what they were doing, expert group and a home group and that there task is to become an expert on their topic. Topics could be Kristallnacht, Nuremberg, Auschwitz, etc. Then I would explain that while in their groups not only are they becoming experts, but that they are going to be a good listener, share ideas, and assist members in creating their presentation for their home group. Then I would assign them groups with students of all learning levels in each. I would have them use different online resources, articles, virtual tours, to research their topics. Then they would come back to their other groups and teach each of the other groups. It would be cool to have them create some sort of assessment to take back to their home groups. Which they could then administer during step six. Then we could bring it back and evaluate how things went and discuss their findings and how they worked as a team.

General Cooperative learning - During the great depression I have the students make Hoover hotels, shacks made out of whatever they can scavenge from around class.  So I'd introduce this task and tell them that they can use anything that they can find, anything that they have on them. They can barter and trade for materials. 2, I would tell them that they need to contribute ideas, offer constructive feedback, and work cooperatively with one another. 3. Then I let them have at and watch as they build. They know that the hotels are going to put through some tests and be judged on how they withstand them. 4. After the tests we talk about ways they could have made their structures better. What worked, what didn't. For step 5, I might have them give themselves, as well as other students in their groups a written reflection on how they worked together. 6. the judging was the assessment.