Cooperative Learning Structures

Why ? maximise student participation encourage respectful listening provide opportunities for coaching promote mastery of the content an efficient way to organize the classroom promote responsibility, team spirit and aid behaviour management What ? ways of organizing classroom activities content neutral easy to learn and use repeatable wide variety

Use Whiteboards

Scenario #1 Watch the Brainpop video on the Cell. Pay attention to the function of all the organelles! http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078617022/164155/00035804.html

In pairs, students alternate generating brief oral responses In pairs, students alternate generating brief oral responses. Examples: • List adjectives to describe the character. • List inert elements. • Share steps of the experiment. • Describe an event from the story.

Scenario #2 What are some of the characteristics of “Life”

In pairs, students share with a partner for a predetermined time while the partner listens. Then partners switch roles. Examples: • What is the key thing that you learned? • What is one literary technique you plan to use in your writing and how will you use it?

Scenario #3 Genetic Engineering has both pros and cons associated with it. As with many scientific discoveries, Genetic Engineering has potential to either benefit up or harm us. Take a stance on whether you believe government should allow genetic engineering on humans, and explain your reasoning.

In teams, students take turns responding orally In teams, students take turns responding orally. Examples: • What makes a good listener? • List objects that float? • What clubs or societies are you a member of? • What is one of your favorite movies? Variations: Single, Continuous, Timed, Everyone Writes

Scenario #4 Reasons Why not to Vaccinate. Give an example of a specialized cell. Name a Mechanism of Evolution and briefly explain how it works. Hobbies

Students stand up, put their hand up and quickly find a partner with whom to share or discuss. This structure is perfect for class building, processing and reviewing information, energizing the class, forming random pairs or teams, lesson starts or wraps.

Scenario #4 Watch the video first Name the 6 Kingdoms. Give a detailed explanation of one of the Kingdoms. Give a detailed explanation of another kingdom. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078617022/164213/00044691.html

Quiz-Quiz-Trade Quiz-Quiz-Trade is a seven-step process. You must first have note cards that have questions on one side and answers on the other side. Give each student one of these cards. Step 1. Have students stand-up, put their hands-up and then pair-up with someone else who has their hand up. Step 2. Partner A quizzes. Step 3. Partner B answers. Step 4. Partner A coaches or praises. Step 5. Switch roles. Steps 6. Partners trades cards and raise their hands to find new partners. Step 7. Repeat steps 1-6 a number of times.

Conclusion students like working in groups they definitely speak more target language they love using mini whiteboards it’s an easy way to introduce a change of focus the more you use a structure, the more effective it becomes