1. Cubing!
By: Beth Stephens, Michael McCartney, Julie Marquardt and Lauren Aufdembrink

2. What is Cubing?
◊ Cubing is a technique that helps students consider a subject from six points of view.
◊ Different commands or tasks appear on each side of a cube.

3. What is Cubing? (continued)
◊ Cubes may vary with commands or tasks appropriate to the level of readiness of the group.
◊ Cubes may also be constructed with tasks relating to different areas of intelligence, such as verbal/linguistic or bodily/kinesthetic.

4. What is Cubing? (continued)
◊ In a more sophisticated form, this is a technique that helps students think at different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

5. Cubing Tied to Bloom’s Taxonomy
1. Knowledge
Recall: What is this about?
2. Comprehension
Understanding: Why did this happen?
3. Application
Transfer: Use the information to predict.
4. Analysis
How many elements are present?
5. Synthesis
Combining: Change to a new scenario.
6. Evaluation
Rating: Rank solutions in priority order.

6. Why Do We Use Cubes?
◊ To differentiate learning by readiness (familiarity with content or skill level)
◊ To differentiate learning by interest

7. Why Do We Use Cubes?
◊ To differentiate learning by student learning profile (visual, auditory, kinesthetic; multiple intelligences)
◊ To add an element of novelty to classroom instruction

8. How To Use Cubing
◊ Students can work alone, in pairs, or in small groups with the appropriate cube.
◊ When the children roll the cube , they are able to roll the cube up to 2-4 times depending on the teacher and the extent of the assignment.

9. Variations on Cubing
1. Number the list of tasks to be completed. Roll the die to select the item on the list to complete.
2. Write each task on a tongue depressor and let students select one.

10. Variations (continued)
3. Incorporate learning styles in the cubed activity, such as visual/spatial; bodily/kinesthetic, etc.
4. Design a cube for reading nonfiction (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?); especially powerful in content areas.

11. Examples! Onomatopoeia Side One Find an example of
onomatopoeia in a poem from our anthology
Side Two
Make a list of all the
examples of onomatopoeia
that you can think of in two minutes. Have your partner time you.
Side Three
Write a letter to Webster’s
Dictionary from
onomatopoeia on the
topic, “We are words,
too! Include us!”
Side Four
Write a limerick, concrete poem, or haiku using at
least one example of
Onomatopoeia
Side Five
Why do you think writers use onomatopoeia? What purpose does it serve?
Side Six
Research the origin of the word “onomatopoeia.”
Where does it come from? What do its parts mean?

12. Examples! Fractions Side One: Locate It Side Two: Define It
In two minutes, make a list of all of the places in
which we find fractions in every day life. Have your partner time you.
Side Two: Define It
What is a fraction? How would you explain what a fraction is to a first
grader?
Side Three: Solve It
Complete fraction problems 1-10 on page 65. Have your partner check your work.
Side Four: Analyze It
What are the parts of a fraction? Define each part and describe their
relationships to one
another.
Side Five: Think About It
When dividing fractions, why do we have to “invert and multiply”? Show your
thinking on paper.
Side Six: Illustrate It
Create a children’s
picture book about fractions. Use “Give
Me Half!” as an example.

14. Barbara Ewing Cockroft, M.Ed. NBCT, presenter
Works Cited
Barbara Ewing Cockroft, M.Ed. NBCT, presenter
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For more activities and lessons using cubing