Teachers

Description

Exit cards require learners to respond to questions or prompts on a piece of paper that they will pass into you before they leave class. These cards provide you with instant information that you can utilize to assess learners’ comprehension, monitor their questions, or gather feedback on your teaching. For learners, exit cards serve as a content review at the end of a daily learning activity and enhance their metacognitive skills.

Implementation

1. Prepare: Learners must have a pencil and paper. Instructors can prepare half-slips of paper with typed questions or write questions on the board for learners to answer.
2. Learners Respond to Prompt: Often, instructors have learners complete finish cards in the final five minutes of the class. Since exit cards must be turned in by learners, the questions or prompts must be specific and brief. They typically refer to the content that was being learned, but they can also be general, such as the following:
   • List three things you learned in class today.
   • What questions, ideas, and feelings did this learning activity raise for you?
   • What was your favorite moment of class? Why? What was your least favorite part of the class?
   • Assess your participation level in class today. What did you do well, and what would you do differently?
   • Exit cards can be formatted utilizing the 3-2-1 format. Depending on the purpose of having learners complete exit cards, instructors may have learners complete them anonymously.
3. Reinforce Accountability: Learners may leave class when they turn in an exit card to the instructor.

Modifications

1. Share the Results: It is often proper to share your findings from the exit cards with learners at the beginning of the next lesson. For instance, you could mention that many learners asked similar questions, so you will make sure to address these questions in subsequent lessons. Sometimes, instructors type up the results of the exit cards (without names) and have learners respond to these comments as a warm-up during the next learning experience. Letting learners know that you have read their ideas and have utilized them to inform your teaching decisions helps build a classroom culture of respect and trust.

Description

Analyzing historical documents requires learners to identify the purpose, message, and audience of the content. Document analysis forms are graphic organizers that assist learners through a process of identifying important background information about a document (e.g., author/creator, date created, place, format, etc.) and using this data to determine the content’s bias or perspective.

Implementation

1. Create Your Document Analysis Form: Document analysis forms usually ask learners to record the necessary info, like:
   • Author
   • Context
   • Audience
   • The purpose of the document’s creation
   • Type of material (photograph, pamphlet, government-issued document, newspaper article, diary entry, etc.)
   • Main points expressed in the document
   • The general message of the document (What is it trying to say? What perspective does it embody?)
   • Significance

2. Help Learners Complete a Document Analysis Form: Click on this link to find 19 different document analysis forms that you can distribute to your learners. Learners can work on document analysis forms in their groups. It is often best if learners have to complete their forms, even if they are working in small groups. Showing learners an example of a completed form or modeling how to complete one helps them better understand what accurate, thorough answers look like.
3. Learners Share Their Ideas: Completing these forms is just the first step of document analysis. Learners learn much more when they have to explain their ideas and hear other interpretations. After learners have had the opportunity to work with their classmates, they can revise and update the information on their forms. Sharing their analysis can also stimulate exciting discussions about the message and significance of a document.

Description

The dissecting the prompt method is good to utilize when introducing learners to a new writing assignment. By having learners annotate and discuss a writing prompt, this activity gives learners the time they need to decode what the prompt is asking them to think and write about. You can also utilize this method to introduce an essential question for a lesson, unit, or course.

Implementation

1. Prepare Prompt: Print out a prompt or essential question in big letters and tape it to the center of a piece of paper.
2. Learners Dissect the Prompt: Ask learners, in pairs, to analyze the prompt. As they read the prompt, tell them to make the following notes:
   • Circle words you do not know in the prompt.
   • Star words that seem to be the main ideas of the prompt.
   • Underline all the verbs that embody what you, the writer, are supposed to do.
   • Cross out any extra info that does not seem explicitly applicable to the writing task.

3. Make an Initial Response to the Prompt: Next, ask learners to respond to and discuss the prompt using the Think, Pair, Share method. Individually, learners must try to answer the prompt or essential question based on their “gut reaction” or personal philosophy. If possible, ask learners to work to support their current thinking with an instance from history or their own life. After a few minutes, ask each pair to share their thinking. Finally, ask learners to share a few opinions or ideas with the entire group. Tell learners that their initial responses will evolve as they encounter new ideas and evidence in class.
4. Record the Prompt: Before moving on, ask learners to write the prompt or essential question in their notepads. As they have new ideas about the prompt during the unit, they can make notes to themselves.

Description

In a “crop it” activity, learners utilize cropping tools to frame a portion of an image and then discuss their choice with classmates. This method requires learners to notice, identify, and respond to specific parts of an image before interpreting the image’s overall meaning and impact. It’s an effective way to help learners look closely at and analyze images.

Implementation

1. Prepare Materials: For this activity, find an image that you would like learners to analyze and then make a copy of the image for each learner. You will also need to develop cropping tools for learners to use or have learners create them. Each cropping tool consists of two L-shaped strips of paper (cut from the border of a blank sheet of 8 ½ x 11-inch paper). During the activity, learners will use the two L-shaped strips to create a rectangle shape, pushing the corners together or pulling them apart to change its size. Each learner must have two cropping tools to work with.
2. Learners Analyze Image: To conduct the activity, ask learners to look at each picture closely. Call out a series of prompts, starting with the suggestions below, and allow learners enough time to use their cropping tools to highlight a section of the image and then discuss their choice with a classmate or group. Next, follow these ideas with prompts specific to the topic of the lesson or unit:
   • Identify the section of the picture that first caught your eye.
   • Identify a section of the picture that illustrates what this image is about.
   • Identify a section of the picture that illustrates tension, problem, or dilemma.

Once you reach the end of the prompts for each picture, ask learners to write and discuss a caption for the image.

3. Learners Reflect: Finish the activity by having learners reflect in their journals about the process. You can utilize this prompt or a similar one: How did looking closely at small portions of the image help to deepen your comprehension of its meaning and impact?

Description

Utilize this method to help learners connect new ideas and information to their prior knowledge about a particular topic. The protocol described here engages learners in metacognitive reflection by asking them to find concepts and pieces of information that are in line with their prior comprehension of a topic, those that can utilize them to revise their thinking. This process helps learners both deepen their understanding of a topic and become more thoughtful and independent learners.

This method works best after learners have already been introduced to a topic and are receiving new perspectives that may challenge their initial comprehension.

Implementation

1. Select a Source of Information or Ideas: Select a reading, video clip, or another resource for a topic that learners already have some basic or working knowledge about. The source you select for this learning activity must provide new information that has the potential to challenge learners’ thinking about the topic.
2. Read and Respond to the Source: Provide learners with copies of the source for this activity, and then give them time to read or view the source. You may have learners read the source multiple times, once together as a class and again independently. Then prompt learners to go back to the source and respond to these three questions.

Connect: How do the ideas in this reading connect to what you know about ______________?

Extend: How does this reading  broaden your thinking about ______________?

Challenge: Does this reading challenge your comprehension of ______________? What new questions arise for you?

Description

Contracting is the process of candidly discussing your learners’ expectations about how classroom members will treat each other. Contracting is an effective method for making your classroom a reflective space. Reflective classroom communities are spaces where rules and norms protect everyone’s voice; where differing viewpoints can be heard and acknowledged; where members are accountable to themselves, each other, and the group; and where each individual has a voice in group decisions. These types of classrooms are usually developed through explicit nurturing from learners and instructors who have shared expectations concerning group norms and how everyone will be treated. The direction that follows describes how to discuss classroom norms with learners and then create and agree to a contract of behavior and etiquette.

Implementation

1. Define Contracting: A contract mentions that everyone has a shared responsibility to uphold the agreement. Learners can think about what it means for a classroom to have a contract.
2. Learners Reflect: To prepare learners to develop a class contract, ask them to reflect on their experiences as learners in a classroom community. You may utilize prompts like these:
   • Identify when you have felt safe voicing your opinions, ideas, and viewpoints.
   • Identify when you have had opinions and viewpoints, but choose not to share them.

3. Select an Approach to Cultivate a Contract: Instructors have found that useful class contracts usually have several explicitly defined rules or expectations, as well as penalties for those who do not live up the expectations of the community. There are many ways to proceed with cultivating a classroom contract. For instance, you can ask small groups of learners to work together to write rules or expectations or the classroom community. Keep the list brief so that the norms can be easily recalled. As groups give their presentations, you can organize their ideas by theme. If there are any tensions or inconsistencies in the expectations that have been suggested, you can discuss them as a class. While the process is inclusive of learners’ ideas, ultimately, it is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that the concepts that make it into the final contract are those that will best nurture a safe learning environment.
4. Discuss Classroom Norms: To get the contracting discussion started more concretely, you could share with learners a list of rules or expectations that have been used in classrooms. Ask learners to discuss how they feel about these norms. What norms do they think would help this group develop a safe, productive learning environment?
5. Reflect on Scenarios: Another way to help learners develop a classroom contract is to have them envision what they would have liked to happen during specific scenarios. Scenarios could be drawn from learners’ experiences.
6.  Initiate the Contract: Once the class has completed its contract, reaching consensus about rules, norms, and expectations, each learner needs to signal their agreement. Learners can do so by copying the contract into their journals and signing the page, or you can ask all learners to sign a copy of the contract that will remain displayed in the classroom.

Description

This discussion method invites every learner in the class to participate as an active listener and speaker. Learners stand in two concentric circles facing one another and respond to a question in a paired discussion. When prompted by the instructor, one of the rings moves to the left or right, so each learner now faces a new partner, with whom they discuss a new question. This activity works well to debrief a reading or video. Because they are speaking with just one other person at a time, reticent learners may feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

Implementation

1. Select a Text and Select Questions: Find a reading or video that will catalyze this activity. Select the questions that you will ask learners to respond to in their discussion.
2. Prepare Learners for the Concentric Circles Discussion: In preparation for the discussion, you may ask learners to make notes while they are reading the content or watching the video, so they can do some initial thinking. Alternatively, you may ask them to make a quick journal response to gather their thoughts before being asked to discuss the content.
3. Facilitate the Concentric Circles Discussion:
   • Ask learners to stand in two concentric circles or ovals. The learners inside and outside the circles face one another so that each learner is positioned across from a partner. If your classroom doesn’t have the space for concentric circles, you may have the learners stand in two lines facing one another. In this case, when learners move to meet their new partners, the learner at the end of the line moves to the start of the chain.
   • Tell learners that you will give them a query to examine with their partner. Discuss how much time they have for their discussions and tell them that learners must share and listen. Give them tips about asking follow-up questions in case they finish their conversation before their time is up.
   • If you are concerned that learners may not get equal time to share and listen in each round, you may provide more structure. For instance, you can tell learners that for the initial minute, the outside circle will discuss their answers to the question, and the inside circle listens. For the second minute, the inside circle shares, and the outer circle listens actively. For the third and final minute, the groups discuss their ideas, commenting on patterns.
   • Afterward, instruct learners in one of the circles to move one or two spots to the right, so they are now facing a new partner. Repeat the last step with a new question.
   • Repeat this process until your learners have answered the questions that you prepared. You may add a bonus round in which learners pose questions to discuss with their partners.

Description

This method invites learners to reflect on ideas in nonverbal ways and encourages them to think metaphorically. Learners first focus on something they’ve just read and think about the central theme or thought that surfaced for them. Have learners reflect on how they can communicate the essence of what they’ve read using a color, a symbol, and an image. Use this method to vary the ways you invite learners to respond to ideas and appeal to the strengths of a variety of learning styles.

Implementation

1. Select a Stimulus: You can base this activity on any document, image, video clip, or another resource that you think may prompt engagement from your learners. Once you have chosen the stimulus, give learners time to read or watch.
2. Learners Respond to the Stimulus: Prompts for learners: Think about what you’ve just read and select one main idea that you’d like to focus on. Then do the following:

• Select a color that you believe best represents that idea.
• Select a symbol that you believe best represents that idea.
• Select an image that you believe best represents that idea.

3. Debrief
   You may opt to keep learners’ responses private. You can also utilize the gallery walk teaching method to help learners reflect on the patterns in how they are responding.

Description

A concept map is a visual illustration of a topic that learners can generate using words, phrases, lines,  and perhaps color to help organize their ideas and show their comprehension of an idea, vocabulary term, or essential question. Learners initially respond to a topic by brainstorming a list of words or concepts they connect with it. Next, they sort the items in their list visually to represent the items’ relationships to the topic and one another. The result is a visual representation of learners’ thinking about the idea, term, or question. This method provides an effective way to introduce big ideas to the class and capture their initial thought. Learners can then return to their concept maps throughout a learning activity to revise them and provide a way for both the instructor and learners to track individual comprehension and growth. 

Implementation

1. Select a Concept: Find a theme that you would like learners to explore in-depth using this teaching method. Concepts such as prejudice or stereotyping work well, as do essential questions that learners can approach from various angles. You may also utilize this strategy to help learners write a working description of a new term or concept.
2. Generate, Sort, and Connect:
   • Tell learners that they will be creating a concept map for the topic you have chosen.
   • First, ask learners to create a list of words or concepts about the topic you have selected. The goal is to brainstorm without judgment, so encourage learners to avoid self-editing their lists. After learners have finished generating their lists, you may challenge them to add one more idea to help stretch their thinking.
   • Next, have learners write the topic in the center of a piece of paper. Ask learners to sort the ideas from their lists, graphically organizing them on the page in a way that makes sense to them. For instance, learners may place ideas that are central to the topic near the middle of the page and more divergent ideas at the edges. They may also cluster similar ideas together or organize them vertically to suggest a progression.
   • After learners have generated and sorted their lists, ask them to connect similar ideas with lines, dotted lines, etc. They must write an explanation above each line that describes the connections they are making. Learners may create a key if they have sorted and connected using colors or various kinds of lines.
3. Learners Share Their Concept Maps: In pairs or small groups, ask learners to share their maps. They may elaborate their maps, adding new ideas that their peers have shared if it makes sense. Or they may elaborate their own after they have finished sharing.

Modifications

1. Essay Pre-Writing: You may utilize concept maps to introduce an essay topic or question. Learners create their concept maps early in the unit and then return to them at critical seconds to elaborate with quotations, evidence, and new ideas that extend or challenge their thinking. The maps become visual representations of their deepening comprehension of the complexities of the topic, and learners can draw from them when drafting their thesis statements and outlining their final assessments.
2. Using Color: Learners may utilize color in several ways on their maps. They can use color as a sorting tool, and they may also use a different color every time they add info to their maps and create a key, so it is obvious which color relates to which date. In this way, learners can track their comprehension over time from their initial thinking about a topic to their culminating ideas.

In a learning activity based on the reader’s theater method, groups of learners are assigned a text excerpt to present to their peers. As opposed to performing skits of the plot, a reader’s theater asks learners to create a performance that reveals a message, theme, or conflict embodied in the content. As learners practice this learning activity, they become more proficient at utilizing the words of the content to depict concepts and ideas. This is an effective way to help learners process dilemmas experienced by characters in a piece of content. This is also an effective activity to use with emotionally compelling content, such as Night by Elie Wiesel.

Implementation

1. Select Excerpts: Depending on how many learners are in your class, you will likely need to identify four or five excerpts or “scenes” for this learning activity. Typically, groups of four to six learners are assigned different sections of content to interpret, although it is certainly possible to have groups understand the same excerpt. When selecting passages for use in a reader’s theater learning activity, keep in mind these suggestions:

• Shorter passages allow learners to look more deeply at specific language than more extended excerpts do. Often passages are only a few paragraphs long.
• Utilize excerpts that contain one main action or decision-making point.
• Excerpts must address an essential theme in the content; they must embody more than just the plotline.

2. Learners Read Excerpts: Before groups are assigned scenes to interpret, allow learners to read the pieces silently. This step familiarizes learners with the wording of the content. After the content is read aloud, invite learners to ask clarifying questions about the vocabulary or plot. This way, learners can begin their group work, ready to interpret their assigned scene.
3. Groups Prepare for Performance: Assign scenes (excerpts) to groups. In their small groups, learners read their assigned scenes aloud again. As they read, learners must pay attention to theme, language, and tone. You may ask learners to highlight or underline the words that stand out to them. Groups may choose to read their scenes two or three times and then to have a conversation about the terms and phrases they have highlighted. Then groups discuss the scene. At the end of this discussion, learners must agree on the words, theme, or message embodied in this excerpt that they would most like to share with the class. To help format the groups’ conversations, you may provide them with a set of questions to answer. Now learners are ready to prepare their performance. Learners must be reminded that the goal is not to perform a skit of their scene but to utilize specific language (words and phrases) to embody the conflict, theme, or underlying message of that excerpt. Performances can be silent, or they can utilize voice in creative ways, such as by composing a choral reading that emphasizes crucial phrases. Learners can use movement, or they can hold their body positions to create an image frozen in time, much like a photograph. It often helps to give learners a list of guidelines or suggestions to follow when preparing their presentations
4. Groups Perform: There are many ways to format performances. Some instructors ask learners to take notes while all groups perform. Then learners utilize their notes to guide their reactions to the performances. Alternatively, instructors may ask learners to comment instantly after each performance.
5. Learners Reflect: After presenting and debriefing performances, allow learners to reflect on their learning and participation in this learning activity. How did it feel to perform? How did it feel to receive feedback? What would they do differently next time? Learners can answer these questions in their journals, and then you can allow volunteers to share ideas or questions from what they wrote.