Group Investigation
Teams of 2 to 6 students work together to find information on a topic of
interest to them within a thematic unit. Each group plans the inquiry in
consultation with the practitioner. Group members need to decide how to
investigate the topic, which tasks each member will be responsible for, and
how the topic will be reported to the rest of the class. The practitioner's
evaluation can include individual performance as well as the overall quality
of the group performance.
Send-A-Problem: can be used as a way to get groups to discuss and review
material, or potential solutions to problems related to content information.
- Each member of a group generates a problem and writes it down on a
card. Each member of the group then asks their question to other
members.
- If the question can be answered and all members of the group agree on
the answer, then that answer is written on the back of the card. If there
is no consensus on the answer, the question is revised so that an
answer can be agreed upon.
- The group puts a Q on the side of the card with the question on it, and
an A on the side of the card with an answer on it.
- Each group sends its question cards to another group.
- Each group member takes ones question from the stack of questions
and reads one question at a time to the group. After reading the first
question, the group discusses it. If the group agrees on the answer,
they turn the card over to see if they agree with the first group's
answer. If there again is consensus, they proceed to the next question.
If they do not agree with the first group's answer, the second group
writes their answer on the back of the card as an alternative answer.
- The second group reviews and answers each question in the stack of
cards, repeating the procedure outlined above.
- The question cards can be sent to a third, fourth, or fifth group, if
desired.
- Stacks of cards are then sent back to the originating group. The
sending group can then discuss and clarify any question
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