Cooperative Learning and Grouping Patterns in the History Classroom
In the history classroom different grouping patterns help shape the classroom and the students learning and understanding. While teaching the American Revolution I can have a heterogeneous grouping of students (students who differ in level, interests, and abilities) that are assigned to either be a Patriot, a Loyalist, or neutral (Standard 8.1). With this grouping as it will start the year off I would take a more randomized approach to grouping so that I may observe the students and see how they work in groups and observe their strengths within the small groups. In this group the students would have to figure out why they would choose to be a Patriot, Loyalist, or neutral had they been living during this time based on information they have learned and research they can find. The groups would need to defend their position and figure out which reasons are strong and the weaknesses in other reasons, if there are any. Each group will then have a chance to explain and defend their position and have a chance to question and debate their other classmates. With this grouping students will need to be active participants and really become the group they are assigned. While some students may not like the research aspect, they may find themselves able to think of personal reasons why they would have made a decision to be a part of that group of people. A couple of the students in the group would be the spokespeople to deliver their information to the classroom and defend their position, while a couple of the other students would be the questioners. The questioners would need to come up with questions for the other groups that the other groups would need to answer to defend their position. Through the discussions within the group and the discussions as a whole class the students will be able to see the difficulty of choosing a side back then and how there were plenty of valid reasons to be on either side. This allows the war and reasons of war to come to life for the students and puts them in it themselves.
In history we look at primary sources a lot, they help us better understand the time we are studying and the people who lived in that time, both their lives and their ways of thinking. While studying women's suffrage we look at different writing and speeches by Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and others (Standard 8.6.6). Reading primary sources can be difficult at times and students with lower reading levels may find it harder to understand the language used in the writings. For primary sources I group students in homogenous pairs, this way they are partnered with someone at their same reading level. All students are to read the primary source and answer questions that go along with it. I differentiate this lesson in two ways; for lower level students they may receive a primary source with parts of it already highlighted or parts that have been translated into modern English for better understanding and then the questions are leveled for all students so that the high students are going beyond the basics and engaging in higher level thinking, while lower students are answering questions at their level.
As we study the major events of the Civil War, I like to give the students different ways to present these events, i.e. a map, act out one major event, create a digital storyboard, PowerPoint, etc. (Standard 8.10.6). This type of project is designed for the individual, however a teacher may modify and have small homogenous groups where students with similar or interests or levels could work together. For my purpose I usually do this as the students individual unit project where they are throughout the unit compiling their list of events and battles of the war and what happened during each. Based on their interest the students may choose how they would like to present their information in one of the ways listed above based on their interests. Then based on their level, I have different check in dates to keep me apprised on their progress and the more advanced students have different levels of questions to answer and information to present. Depending on the students in my class each year, the leveling will change. This way students are challenged at an appropriate level and they are open to choose a presentation that interests them.
There are a variety of ways to use grouping patterns in the classroom that will be successful and helpful to student progress. By using different grouping patterns we are meeting the needs of our students in different ways. Sometimes we are looking more at interests, while other times we are looking more at levels. We can group students in a way that puts them with others at their level or in a way that puts lower level with higher level students to help them learn and grow from others. However we group them, we need to be deliberate in our groupings when it comes to assignments that are more than just a quick review of the day. By being deliberate we better help our students with their learning and understanding, we help them better. These groups allow teachers to differentiate the learning for our students, it allows us to spend more time on a topic with one group/student, while allowing other students to do the work, and another group to complete more higher level tasks. By taking the time with the students who need more help, I am allowing them a smaller group approach and helping increase their understanding. And by taking the time to group, I am allowing students who do not need extra explanation the ability to move on and do the work. When working in groups, students also have to work together and collaborate on their work. Sometimes this involves students taking turns explaining things to each other to further understanding. Furthering this collaboration and communication of ideas and knowledge helps students learn how to work together for future jobs as adults. Overall, using groups can make the classroom a more successful place for all your students.
In history we look at primary sources a lot, they help us better understand the time we are studying and the people who lived in that time, both their lives and their ways of thinking. While studying women's suffrage we look at different writing and speeches by Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and others (Standard 8.6.6). Reading primary sources can be difficult at times and students with lower reading levels may find it harder to understand the language used in the writings. For primary sources I group students in homogenous pairs, this way they are partnered with someone at their same reading level. All students are to read the primary source and answer questions that go along with it. I differentiate this lesson in two ways; for lower level students they may receive a primary source with parts of it already highlighted or parts that have been translated into modern English for better understanding and then the questions are leveled for all students so that the high students are going beyond the basics and engaging in higher level thinking, while lower students are answering questions at their level.
As we study the major events of the Civil War, I like to give the students different ways to present these events, i.e. a map, act out one major event, create a digital storyboard, PowerPoint, etc. (Standard 8.10.6). This type of project is designed for the individual, however a teacher may modify and have small homogenous groups where students with similar or interests or levels could work together. For my purpose I usually do this as the students individual unit project where they are throughout the unit compiling their list of events and battles of the war and what happened during each. Based on their interest the students may choose how they would like to present their information in one of the ways listed above based on their interests. Then based on their level, I have different check in dates to keep me apprised on their progress and the more advanced students have different levels of questions to answer and information to present. Depending on the students in my class each year, the leveling will change. This way students are challenged at an appropriate level and they are open to choose a presentation that interests them.
There are a variety of ways to use grouping patterns in the classroom that will be successful and helpful to student progress. By using different grouping patterns we are meeting the needs of our students in different ways. Sometimes we are looking more at interests, while other times we are looking more at levels. We can group students in a way that puts them with others at their level or in a way that puts lower level with higher level students to help them learn and grow from others. However we group them, we need to be deliberate in our groupings when it comes to assignments that are more than just a quick review of the day. By being deliberate we better help our students with their learning and understanding, we help them better. These groups allow teachers to differentiate the learning for our students, it allows us to spend more time on a topic with one group/student, while allowing other students to do the work, and another group to complete more higher level tasks. By taking the time with the students who need more help, I am allowing them a smaller group approach and helping increase their understanding. And by taking the time to group, I am allowing students who do not need extra explanation the ability to move on and do the work. When working in groups, students also have to work together and collaborate on their work. Sometimes this involves students taking turns explaining things to each other to further understanding. Furthering this collaboration and communication of ideas and knowledge helps students learn how to work together for future jobs as adults. Overall, using groups can make the classroom a more successful place for all your students.
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