CLCooperativeStructures

=Interaction Structures= Thanks to David and Roger Johnson, Spencer Kagan, Merrill Harmin

Individual students jot all issues and concerns on index cards, one item per card. Then compare cards and sort by relationships. Like cards go with like cards creating categories. Students stand in circle, then step to center in proportion to their agreement. Students sequence all pieces without peeking at the pieces of teammates. Students who know stand to become sages, teammates each gather round a different sage to learn. Students return to teams to compare notes. This structure is designed to allow students to identify personal preferences and to then accept the preferences of others. Preference may be favorite sport, vacation spot, television show, career path. It might be the use of metaphor... I would want to be an eagle, elephant, alligator. . . It might be more content related as well. I would be a union soldier, confederate general, plantation owner, slave, abolitionist. . Announce corners, ask students to choose one and write down why. Then go to that corner, form a pair and share with a neighbor why. Listen and paraphrase. Then share with other corners that have made a different choice. Explain, listen and paraphrase. Played with higher level thinking Q cards. #1 fans, #2 picks, #3 answers, #4 praises. Students then rotate roles. Teacher places items in a frame (two boxes, Venn, on a line); Students induce the rule. -Two Box Induction -What's My Line? -Crack My Venn Students may start with a worksheet and circulate in the room finding people who have the answer to a question on the sheet. Students provide three statements, two that are true and one that is not. It works best if the two truths are unbelievable, and the fib is unbelievable. All three are presented as facts and classmates have to guess the fib. Finger response is a quick way to tally the 'vote'. Hold up one, two or three fingers dependent upon which statement is the fib. Teammates try to determine if a statement is true or false. I make a statement and ask the class to what degree you agree or disagree with the statement. Students who strongly agree hold up five fingers. A fist announces 'no way!' One finger announces strong disagreement. Two fingers means we lean toward disagreement, three fingers indicates so-so support and four fingers, support but not necessarily strong. The standard use of flashcards with students creating cards perhaps with items missed on a pretest. Students stand together as a class and form shapes. Example: Base Groups choose an animal for a mascot and recreate the image of that 'eagle' (e.g.) with one person becoming the body, two others becoming wings, etc. Higher Level: Have students become a statue depicting their impression of child abuse, racism, etc. Students generate items on think pad slips announcing them to group and placing them in the center of the table. The Spin Doctor "Shares an Idea" or "Quizzes a Pal" to summarize, Evaluate, Explain or Predict. Students stand in two concentric circles, with the inside circle facing out and outside circle facing in. They make a quarter turn to the right and then march or rotate past each other. The teacher defines how many people they must pass before they stop. When they stop they turn and face the person they are paired with and respond to teacher instructions. 'Share an answer, express your opinion, come up with an explanation. . . Each teammate has part of the answer; teammates must put their info together to solve the problem. Each teammate has a part of the handout to read. Student 1 must read and teach section A to student 2 and 3. Student 2 must teach B and 3 must teach section C. Students with Section A unite and plan lessons. B's and C's do the same; then return to original group of 1,2 an 3 and teach. Students divide a piece of paper (landscape format) into thirds and mark each column as K, W and L. Under K they write what they know about subject matter. Under W what they need to learn. Under L they summarize what they learned after episode. Higher Level- Math class. What do I know that will help me solve this problem? What do I need to know to solve the problem? Students line up according to an announced dimension: characteristics, estimates, values, assigned items, etc. A rich conversation may ensue based on the lineup or it can be used to put students into groups or partners based on the resulting information. Receivers arrange objects to match those of senders who have pieces hidden. Students rush to form groups of a specific size hoping not to land in "lost and found." Students pair with classmates to discuss questions posed by teacher. Students mix and then find partners with the matching card. Teacher has students in groups of four and students are numbered one thru four in each group. Teacher then poses a question and will say 'make sure everyone in your group can or knows. . . '. Teacher may ask students to write individual answers down. Then foursomes put heads together and come up with answer. Teacher calls out a number, 'three,' and threes raise their hands to answer. I explain what you are about to witness and ask that you write down the outcome you predict will result from my action. Have students work on worksheets together. One does one set of problems while the other works on another set. Check each other's work. Work in foursomes and have twosomes check their progress against the work of the other twosome and encourage team tutoring. Pairs work independently, usually in a Rallytable, compare their answers with another pair, and then see if working together they can come up with additional responses neither pair alone had. Students can share their own ideas only after they have accurately paraphrased the person who spoke before them. Pairs work to prepare a presentation, then present to the other in their team. Just like round table only team members share orally and generate responses around the table. Most often used at the beginning of a lesson for content related team building. The teacher asks a question with many possible answers such as, 'name all the sports you can,' 'all the items in your home not invented fifty years ago.' Students then make a list on one piece of paper, each writing one answer and then passing the paper to the person to the left or right. The paper goes around the table. Several may be in motion at one time. A statement is announced and students take a stand on an imaginary line that stretches across the room, creating a continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Student along the line express their point of view and students listen. Then fold the line in one of two ways and have students pair up with another student and listen to the person they are paired with. Have students paraphrase the viewpoint offered. Create a foursome and then break that into two twosomes. Students interview each other and learn from each other related to the content that is being covered. A talks to B and C talks to D. Then A tells C what s/he has learned from B and B talks to D. A and C share and B and D share. Or A may report to C and D, B then reports to C and D and so on. Students get a copy of test and work on it in groups of four. The next day they take the test as individuals. Perhaps the most controversial of the structures, teachers have experimented with variations on this one. For example, tomorrow's exam will have many of these questions but not all, and perhaps, not in the same form. Students make a ball by wadding up a piece of paper. Students then make up a review question and toss the question along with the paper wad to another student, who must catch the ball and answer the question. And then create their own review question for someone else. Students number off one thru four in groups of four. Students turn over a question card that indicates, "Team member two read question six." Students ponder the question and prepare to answer. A second card is turned over and indicates: Team member four, Answer the question." Students check the response and provide help if necessary. Students interview each other regarding their name. How did they get the name? What country? What is the history of the name? Use initials to create a new name that contains characteristics of the person or curriculum content. Use rhythm or chant with the names in choral response or direct instruction. A placard with a name is worn on the backside of each person and each person must circulate in the room and then ask three questions that draw 'yes' or 'no' responses. Students must then guess who they are based on the feedback.
 * Affinity**
 * Agreement Circles**
 * Blind Sequencing**
 * Circle the Sages**
 * Corners- preferences**
 * Card Q**
 * Find My Rule**
 * Find Someone Who Knows**
 * **People Hunt**: Search for people who have certain characteristics in common. It may entail filling out a form first then finding a person in the room with that similarity. Moving around the room and having people sign the card as they find commonality. Curriculum content may also be funneled through people hunt.
 * **Fact Bingo**: A bingo card is made up with little known facts, perhaps about students in the classroom. Students circulate and try to fill the card or get bingo by locating classmates who fit the description. Classmates sign the cell when they are correctly identified.
 * Find the Fib**
 * Fact or Fiction**
 * Fist to Five**
 * Flashcard Game**
 * Formations**
 * Four-For Brainstorm**
 * Idea Spinner**
 * Inside Outside Circle**
 * Jig Saw Problem Solving**
 * Jig Saw Reading**
 * KWL**
 * Line Ups**
 * **Folded Line**: "Fold the line" in the middle so that the individual on the very end of the line is facing the person at the opposite end and the ones in the middle are facing someone else from the middle.Students fold the Line Up or Split and Slide it to interact with someone with a different point of view or estimate. (Imagine there are 10 people in line numbered one through ten. Bring 10 down to partner with 1, as the line follows you will end up with 9 partnering with 2, 8 with 3, 7 with 4, and 6 with 5.) This will work well if you want the partners to have the same "average" between the two partners.
 * **Split Line**: "Split and Slide" the line to interact with someone with a different point of view or estimate. (Imagine there are 10 people in line numbered one through ten. Find the halfway point in the line (in this case, between 5 and 6) and split the line there. Have the second half of the line "slide" down to face the first half of the line. You will end up with 6 partnering with 1, 7 with 2, 8 with 3, 9 with 4, and 10 with 5.) This will work well if you want each set of partners to have the same amount of variation between the two partners.
 * **Cluster:** "Cluster" people who are standing next to each other. (Imagine there are 10 people in line numbered one through ten. Partner number 1 with 2, 3 with 4, 5 with 6, 7 with 8, and 9 with 10.) This will work well if you want each set of partners to be similar to each other.
 * Match Mine**
 * **Draw What I Say:** Receiver draws what sender describes.
 * **Build What I Write:** Receiver constructs what sender describes in writing.
 * Mix Freeze Group**
 * Mix Pair Discuss**
 * Mix N Match**
 * **Snowball**: Students toss crumpled papers over imaginary volleyball net, stop, pick up snowball then find someone with matching 'snowball.'
 * Numbered Heads Together**
 * Stir-the-Teams**: Teams stand in a circle around the room, huddle to discuss a question from teacher. They stand shoulder to shoulder when they have their answer. The teacher calls a number, that student rotates to the next group and shares answer. Student remains with that team for next question.
 * **Paired Heads Together**: Students in pairs make sure they can each respond to teacher question.
 * Outcome Sentence**
 * Pairs Check**
 * Pairs Compare**
 * Paraphrase Passport**
 * Partners**
 * Roundrobin**
 * Roundtable**
 * Take a stance and stand in line**
 * Team Interview**
 * Team Test Taking**
 * Toss A Question**
 * Turn 4 Review**
 * What's In a Name**
 * Who am I?**

This information was retrieved from [|http://www.excel.net/~ssmith/Desktop%20Folder/alc.html] in spring 2002. The site no longer exists. If anyone has knowledge of the original author, I would love to give credit where credit is due. 1/17/2008 I have since edited this page. Additional resources/references: [|Gary Fortenberry's presentation to the Woodrow Wilson National Leadership Program for Teachers]