Numbered Heads Together

Description:
Students are placed in groups and each person is given a number.
Is a cooperation learning strategy, where students review information that has been learned
and participate within their group.
A tool for increasing communication and encouraging students to share information and
reinforce the idea that “two heads are better than one.”
Is a listening and speaking strategy that involves student working collaboratively in groups to
answer questions posed by a teacher.
Objective:
The students will:
1. Listen and speak with purpose in mind.
2. Practice listening and speaking skills.
3. Work in groups to discuss and agree on one answer.
4. Provide cooperation and communication in the classroom.
Target Audience:
Grade III – Grade VI pupils
Materials Needed:
1. Spinner
2. Response Card
Presentation Plan
1) Divide students into teams of five.
2) Have each team count off by five.
3) Pose a question to the teams.
4) Direct students to conduct “think time.” By putting heads together, students decide on the
best answer and make sure everyone knows the answer.
5) The teacher calls a number (use spinner).

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Assessment Strategy
Teammates put their "heads together" to reach consensus on the team's answer. Everyone
keeps on their toes because their number may be called to share the team's answer.
1. Students number off.
2. Teacher poses a problem and gives think time. PENCILS DOWN. 3. Solo: Students
privately write down their answers. Signal when ready with thumbs up or flip over board.
4. Students stand up and "put their heads together", showing answers, discussing, and
teaching each other.(Stand up= talk, sit down=quiet.)
5. Students sit down when everyone knows the answer or has something to share.
6. Teacher calls a number. Students with that number answer simultaneously using: answer
board share, choral practice, finger responses, chalkboard responses, response cards,
manipulatives
7. Classmates applaud students who responded.
Conclusion
The advantages of numbered heads together are:
 Positive interdependence
 Individual Accountability
 Equal Participation
 Simultaneous interaction
 Multilevel
“Two heads are definitely better than one and by sourcing ideas from each other, you have a
better chance of coming up with a strategy that will allow your business to overcome a
setback or challenge” (Richard Branson)

References:
1. Ismail Said, Pembelajaran Koperatif Sekolah Rendah, 2009
2. www.teachervision.fen.com?GroupWork
3.www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHDHIVhcug

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Give one, Get one

Description
A discussion strategy where students actively and intentionally seek and share information
with one another. Students first write down several ideas or important learnings in response
to a prompt or question provided by the teacher.
Objective
Use this strategy to stimulate students’ thinking as they investigate an essential question or
search for evidence in response to an essay prompt over the course of a unit of study. In this
strategy, students formulate initial positions and arguments in response to a question or
prompt and then share them with each other through a structured procedure. That way they
can test, refine, and strengthen their ideas as they share their ideas and hear the ideas of
others. Students will practice being active listeners or readers—an essential skill for learning
new information.
Presentation Plan
1. Students Prepare
Ask students to divide a sheet of paper into two vertical columns. Label the left side “Give
One” and the right side “Get One.”
2. Students Respond to a Question
Ask students to respond to a question such as “Do you agree that laws are the most
important factor in overcoming discrimination? Why or why not?” Students should write their
ideas on the left-hand column on their paper. They do not need to write complete sentences;
responses can be in list form.
3. Give One, Get One
Tell students to walk around and find a partner. Each partner “gives,” or shares, items from
his or her list. For example, Partner A shares his/her responses until Partner B hears
something that is not already on his/her list. Partner B writes the new response in the right-
hand column on the paper, along with Partner A’s name. Once Partner B has “gotten” one,
the roles switch. Students repeat this process with other peers until time runs out.
4. Debrief

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After this strategy, you will want to debrief in a class discussion and/or a journal writing
session
Assessment Strategy
The goal is for students to share text-based evidence effectively and accurately. The
following categories can guide you, the teacher, as you listen to your students’ discussion.
Listen for these elements:
Factual and interpretive accuracy: offering evidence that is correct and interpretations that
are plausible
Persuasiveness of evidence: including evidence that is relevant and strong in terms of helping
to prove the claim
Sourcing of evidence: noting what the source is and its credibility and/or bias
Corroboration of evidence: recognizing how different documents work together to support a
claim
Contextualization of evidence: placing the evidence into its appropriate historical context
As students debrief, weave in feedback. Affirm their insights. Highlight strong historical
reasoning and text-based arguments. Choose one or two misconceptions about the content
to address. Point out areas where students may want to reevaluate the ways they are
connecting past and present.
Conclusion
The Give One, Get One strategy is a great strategy to motivate interaction between students,
and build positive relationships.

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
-Malala Yousafzai

References:
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/give-one-get-one
https://sites.google.com/a/esu4.net/esu4strategies/all-strategies/give-one-get-one
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom-solutions/2009/11/give-one-get-one-
engaging-shy-students

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Anticipation Guide
Description
A strategy that is used before reading to activate students' prior knowledge and build
curiosity about a new topic. Before reading a selection, students respond to several
statements that challenge or support their preconceived ideas about key concepts in the text.
Objective
Stimulate students' interest in a topic and set a purpose for reading.
Teach students to make predictions, anticipate the text, and verify their predictions.
connect new information to prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic.
Preparation Plan
1. Construct the anticipation guide. Construction of the anticipation guide should be as simple
as possible for younger students. Write four to six statements about key ideas in the text;
some true and some false. Include columns following each statement, which can be left blank
or can be labeled Yes, or No (Maybe can also be used).
2. Model the process. Introduce the text or reading material and share the guide with the
students. Model the process of responding to the statements and marking the columns.
3. Read each of the statements and ask the students if they agree or disagree with it. Provide
the opportunity for discussion. The emphasis is not on right answers but to share what they
know and to make predictions.
4. Read the text aloud or have students read the selection individually. If reading aloud,
teachers should read slowly and stop at places in the text that correspond to each of the
statements.
5. Bring closure to the reading by revisiting each of the statements.

Assessment Strategy
The teacher will then assess the accuracy of the students’ ‘anticipation’ towards the topic give
n to them.

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Conclusion
Using these strategy helps to stimulate the students’ imagination and pique their interest.
This effect can be amplified by using ‘intriguing’ articles such as illustrations and creative
titles.
References
http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19712/
Duffelmeyer, F. (1994). Effective Anticipation Guide statements for learning from expository
prose. Journal of Reading, 37, 452-455.
McKenna, M.C. (2002). Help for struggling readers: Strategies for grades 3-8. New York:
Guilford.

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Reciprocal Teaching

Description
Reciprocal teaching refers to an instructional activity in which students become the teacher in
small group reading sessions. Teachers model, then help students learn to guide group
discussions using four strategies: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and
predicting. Once students have learned the strategies, they take turns assuming the role of
teacher in leading a dialogue about what has been read.
Objective
 Encourage students to think about their own thought process during reading.
 Help students learn to be actively involved and monitor their comprehension as they
read.
 Teach students to ask questions during reading and helps make the text more
comprehensible.
Presentation Plan
1. Put students in groups of four.
2. Distribute one note card to each member of the group identifying each person's unique
role:
Summarizer, Questioner, Clarifier, Predictor
3. Have students read a few paragraphs of the assigned text selection. Encourage them to
use note-taking strategies such as selective underlining or sticky-notes to help them better
prepare for their role in the discussion.
4. At the given stopping point, the Summarizer will highlight the key ideas up to this point in
the reading.
5. The Questioner will then pose questions about the selection:
Unclear parts
Puzzling information
Connections to other concepts already learner
6. The Clarifier will address confusing parts and attempt to answer the questions that were
just posed.

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7. The Predictor can offer predictions about what the author will tell the group next or, if it's
a literary selection, the predictor might suggest what the next events in the story will be.
8. The roles in the group then switch one person to the right, and the next selection is read.
Students repeat the process using their new roles. This continues until the entire selection is
read.
9. Throughout the process, the teacher's role is to guide and nurture the students' ability to
use the four strategies successfully within the small group. The teacher's role is lessened as
students develop skill.
Assessment Strategy
The teacher will use the Think-Pair-Share assessment strategy:
1. Think. The teacher engages students' thinking with a question, prompt, reading,
visual, or observation. The students should take a few minutes (not seconds) just to
think about the question.
2. Pair. Using designated partners, students pair up to discuss their respective
responses. They compare their thoughts and identify the responses they think are
the best, most intriguing, most convincing, or most unique.
3. Share. After students talk in pairs for a few moments, the teacher asks pairs to share
their thinking with the rest of the class. (Fisher a Frey, 2007, p. 30)
Conclusion
Reciprocal teaching encourages active participation and learning which overall results to
better text comprehension.
References
Oczuks, L. (2003). Reciprocal teaching at work: Strategies for improving reading
comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Palincsar, A. S. & Brown, A. (1984). Reciprocal Teaching of Comprehension-Fostering and
Comprehension Monitoring Activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), pp. 117-175.

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Semantic Gradients

Description
A way to broaden and deepen students' understanding of related words. Students consider a
continuum of words by order of degree. Semantic gradients often begin with antonyms, or
opposites, at each end of the continuum. This strategy helps students distinguish between
shades of meaning.
Objective
Broaden and deepen students' understanding of related words
Help students distinguish between shades of meaning
Enhance students' vocabulary, which can help them be more precise and imaginative in their
writing
Presentation Plan
1. Select a pair of polar opposite words.
2. Generate at least five synonyms for each of the opposite words.
3. Arrange the words in a way that makes a bridge from one opposite word to the other.
Continuums can be done horizontal or vertical, in a ladder-like fashion.
4. Have students discuss their rationale for placing certain words in certain locations.
Encourage a conversation about the subtle differences among the words.
Assessment Strategy
 Before the lesson begins, the teacher will ask students to write down what they know
or think about a certain word. The teacher can use student responses to make
adjustments to their teaching instruction as the lesson progresses.
 During the lesson, The teacher will use these activities to measure students'
understanding of correctly identifying adjectives in a sentence, using adjectives
correctly in a sentence, and distinguishing the shades of meaning among closely
related adjectives.
 After the lesson, the teacher will provide on the spot oral feedback and help students
correct any misunderstandings they have acquired during the activities in the teaching
phase

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Conclusion
Reciprocal teaching can be used to teach students how to coordinate the use of four
comprehension strategies: predicting, clarifying, generating questions, and summarizing.
While working in small groups, the students use these strategies to engage in a discussion
thereby jointly constructing and enhancing one another's understanding of the text.
References
Greenwood, S.C., & Flanigan, K. (2007, November). Overlapping Vocabulary and
Comprehension: Context Clues Complement Semantic Gradients. The Reading Teacher,
61(3), 249-254.
Stahl, S.A., & Nagy, W.E. (2006). Teaching word meanings. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

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