Strategy

Jigsaw Strategy

What is it?

Jigsaw is a cooperative learning structure that promotes the sharing and understanding of ideas or texts.

What is its purpose?

Jigsaw facilitates learning in two areas:

§          the social skills of positive interdependence and equal participation, and

§          the academic skill of acquiring knowledge and understanding.

How do I do it?

Preparation for class:

1.         Using the reading passage Chief Red Jacket’s Reply to Reverend Cram, prepare a copy of the passage for each student. 

2.         Divide the class into home groups of equal numbers.

3.         Copy an argument chart graphic organizer for each student.

4.         Assign each student of the home group a different persuasive element from the argument chart (assertion, supporting evidence, opposing viewpoint, and arguments against the opposing viewpoint).  The students assigned assertion will also look/identify propaganda techniques.

Classroom organization

§          Organize the students into pre-determined home groups.  Each group needs a clean copy of the passage.

§          Each member will become the “expert” of a persuasive element for their home group.

§          Members of each home group form cooperative expert groups by teaming with others who have identical passages.        

o         Expert group example, all ‘supporting evidence’ students in the home groups come together to form a supporting evidence expert group.

o         This expert group reads the passage, discusses the information, and identifies all supporting evidence.  The information is recorded on the argument chart.   

o         They also discuss the best method of sharing their acquired knowledge and understanding with their cooperative home group.

§         After discussion, the expert group members return to their home groups to explain their element.  The home group discusses so all members have an understanding of each element.  However, each member is an expert on only one element

Note:  the opposing viewpoint expert group may be predicting as the students have not read Reverend Cram’s Speech to the Iroquois Nation.