Engaging Classroom Strategies
(When You are Instructing)
This tab is to help you with:
- Active participation by all students
- Keeping students alert
- Keeping all students accountable
Fun Memory Engagement
Memory Palace
Have a sequence to remember?
- Help students assign each concept to a familiar location
- Imagine walking through each location
- Make a ridiculous analogy at each spot--the sillier the better
- Example: Scientific Method
Fun mnemonics
Have a list to remember?
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Rhyming, Rhythm and Music
Need a fun rhyme or song to engage memory?
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Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Project-based learning is not meant to be a presentation of knowledge after a unit is taught, but to be the means of learning through which the teacher acts as a facilitator for student discovery. As with most strategies, moderation is best. Doing one project per unit is usually good spacing for this strategy.
Student Choice Projects
- Some of the best projects are student-directed
- Student choice engages students in topics that they prefer to learn about
- This can either be an open-ended question that students choose any topic and need approval from the teacher for, or it can be two or three distinct projects created by the teacher that students can choose from.
Inquiry Projects
- Need extended period of time
- Students gain knowledge and skills by working to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge
- Students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge of them
RAFT Projects
R = role (who the writer is)
A = audience (to whom you are writing)
F = format (the form, such as essay, poster, presentation, etc.)
T = topic (what you are writing about)
S = strong verb (the main description of what you are doing, the pedagogical reason for including this is to encourage students to think about the importance of their project, for example: to persuade the audience that one need is more important than another)
A = audience (to whom you are writing)
F = format (the form, such as essay, poster, presentation, etc.)
T = topic (what you are writing about)
S = strong verb (the main description of what you are doing, the pedagogical reason for including this is to encourage students to think about the importance of their project, for example: to persuade the audience that one need is more important than another)
- These projects can be structured with more or less student choice
- Teacher chooses one or more of the above tasks as a requirement for the project, and allows freedom in the choice of the other requirements
- For example: role of Galileo writing to the audience of the Roman Catholic Church in the format of a personal letter with the topic of Galileo's pending judgement; students must choose a strong verb to contextualize their assignment, such as "to convince the pope to forgive Galileo"
- For example: role of scalene triangle to the audience of your angles in the format of a text message on the topic of their unequal relationship; students must create a strong verb to show their understanding of the concept, such as "to incriminate the angles for being unequal"
Games
Survivor-Themed Trivia
Team trivia game with a "Survivor" theme
- Teacher arranges classes into teams of four or five and come up with a creative name for themselves.
- Teacher writes team names on board (and numbers them 1-6 for later dice rolls)
- Teacher poses questions of similar difficulty to each team
- Each team gets 30 seconds to collaborate and answer
- If a team answers incorrectly, then the teacher rolls a dice to give another team the chance to steal a point
- At the end of the game, the team with the highest points receives an "award" such as "triumph," or "bragging rights"
Gopher Get Down!
- Students get into large groups of 5 to 8 students
- Teacher poses a question to a group, but the members may NOT talk to one another
- Students wager points that they would like to risk by standing up (number of standing students in the group = number of points wagered)
- Teacher calls on any student standing to answer question
- If student answers correctly, team gains as many points as the number of students standing. If the student answers incorrectly, the team loses that number of points (Caution: a fun, safe, and open classroom environment must be established prior to this game)
- Students can "cheat" by standing up even if they do not know the answer, but risk being called upon by the teacher
- Benefit: teacher can call upon weaker students when posing easier questions, and can therefore control outcome of the game to be more fair
Word Scavenger Hunt
Want a week-long activity to develop definitional and contextual word knowledge?
- Divide the class into five teams and distribute a vocabulary list of five to ten words.
- For each vocabulary word, the team must find/provide/bring in: (1) a dictionary definition of the word on an index card (2) a list of synonyms on an index card (3) a sentence example of the word in context written on an index card (4) an object or image that represents the word
- Teacher can encourage groups to divide one vocabulary terms between each of them, or can assign numbered roles to students and differentiate by giving more difficult tasks to students who can better handle them
Relay Race
Fast response game
- Create a five-question worksheet for each group
- Arrange students in groups/rows of five
- Each student does one question then passes the worksheet
- Last student passes sheet to teacher to be checked over
- (can differentiate by arranging easier questions for the students who struggle)
Create a Boardgame
This strategy allows for creative ideas and will help students to work with and remember content
- Hand out poster paper and ask students to create their own games using the content in the current unit
Kahoot.it!
See Formative Assessment Strategies tab under Technology
Group Discussion Strategies
Horseshoe Debate
Want students to express their idea with motion? (also called body vote)
Create an imaginary horseshoe-shaped spectrum in your classroom.
Have students place themselves along the spectrum and ask them to share their reasoning for taking that position.
Social Studies Example: place yourself along the political spectrum and justify your position
Create an imaginary horseshoe-shaped spectrum in your classroom.
Have students place themselves along the spectrum and ask them to share their reasoning for taking that position.
Social Studies Example: place yourself along the political spectrum and justify your position
Four Corners
Teacher introduces a position statement.
Religion Example: Does God exist?
The four corners of the classroom represent four categories: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree.
1. Students are given 30 seconds to think on their position and prepare their justification. (Think)
2. Students go to their corners. (Movement)
3. Students discuss in small groups in their corner and share their reasons for that position. (Pair&Share)
4. Large group discussion - This can easily turn into a Debate. Teacher facilities for efficient & positive discussion.
Religion Example: Does God exist?
The four corners of the classroom represent four categories: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree.
1. Students are given 30 seconds to think on their position and prepare their justification. (Think)
2. Students go to their corners. (Movement)
3. Students discuss in small groups in their corner and share their reasons for that position. (Pair&Share)
4. Large group discussion - This can easily turn into a Debate. Teacher facilities for efficient & positive discussion.
Inside/Outside Circle (Speed Dating)
Need an ice breaker or randomized discussion activity?
Benefit: students share ideas one-on-one with randomized partners
Science Example: "what do you think about climate change?"
Religion Example: "do you believe that God loves you?"
Benefit: students share ideas one-on-one with randomized partners
- Example: ask the students an open-ended question.
- Students briefly discuss with their partner for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- The outer circle moves to switch partners.
- Steps are repeated until objective met.
Science Example: "what do you think about climate change?"
Religion Example: "do you believe that God loves you?"
Popcorn Review
Want a student-directed review of newly learned content?
- Students choose to "pop up" by standing to verbally contribute a fact or detail about a topic, or add related information, another fact in sequence, or a subsequent story event.
- To structure this process, divide the class into sections and address one section at a time (this prevents chaos). Give the rule that whoever stands up first can be the person to speak next. State one major topic, then allow students to "pop up" to say what they remember about that topic.
- Can be fun in that the process moves in a random fashion between students who volunteer what they know.
Tossed Terms Boxes (Process Dice)
Need a verbal review? Want students to facilitate their own small group discussion?
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Randomized Questioning
(Keeps Students Alert)
Popsicle sticks
Teacher writes all names of class on popsicle sticks
- When posing a question, a name is drawn to respond
- After a student responds, teacher places the popsicle stick in a different pile until all names have been drawn
- Prevents teacher bias from calling upon the same students all of the time
Dice Roll
Benefit: gives students time between question posed and being called upon to answer
1. A question is posed
2. Starting at a corner of the classroom , the first 6 students are numbered 1-6.
One of these six students must answer the question, so these students mentally prepare to be called upon.
3. Teacher rolls die.
4. Designated student will respond to question.
Repeat until objective met.
1. A question is posed
2. Starting at a corner of the classroom , the first 6 students are numbered 1-6.
One of these six students must answer the question, so these students mentally prepare to be called upon.
3. Teacher rolls die.
4. Designated student will respond to question.
Repeat until objective met.
Grouping Strategies
(Make New Friends!)
2 Stay and 2 Stray
Students are seating in groups of four (or more).
To come up with different groups:
To come up with different groups:
- two students move clockwise to a new pod (group of four)
- two remain in their original seats.
Deck of Cards
This strategy can be varied in many ways. (Simple grouping or Jigsaw purposes, etc...)
Grouping (2-4 students per group)
Example: If you have 20 students in your class, take 10 pairs from the deck. Shuffle them.
1. Randomly hand out cards to students.
2. Tell students to find their pair (partner).
Grouping (2-4 students per group)
Example: If you have 20 students in your class, take 10 pairs from the deck. Shuffle them.
1. Randomly hand out cards to students.
2. Tell students to find their pair (partner).
Nucleus Game (also called "atom" or "mingle")
Want movement and random groups?
- Formula: Atom ________ (Insert number per group)
- *Students form groups of that number*
- Repeat the process until groups are truly random. (Students are not just with their friends)
- Teacher chooses the desired number of group members for their activity.
- Call out Atom _________ (last group formation)
- Extension: The left over students who are not in complete groups, they are penalized to do hops, jumping jacks, air squats, etc... (Moveme
Activity Roles (Students With Jobs)
Benefit: All students have a duty or responsibility and keeps them moving and alert
A's and B's
A's and B's
- Students get into partners and label themselves A and B.
- Teacher instructs "A's" to complete one job and "B's" another.
- Example: All of the "A's" will read this paragraph aloud to their partner. All of the "B's" will summarize what is read to them.
- Example: All the "A's will grab a mini white board, and all the "B's" will grab a marker and eraser
Online Resources: Random Group Generators
- Class Tools Random Picker: http://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/
- ASchool.us Random Group Creator: http://www.aschool.us/random/random-pair.php
- Instant Classroom: Super Teacher Tools Random Name Generator: