INTERACTION:
Class Activities that Use Cooperative Learning
8. Circle the Sage - First the teacher
polls the class to see which students have a
special knowledge to share. For
example the teacher may ask who in the class
was able to solve a difficult math
homework question, who had visited Mexico,
who knows the chemical reactions
involved in how salting the streets help
dissipate snow. Those students (the
sages) stand and spread out in the room. The
teacher then has the rest of the
classmates each surround a sage, with no two
members of the same team going to the same sage. The sage explains what they know while the
classmates listen, ask questions, and take notes. All students then return to their teams. Each in
turn, explains what they learned. Because each one has gone to a different sage, they compare
notes. If there is disagreement, they stand up as a team. Finally, the disagreements are aired and
resolved.
9. Partners - The class is divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side of the
room. Half of each team is given an assignment to master to be able to teach the other
half. Partners work to learn and can consult with other partners working on the same
material. Teams go back together with each set of partners teaching the other set. Partners
quiz and tutor teammates. Team reviews how well they learned and taught and how they
might improve the process.
Add Your Own:
Compiled by Ivanna Mann Thrower for UNC August 2009
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Practice/Application Quick Write
How do you integrate activities in your classroom?
20. Provide hands-on materials and/or manipulatives for students to practice using new
content knowledge.
21. Provide activities for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.
22. Provide activities that integrate all language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and
speaking).
Lesson Delivery: Teacher Behaviors
Avoid
Assuming prior knowledge
Yes or no questions!
Building Background
•
•
Self-Correcting
•
Immediately correcting the
student
Self-Evaluation
•
Only grading for correct
answers
Peer Interaction
•
Always giving the answer
Imitation
•
Silent classrooms
Native Language
Resources
•
Assuming students will know
how to use their dictionaries and
glossaries
Focus On
Discovering prior knowledge
Context clues
Relating shared experiences
Wait time
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Journals (can be illustrated!)
KWL Charts
Rubrics
Phone a friend’, ‘poll the
audience’
• Pairing higher & lower level ELLs
•
•
•
•
•
Listen to the radio
Interviews
Guest Speakers
Clarification
Teaching students when and how
to use these resources
Compiled by Ivanna Mann Thrower for UNC August 2009
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Assessment Modification: It’s NOT Unfair! It’s Essential!
1. Give students objective tests (matching, multiple choice, T or F) instead of subjective
tests (essays).
2. Provide extra testing instructions or rephrase directions.
3. Test key concepts or main ideas (not specific points).
4. Make a simplified language test.
5. Supply ELLs with word banks for tests.
6. Reduce the number of test responses.
7. Simplify test directions.
8. Assess ELLs on their effort to understand content area
material at their level of language ability.
9. Provide highlighted tests.
10. ________________________________________________________
11. _________________________________________________________
12. _________________________________________________________
OUTCOME SENTENCES
zI
feel …
zI
wonder …
zI
think …
zI
learned …
WARNING!!
No Teacher should FAIL an
LEP student if that teacher has
not offered instructional and
testing accommodations to the
student.
Compiled by Ivanna Mann Thrower for UNC August 2009
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