The objectives
The aim of this workshop is to practice different types of group work.
1. Think-pair-share
Class size: any
Time frame: 5-10 minutes
Setting: no limitations
 Description:
This strategy has three steps. First, students think individually about
a particular question or scenario. Then they pair up to discuss and
compare their ideas. Finally, they are given the chance to share their
ideas in a large class discussion.
Why use think-pair-share?
 It helps students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question.
 It teaches students to share ideas with classmates and builds oral communication
skills.
 It helps focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading
material.
Activity 1
Now work with your group and choose a lesson and
apply this activity
Duration : 5min for preparing the questions
Discussion time : 20 min
2. Snowball groups/pyramids
Class size: 12-50
Time frame: 15-20 minutes, depending on how many times the groups
“snowball”
Setting: moveable seating required
 Description:
This method involves progressive doubling: students first work alone, then
in pairs, then in fours, and so on. In most cases, after working in fours,
students come together for a plenary session in which their conclusions or
solutions are pooled.
Provide a sequence of increasingly complex tasks so that students
do not become bored with repeated discussion at multiple stages.
For example, have students record a few questions that relate to
the class topic. In pairs, students try to answer one another’s
questions. Pairs join together to make fours and identify,
depending on the topic, either unanswered questions or areas of
controversy or relevant principles based on their previous
discussions. Back in the large class group, one representative from
each group reports the group’s conclusions
Why use Snowball groups
It improves leadership skills amongst students because there is a
group leader whose responsibility is to convey messages to his/ her
friends as members of his/ her group.
It trains students to be independent because each student is given the
assignment to create a question to be delivered to another student.
Besides that, each student also has a responsibility to answer a
question from one of his/her friends.
It creates a lively classroom atmosphere because all the students
must work in order to complete their tasks
Activity 2
Now each one of you individually will write three questions
about the previous activity ( think , pair, share). 2 min
Now pair and discuss your questions. ( 5min)
Now in a group of four try to solve the unsolved questions
and then discuss and write a summary about the important
points.
Duration 20 min
3. Jigsaw
Class size: 10-50
Time frame: 20 or more minutes
Setting: moveable seating required; a lot of space preferable
Description:
This strategy involves students becoming “experts” on one aspect of
a topic, then sharing their expertise with others. Divide a topic into a
few constitutive parts (“puzzle pieces”). Form subgroups of 3-5 and
assign each subgroup a different “piece” of the topic (or, if the class
is large, assign two or more subgroups to each subtopic).
Each group’s task is to develop expertise on its particular subtopic by
brainstorming, developing ideas, and if time permits, researching.
Once students have become experts on a particular subtopic, shuffle the
groups so that the members of each new group have a different area of
expertise.
Students then take turns sharing their expertise with the other group
members, thereby creating a completed “puzzle” of knowledge about
the main topic.
A convenient way to assign different areas of expertise is to distribute
handouts of different colors. For the first stage of the group work,
groups are composed of students with the same color of handout; for the
second stage, each member of the newly formed groups must have a
different color of handout.
Why use Jigsaw
Encouraging group sharing and learning of specific content.
Jigsaw helps students learn cooperation as group members share
responsibility for each other's learning by using critical thinking and
social skills to complete an assignment.
Monitoring each student's participation within the groups provides
teachers with information about how much the students already
know about the topic.
Activity 3
part 1
Now I need a volunteer.
Bring 4 students text books.
Choose one lesson and then divide the lesson into 4 parts.
Assign one part for each group.
guide them until they understand their parts
Activity 3
part 2
Now change the arrangement of the groups so each new
group will have one from each previous groups. ( 4
previous groups).
Now share the information you have together in your new
group.
Duration 30 min
4. Gallery Walk
Class size: 10-50
Time frame: 15 or more minutes
Setting: moveable seating and a lot of space preferable.
Description:
The instructor prepares several discussion questions.
Student teams in a Gallery Walk typically number three to five. So, for a
class of twenty write four to five questions. For larger classes either write
more questions or repeat the same set of four to five questions, posting the
same question set in different sections of the class.
Questions can gauge knowledge and comprehension or can tap higher
order thinking skills involving analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
 Before class time, write the Gallery Walk questions on large sheets
 Post the questions on the wall around the class, giving sufficient separation
space between sheets.
 Arrange students into teams of three to five. Provide each group with a
different colored marker.
 Direct teams to different charts or "stations." Upon arriving at the station, each
team writes comments for the question posed at the station.
 After a short period of time, say three to five minutes, say "rotate." The group
then rotates, clockwise, to the next station. At the new station the group adds
new comments and responds to comments left by the previous group.
 As groups rotate, the instructor nurtures student discussion and involves all
group members.
 Teams continue to review the answers already contributed by previous groups,
adding their own comments. This procedure continues until groups have visited
all stations and return to the station at which they started.
 Instruct students to record their original (starting) question and to sit down in
their teams to begin the "Report Out" stage.
 In the "Report Out" stage, the group synthesizes what has been written about
their original discussion question.
 Allow about ten minutes for the group to synthesize comments. The "reporter"
chosen earlier, summarizes the group's comments with the help of other group
members and makes an oral presentation to the class using the blackboard or
on an overhead projector.
 The oral report should not exceed five minutes in length. Alternatively,
students can write a written report composed either individually
Why use Gallery Walk
Dedicates time for students to practice discussing, debating, organizing,
and writing about course content rather than just hearing ideas presented
by the teacher;
Promotes the use of higher‐order thinking skills like analysis, evaluation,
and synthesis when teachers choose levels of abstraction when designing
questions;
Emphasizes the collaborative, social nature of learning because students
work in teams to synthesize information written from a variety of
perspectives
Encourages alternative and multiple approaches to problems, because
students are exposed to a variety of perspectives posted at different
discussion "stations"
Activity 4
Now look at the wall you will find 4-A3 papers. Beside each
paper you will find a group of questions.
Now try to solve the whole questions for 5 min and then when
I will say shift, you will rotate clock wise. And you will repeat
the same process for he second papers and so on.
Duration 30 min
5. Buzz Groups
Class size: 8-30
Time frame: 10 - 20 minutes.
Description:
A buzz group is a small, intense discussion group usually involving
to 3 students responding to a specific question or in search of very
precise information. The full plenary group is subdivided into the
small groups. It’s called a ‘buzz’ group because it mimics the sound
of people in intense discussion.
The learners are divided into small groups, usually twos or threes.
These small groups meet for a short period to consider a simple
question or problem. The ideas, thus exchanged, may then be
presented to the other participants by each of the small groups in
turn, so promoting further discussion.
Why use Buzz Groups
Highly participative.
Very focused and direct.
Very frequently it integrates theory with experience.
Short and intense
Activity 5
Now on your table you will find a paper with one word,
With your group search for the meaning of the word and
then we will share the data and discuss it together.
Duration for search : 5 min
Duration for discussion 15 min.
Fun activities
Clap and catch
Keep the cup in the air
Flip the card
Race the middle
Flipped classroom
1/3 – 2/3
Lesson plan
Circle inside circle