Access Strategy:
Cooperative
Learning
Session 2
Follow up
 Did anyone try any of the CL activities (Four
Corners, Galley Walk) in their classroom last
week? What were some of the success
and/or challenges you encountered?
 PowerPoint posted on Garfield’s website
under Teacher Resources.
Other Ideas
1) Rearrange your classroom for group work on certain
days and establish procedures to move into groups
2) Switch classrooms for a day or period to a classroom
set up for group work
3) Seek alternate locations: Library, SLC offices (521,
709), mall area, hallway, etc.
Today’s Goals
Experience an effective lesson that incorporates a
cooperative learning strategy and is aligned to
Content and Common Core State Standards.
Traditional group work
Cooperative Learning is
SELF-LEARNING
Assignments are discussed with little
commitment to each other's learning.
COLLABORATIVE TEAMWORK
Group members help, assist, encourage, and
support each other's efforts to learn.
SOCIAL SKILLS ASSUMED
Social skills are assumed or ignored.
SOCIAL SKILLS DIRECTLY TAUGHT
Teamwork skills are emphasized -- members
are explicitly taught and expected to use
collaborative skills.
TASK –ONLY EMPHASIS
No processing of how well the group is
functioning or the quality of its work.
REFLECT ON GROUP DYNAMICS
Students have time and are given a procedure
to analyze how well their groups are
functioning, how well they are using the
appropriate social skills, and how to improve
the quality of their work
NO INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Individual students not held
responsible for their share of the work,
“hitchhike” on others
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Leadership shared by all members.
Each student is assessed on their mastery.
Essentials for Cooperative Learning
1) Clear “student-friendly” objectives
2) Expectations of behavior
3) Modeling – short model of what the
activity looks like and sounds like in action
4) Prompts – give students sentence
starters
Activity: Structured Academic
Controversy (SAC)
 A Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) is a type
of cooperative learning strategy in which small
teams of students learn about a controversial issue
from multiple perspectives.
 The structured academic controversy technique is
designed to engage students in controversy and
then guide them to seek consensus.
What makes a good topic for a
Structured Academic Controversy?
• A topic that has two clear sides.
• A topic that is relevant to the curriculum
(standards based).
• A topic that is interesting to the
students.
• A topic about which students (or you) can
locate a variety of resources and
information.
History/Social Science Standards
 8.9 Students analyze the early and steady
attempts to abolish slavery and to realize
the ideals of the Declaration of
Independence.
 8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes,
key events, and complex consequences of
the Civil War.
CCSS Reading Standards for Literacy in
History/Social Studies 6 – 12
Cite specific textual evidence to support
analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS Writing Standards for Literacy in
History/Social Studies 6 – 12
•
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific
content.
Today’s Objective
 During today’s class, you will work in teams
to discuss arguments convicting and
defending Abraham Lincoln. Your goals for
today include sharing your ideas, practicing
your speaking skills, analyzing text, and
finding evidence to defend your position
(even if you do not agree with it).
Essential #1
Expectations
 Active listening
 Challenge ideas, not persons
 Try your best to understand other position
 Share the floor: each person in pair MUST
have an opportunity to speak
 No disagreeing until consensus-building
SAC: Abraham Lincoln
 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation in 1863, freeing the slaves.
Your job is to determine whether you think
he was racist or NOT.
SAC Question:
Was Lincoln racist?
Actions
Words
RACIST
Motives
Effects
TEAMS of 2
TWO A’S (BLUE)
 TWO B’S (RED)
Team A (BLUE) will argue YES,
Abraham Lincoln was racist.
Team B (RED) will argue NO,
Abraham Lincoln was not
racist.
 With your teammate, read each of
the four documents.
 Underline evidence that supports
your position.
 Record on Organizing the Evidence
handout.
 15-20 minutes
TEAMS OF 4
TWO A’S (BLUES) AND TWO B’S
(REDS).
Use prompts
 Team A presents their evidence.
BOTH PARTNERS MUST PRESENT.
 Team B writes down Team A’s
arguments and then repeats them
back to Team A. Use Graphic
Organizer.
 5 minutes
Team B presents. BOTH
PARTNERS MUST PRESENT.
Team A writes down arguments
of Team B. Repeats them back to
Team B. Use Graphic Organizer
 5 minutes
Group Consensus
Team of 4
 Discuss the overarching question
and attempt to reach consensus.
 Whole group share
..
Use Prompts
WRITING PROMPT
Based on the information in the primary
sources, write a well-organized persuasive
essay that states and maintains a clear
position on the issue of whether Abraham
Lincoln was a racist or not. State your
position in a thesis and defend it with multiple
examples of precise and relevant evidence
from the sources provided. Be sure to address
counterclaims to your position and cite
evidence correctly.
CONTENT GROUPS
Skim sample texts
 Develop a SAC question
Reflection/Evaluation