Student
Ephrata Educates Through Engagement
Teacher
Promoting student investment and motivation by creating the
conditions that foster total participation.
Content
Cut and Pastes
Description- an activity in which students manipulate concepts, analyze them, and categorize them
into specified criteria. This activity can be utilized with all different grade levels. Examples
include: sorting for synonyms and antonyms, prefixes and suffixes, parts of speech, elements in a
story, different mathematical operations.
How it Works1.
Select the concept you want students to sort or categorize. Generate a list of ideas
or words for students to cut and paste. Consider differentiating the lesson, if some
students would benefit from an alternate set of ideas/words.
2. Determine if the activity will be independent, in pairs, in a small group.
3. Students cut their pieces and manipulate them back and forth, justifying why their
placement in a specific spot is the best location. Glue ideas to the category.
4.
Discuss the placement of ideas/words. Have students revise their paper as needed
based on discussion of answers. Students can make notes, draw arrows, or add
words to an idea to validate its location.
Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Tip- Be sure cut and paste activity includes components that
require students to rationalize why they included an idea in a specific location. You may want to
consider an option that fits into more than one category. This will require students to utilize
higher-order thinking skills to critique the best location for the idea. Categorize ideas and justify
decisions (DOK level 2 and 3)
Reflection
This activity works well with the Ranking engagement activity.

Will you be teaching anything with distinct features that would lend itself to a cut and
paste activity?
Based on the work of Persida and William Himmele, Total Participation Techniques. Pages 74- 75