How can we improve this lesson? Need your help by Monday!
I’m working with a librarian colleague on a small unit to develop student observation and questioning skills with first graders to tie in with their Ancient Egypt unit. (Yes, you read that right: first grade studies Ancient Egypt.)
We need your help. Can you help us think through how we could improve the collaborative aspects of the lesson below?
We decided that a three-class exploration of hieroglyphics would complement their classroom study and give them that practice.
We took the image below, divided it into six parts, and put each piece into a PowerPoint slide. Each of the six work tables got a laptop and was reminded about the See-Think-Wonder format (the same approach we used with the mastodon tooth, using it as an entry point into studies of woolly mammoths).
hieroglyphics via kwout
Each table had three or four students. Our idea was that they could use the worksheet below, with each child scribing their observations onto the ledger-sized (11×17″) sheet using a unique color of ink.
Oy vey! We’re not sure if it was the students’ field trip earlier today or the spike in temperatures from the rainy 50s to the sunny 80s today or what, but although their observations were fantastic, their teamwork was not. They argued about squeezing around the paper and about who could write what. As my colleague said, “I’ve never had that many kids cry in a half an hour before.”
When we reviewed their work, we agreed that their observations and questions were terrific but that the collaborative approach needs a makeover before the next class comes to visit on Monday.
We’re not sure how we can encourage better group work. Here are some thoughts rumbling in our heads:
- Appoint a notetaker/scribe or have them take turns. However, with first graders, this could really slow down the process.
- Skip the documentation and just make it conversation.
- Make the notetaking sheet bigger - maybe poster board instead of ledger paper - so kids aren’t jockeying for position.
- Reformat the notetaking sheet or make it into multiple pages
- Divide the teams into pairs.
- Start the project as individual work. Give each kid his or her own sheet, then have them pool their ideas into a table-based discussion.
We’re not quite sure how to do things — what do you suggest?
Many thanks,
K & T
May 20th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I would start the project as individual work, with maybe their observations in their own “archeologist’s notebook”. When they are done recording, they share their observations first within their group and then each group reports out their answers to the other groups. To help the other groups stay engaged as another group is reporting, have the students put a check mark next to any of their own individual observations that are the same or are similar to the ones being reported out…hope that makes sense!
May 20th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
My suggestion would be to enlarge the sheet into a poster and let the students add their ideas with Post-it notes It sounds like a great unit. Best of luck.
May 21st, 2010 at 10:39 am
You could give each child in the group a very specific job. For example, one person can note details, one could ask questions, one could try to answer questions, and one could be the scribe. Then, you could either mix up the groups or change the jobs.
By making everyone have a particular job, you can cut down on the competitive stuff that goes on. And by switching jobs, everyone gets to try out the different roles.
May 21st, 2010 at 4:12 pm
How about different colored post-it notes!
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:50 am
We use “buddies” with our 1st graders. Whenever we have something like this, I enlist helpers from our 6th grade to help out. The 6th graders love this, and during the month of May and June, the 6th grade teachers are more than happy to “lease” their students to me.
An older student could act as scribe on chart paper for a small group of first graders. I’d also give each group an object (maybe an Egyptian object a model of a cartouche necklace?). You aren’t allowed to share your idea unless you are holding the cartouche. That will help the 6th grade leader to avoid chaos within their own group. Hope this helps!