FOR-PD's Reading Strategy of the Month
“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” ~Deepak Chopra
RATIONALE
Looking for a way to assist your students with working together, developing thinking, content-specific and social skills, all while learning from one another at the same time? Then the Jigsaw cooperative learning strategy of may be right up your alley. Jigsaw is an effective strategy to use when you want to increase students’ mastery or a topic at a hand, boost their concept development, enhance targeted discussions among students, and foster group project participation and learning (Kagan, 1994).
Developed by Elliot Aronson (1971, 1978) this strategy views each student as an essential piece to the puzzle of the learning. Since each student is seen as invaluable to the process, this leads to a shared responsibility model of learning that focuses on both inter- and intra- personal components (Gregory & Chapman, 2007). Jigsaw is seen as a powerful differentiated instruction strategy because it gives all students the ability to contribute to the topic, discussion, or task in meaningful ways (Crawford, 2008).
HOW TO USE THE STRATEGY
While there are many modifications that have been created on how to organize the Jigsaw strategy, the following represents the simplest version (Schlemmer & Schlemmer, 2008).
Jigsaw Steps
- Divide students into 5- or 6-person Jigsaw groups. These will be the “home base groups”.
- Give the home base group information on the goals and overall tasks of the assignment. Is the goal to learn more about the stages of plant growth? Will they be learning about causes of the Civil War? Will students be creating a report, presentation, or concept map?
- Divide the lesson into segments that are comparable to the number of students you have in each group. For example, if you have four students in each group divvy up the information into four groups.
- Assign each student in a group to learn one segment of the topic or subject.
- If providing students with information give them time to read over their segment in order to become familiar. They may want to take notes of the important parts or parts they plan to share. If this is based on students’ research, consider using an I-Chart to assist them with preparing.
- Form "expert groups" by having students from each home base group join other students assigned to the same segment of information. In these expert groups, the students should discuss the main points of their segment and pick out the important elements they would want to share with their home groups.
See an example of a grouping chart below.
- Bring the students back into their home groups and have each student present his or her segment to the group. Other members of the home group should ask questions for clarification on the topic.
- Conduct a final assessment of the topic via a presentation, quiz, demonstration, or project.
See the following examples for how to use the strategy in your classroom.
Jigsaw Organizer
|
|
|
ASSESSMENT
Teachers can assess both the process of how students participate in the Jigsaw, what they learn about the topic from the cooperative experiences, and also the final assessment of that the students create as a product from their Jigsaw experiences. When evaluating the process you may want to use a rubric similar to the one here.
RESOURCES
The Jigsaw Classroom
http://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Publications_and_E-Media/files/files-techniques-2009/classroom_connection(3).pdf
This printable brochures offers insight and thoughts on the advantages of using the Jigsaw method.
The 'Jigsaw' Approach Brings Lessons to Life
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr324.shtml
Sixth-grade teacher Ellen Berg desperately wanted to show her students the true meaning of a fairy tale, but how could she organize an activity that would encourage them to develop their own definition of the term, willingly? A technique called the "jigsaw method" provided the backdrop for the dynamic and engaging lesson that her students still recall!
Jigsaw
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/group-work/cooperative-learning/48532.html?page=1
Learn how to use the jigsaw strategy across different content areas, including author studies, writing, and math.
Math--Special Segments of Triangles Jigsaw Activity
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1435.html
This site offers specific strategies on how to use the Jigsaw strategy in the high school math classroom.
REFERENCES
Crawford, G. B. (2008). Differentiation for the adolescent learner: Accommodating brain development, language, literacy, and special needs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Gregory, G. and Chapman, C. (2002) Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesn't fit all. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative learning. San Clemente, California: Kagan Publishing.
Schlemmer, P., & Schlemmer, D. (2008). Teaching beyond the test: Differentiated project-based learning in a standards-based age. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.
