Jigsaw
Definition:
"Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a "home" group to specialize in one aspect of a topic (for example, one group studies habitats of rainforest animals, another group studies predators of rainforest animals). Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the "home" group and teach the material to their group members. With this strategy, each student in the "home" group serves as a piece of the topic's puzzle and when they work together as a whole, they create the complete jigsaw puzzle," (Reading Rockets, 2014).
Steps to Implement this Strategy:
"Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a "home" group to specialize in one aspect of a topic (for example, one group studies habitats of rainforest animals, another group studies predators of rainforest animals). Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the "home" group and teach the material to their group members. With this strategy, each student in the "home" group serves as a piece of the topic's puzzle and when they work together as a whole, they create the complete jigsaw puzzle," (Reading Rockets, 2014).
Steps to Implement this Strategy:
- "Introduce the technique and the topic to be studied.
- Assign each student to a "home group" of 3-5 students who reflect a range of reading abilities.
- Determine a set of reading selections and assign one selection to each student.
- Create "expert groups" that consist of students across "home groups" who will read the same selection.
- Give all students a framework for managing their time on the various parts of the jigsaw task.
- Provide key questions to help the "expert groups" gather information in their particular area.
- Provide materials and resources necessary for all students to learn about their topics and become "experts".
- Discuss the rules for reconvening into "home groups" and provide guidelines as each "expert" reports the information learned.
- Prepare a summary chart or graphic organizer for each "home group" as a guide for organizing the experts' information report.
- Remind students that "home group" members are responsible to learn all content from one another," (All About Adolescent Literacy).
- Builds comprehension.
- Students learn to work together.
- Students increase listening, communicating, and problem solving skills, (Reading Rockets, 2014).
Video 1: This video starts with the teacher explaining what a jigsaw is and breaking the students into groups. He then assigns specific readings to each member of the groups. He also gives students specific questions to answer over their readings. After each group member is assigned a portion of the reading, he gives the students some reading strategies and instructions of what he specifically wants from the groups. The teacher lets the students start on the activity and moves around the room to answer questions. This video shows the set-up process of the jigsaw strategy. However, it does not show much of the group discussion part of it.
Video 2: This video starts by explaining what the jigsaw strategy is. It does a nice job explaining the activity using puzzle graphics. Next, the video takes us to a classroom to show an example of the strategy. The teacher starts by discussing with the students what the jigsaw strategy is. This class has done this strategy before. After they review the strategy, students are put into home groups and given specific topics to study in their home group. After they have read their passage in their home groups, the students split into their expert groups for discussions with similar experts from other home groups. In the expert group, the students discuss their specific topic in detail and decide what key facts they will report to their home groups. Next, students go back to their home group. Each expert teaches the other students in their group what they learned from their expert group. Finally, the teacher brings the class together to have a group discussion over all the material. She uses this discussion to assess what was learned and if the strategy was done correctly. This video does a nice job of showing the entire process of the strategy.
Writing Component:
The writing component for this strategy can come from the "expert" groups. While students are in their "expert" groups, they need to write out exactly what they are going to report back to their "home" groups. This written document should be a detailed summary of the reading assignment. It should outline the main points and use evidence from the reading to back up their points. This will assess whether or not the expert group truly became experts. It will also ensure that good information was reported back to the "home."
Writing Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
Sources:
Jigsaw. (2014). In All About Adolescent Literacy. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from
http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22371/.
Jigsaw. (2014). In Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw.
The writing component for this strategy can come from the "expert" groups. While students are in their "expert" groups, they need to write out exactly what they are going to report back to their "home" groups. This written document should be a detailed summary of the reading assignment. It should outline the main points and use evidence from the reading to back up their points. This will assess whether or not the expert group truly became experts. It will also ensure that good information was reported back to the "home."
Writing Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
Sources:
Jigsaw. (2014). In All About Adolescent Literacy. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from
http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22371/.
Jigsaw. (2014). In Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw.