Jigsaw is a reading activity that can be used across any content
area and can be modified to fit almost any situation. This is great for when
teachers want to cover multiple readings (4-5), but does not have the time to
have each student read all of them. This is an activity where students are
broken up into heterogeneous jigsaw groups of about four or five students,
these are called HOME groups. Each person in the home group will choose which
reading they will be responsible for. Then students will break into their
EXPERT groups. An expert group is where students are all reading the same text
(each expert group should have at least one member of each home group). When
students return to their home groups they will be able to explain the text they
read and discussed. Then every student has been informed on all of the
readings you wanted without having to read every single one.
How to:
11. Break students into their HOME groups: in these
groups students will determine which of the readings they will be responsible
for.
22. Students go to their EXPERT groups: in these
groups students will all be reading the same text and then will discuss the
reading. Provide adequate time for all groups to read, discuss, and determine
the key points each students needs to take back to their home groups.
33. Students return to their HOME groups: back in
their home groups students will take turns explaining the reading that they
discussed in their expert group. This step is vital because no students will
have read all of the readings.
Helpful Hint: Keep a time frame on
the board to help you and the students stay on task.
Modifications:
1. Provide a picture that you want students to analyze
2. Word Problems in math and science
3. Different parts of the same story (so after discussions students have "read" the entire story)
4. Do not use Home and Expert Groups
You could modify this activity to fit into the way your classroom runs. You could also provide discussion question guidelines or specific questions that the students must answer when reading. Everything is up to you!