The Carousel: A Teaching Strategy

The carousel is just as much fun in the classroom as it is at a carnival!

Summertime reminds me of carnivals, cotton candy and carousel rides - and carousel rides remind me of a great teaching toolkit strategy. It's called "the carousel," because it involves moving around the classroom.

What is the Carousel strategy?

The carousel is a strategy that engages student interest by using cooperative skills and allowing movement. It also encourages students to practice HOTS (higher order thinking skills)

How does it work?

*It's important that students are given clear instructions about how to complete this strategy before it begins. They should also be aware of how to transition quietly.

1)Arrange 4-5 large sheets of paper around the room (with enough space for a small group of students to work at each station.) On each sheet of paper post an open-ended question that relates to a central topic. Number each sheet ( #1, #2, etc.) I usually print off the question on a piece of paper and attach that paper to the sheet in order to save space.

2)Have students count off from 1-4 (or 1-5) and then have  the #1 students congregate at the sheet labeled #1, the #2 students congregate at the #2 labeled sheet, etc. Each group should be given a different colored marker and have one student from each group picked as a recorder.

3)Have each student-group read their question and discuss answers. The recorder uses the marker to write 2-3 answers on the sheet. Tell the groups that the other groups will be adding info to their sheet, so they shouldn't fill up their sheet with writing.  

4)After 2-3 minutes, refocus student attention back to you, and have them rotate clockwise to the next sheet (taking their marker with them). Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all groups have traveled to all sheets. 

I usually have the groups put a check next to answers that are similar to a previous group's ideas, so that unique answers are written down and answer trends become apparent. (The students won't need as much time after the first rotation because students will be checking more and more answers. Tweak the time downward to fit students' needs.)

5)When students reach "home base," each recorder  selects  another group member to report out, and everyone else sits down.

6)Each reporter will read the answers on the sheet. The answers are color coded, so if there are questions about any of the comments/answers, they can be directed to the specific group.

Why use this strategy?

This is a great activity to get students practicing these skills:

• collaborating 
• summarizing 
• evaluating  
• reflecting on text
• moving around the room with a purpose  

Try this strategy and see how it works for your students. (It also works great with adult groups!)

  Queen Bee

3-2-1: A Teaching Strategy

                                       


During your career as an educator you will develop loads of activities, ideas and tips that you use throughout your practice. Here is a great activity: The 3-2-1 strategy.

What is the 3-2-1 strategy?

One of the hallmarks of a great lesson or presentation is being able to finish it with an activity that brings all of the lesson elements together. You want your audience to remember the highlights of the lesson, and leave with information that can be used in the future. The 3-2-1 strategy is great to use because it summarizes key information in a clear and concise way. I've used it with students in class, and I've used it as an evaluation tool with adults as well. Your creativity will determine how you want to present this chart - as a listed version, as a chart or as a table. Younger students can use pictures instead of words. 

How Does It Work?


Simply fill out a 3-2-1 form with information that will summarize the learning. As the name implies, the form appears in descending order, with 3 items, then 2, then 1.

Here's an example of things you could include in a generic form:

• 3 Things You Found Out
• 2 Interesting Things
• 1 Question You Still Have

When Can I Use This Strategy?

Use this strategy whenever you want to gauge learning or evaluate a process: as an exit ticket, a evaluation tool or as the introduction to a class discussion.

The labels for the 3-2-1 form  are the things you ask, and they can change according to the audience:

• In  professional development sessions:

3 things I learned from this workshop; 2 questions that I have; one "lightbulb" moment,

• In art class:

3 words that describe this picture; 2 art styles that are shown; one title I could use for this picture,

• In literacy class:

3 major characters from the story; 2 conflicts that were developed in the plot; 1 theme,

• In math class:

3 important facts in a math word problem; 2 steps that need to be used to solve the problem; 1 extraneous fact that can eliminated from the problem

• In science class:

3 states of matter; 2 types of chemical bonds; and 1 basic  building block of matter

Have fun with this new tool!

    

Queen Bee