Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Table of Contents
An example of jigsaw cooperative learning:
Cooperative learning activity in a CLIL music lesson at 4th grade (students aged 10)
Learning objectives:
Language skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking
Key vocabulary: classical, symphony, child genius, composer, concert master, violinist, pianist, string quartets
Communication: When was Mozart born? Who was his…?
Interaction: Group Work, Individual work
Materials: Video; Digital worksheet (made using Wordwall); Worksheets and charts; Paper
Assessment: The teacher observes students while they are working and offers guidance and support.
Description of the activity:
The teacher divides a text about Mozart’s life into four sections and also divides the students into groups of four accordingly. Before giving the instructions, the teacher has pre-taught the students the critical vocabulary needed. Then the teacher handed in the chunks of content, each having a different topic (Early life and family, Early activity, Young adult life, Striving to make a living, and his death), so that each of the four students in the group can be assigned a chunk. The model for the content of the Jigsaw Reading was made in Genially https://view.genial.ly/642c04a1361a9d00112c79a6 and is available in pdf format on Wakelet: https://6qvxwpjda8.execute-api.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/Wv4NW428Jw ....
Students had to read the content individually, take notes, and then meet in expert groups (each dealing with the same topic) after their individual study. Students prepared their presentation of the facts contained in their text. Students returned to their Jigsaw groups, and the other students in the group listened carefully, taking notes and asking for a lot of information. Students took turns presenting their facts.
The students’ learning outcomes were attained in terms of motivation, engagement, collaboration, and satisfaction. The task was designed in such a manner that all the students could participate in its completion. The students had been working in those groups for four weeks so that they were comfortable with group work, and they were also familiarised with jigsaw activities. Social skills and oral communication skills were improved. When carrying out a jigsaw, teachers must bear in mind that classes tend to be very noisy, but working in groups of only four students helps the teacher maintain control. Additionally, the preparation of this activity takes a lot of time and effort. But at the same time, it encourages learning because each student is proactively engaged in both the group of experts and the household group. It also contributes to developing the functions of asking and giving information.