Jigsaw Strategy

What is it?

Jigsaw is a cooperative learning structure that promotes the sharing and understanding of ideas or texts.

What is its purpose?

Jigsaw facilitates learning in two areas:

§          the social skills of positive interdependence and equal participation, and

§          the academic skill of acquiring knowledge and understanding.

How do I do it?

Preparation for class:

(1)      Using the reading passage Chief Red Jacket’s Reply to Reverend Cram, prepare a copy of the passage for each student. 

(2)     Divide the class into home groups of equal numbers.

(3)     Copy an argument chart graphic organizer for each student.

(4)     Assign each student of the home group a different persuasive element from the argument chart (assertion, supporting evidence, opposing viewpoint, and arguments against the opposing viewpoint).  The student’s assigned assertion will also look/identify propaganda techniques.

Classroom organization

§          Organize the students into pre-determined home groups.  Each group needs a clean copy of the passage.

§          Each member will become the “expert” of a persuasive element for their home group.

§          Members of each home group form cooperative expert groups by teaming with others who have identical passages.        

o         Expert group example, all ‘supporting evidence’ students in the home groups come together to form a supporting evidence expert group.

o         This expert group reads the passage, discusses the information, and identifies all supporting evidence.  The information is recorded on the argument chart.  

o         They also discuss the best method of sharing their acquired knowledge and understanding with their cooperative home group.

After discussion, the expert group members return to their home groups to explain their element.  The home group discusses so all members have an understanding of each element.  However, each member is an expert on only one element

(5)     Students pair-share and list potential problems with using websites in research.

(6)     As a whole group, students brainstorm on the board or overhead until a list is compiled of potential problems. The following information should be included:

suspicious authorship

lack of credibility

lack of objectivity

suspicious purpose

poor quality or lack of professionalism

(7)     Students write a list of ways to avoid being influenced by invalid websites in a small group and present findings until a website evaluation is created on the overhead.

(8)     Using this evaluation, students evaluate a website. (The ideal way to incorporate this is to include the technology for all students to “see” the site together and discuss the above categories.) Teachers should inform students that if part of the website is unclear, incorrect, or weak, it invalidates the site.