#4

Description: In my cooperating teacher’s class this week, the students split into groups of 3 or 4 to do some reading and answer some questions.  The topic was Japanese internment camps during WW2.  I sat with one group for about 20 minutes, throughout the entire activity. I helped them read through the material provided and answer the questions that followed.  A couple of the questions came from specific details in the readings and a couple where more open-ended critical thinking questions.  The teacher lead a discussion afterward.

Analysis: I enjoyed working with the group.  The topic was interesting to them, partly because it was a topic they were not familiar with at all.  The reading was short, which made it not too daunting even though it was pretty dense.  The students in the group I worked with had a lot of trouble with the vocabulary, but their teacher was always nearby to provide assistance.  The discussion at the end of the class seemed to be when most students finally started understanding the topic.  Closure must be an essential part of the lesson.

Reflection: I liked this form of group work and plan to use it when I am a teacher.  It was simple and easy to plan, yet engaging and infomative.  One idea I had would be to provide a vocabulary list to accompany the reading.  A vocabulary list would help my students better understand primary sources and also direct their attention to the key points.  The discussion at the end was simple and straight forward.  I plan to do something similar as a teacher, where the students and I simply go over the answers that they came up with.  In my cooperating teacher’s class, this strategy started lots of extra discussion.

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