Teaching Strategies
Teaching Strategies
Teaching Strategies
What Is It?
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of educational objectives used for developing higher level thinking
skills. It is a process-oriented model that allows teachers to present ideas and concepts at many
different levels to meet the needs of a variety of learners.
How Is It Used?
When developing learning tasks and activities around Bloom’s
Taxonomy, it is important to include at least one activity from each
of the six levels of the taxonomy.
•Knowledge
-requires learning information
-consists of memorizing or identifying facts
-provides the basis for greater understanding
Questions that ask students to define, describe, label, locate,
recite, select, memorize, recognize, name, state, identify, or
repeat utilize the knowledge level of Bloom’s taxonomy.
•Comprehension
-requires understanding information
-focuses on the meaning and intent of the material
Whenever students are asked to restate, paraphrase, rewrite, convert, give examples, illustrate, summarize,
explain, locate, express they are employing comprehension level skills.
•Application
-requires using information.
-gives student practice in the transfer of their learning to other situations
Some action verbs associated with the application level are apply, modify, dramatize, translate, demonstrate,
and construct.
•Analysis
-requires examining specific parts of information to “see” the underlying ideas
-utilized before decisions are reached and problems are attacked
Analyze, classify, distinguish, subdivide, separate, differentiate, examine, calculate, compare/contrast are verbs
that could be used to express the analysis level of Bloom’s taxonomy.
•Synthesis
-requires doing something new and different with information
-involves the ability to put parts and elements together in a new form
Students who combine, compose, design, organize, invent, develop, plan, or create are using synthesis level
skills.
•Evaluation
-requires judging information using some criteria or standard
Asking students to evaluate, recommend, summarize, debate, criticize, or judge challenges them to incorporate
the evaluation level in their thinking process.
After the preparation of an activity is complete, teachers should look closely at the tasks assigned by reviewing the
verbs (what the students are asked to do) to ensure that each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy has been addressed.
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CONCEPT MAPPING
What Is It?
Concept mapping, also known as mind mapping, is a graphic organizer strategy that shows the
relationships among concepts. Usually the concepts are circled and the relationships are shown by
connecting lines with short explanations. Concept maps help students see relationships or the ways
that two objects or ideas are connected. There are usually multiple connections. Some are factual
and concrete; others are more abstract or symbolic.
Students might use a concept map for note taking from a reading assignment or lecture, to explore new
ideas, or to plan a course of action. Many writers use a web as a pre-writing task to generate and organize
ideas.
ESOL Strategy
In the Broward County Multicultural/Foreign Language/ESOL Department’s ESOL Instructional Matrix,
Semantic Webbing/Mapping is listed as B6 in the “Visuals: Graphic Organizers” section. This strategy
provides LEP students with a visual picture of how words or phrases connect to a concept or a topic.
The instructor lists the target topic or concept, and builds a web-like structure (by circling and connecting
the words) of words, phrases and verbs that students dictate as being connected with the central
topic. Class discussion may follow, with the instructor as the facilitator, to argue against or to defend
the perceived relationships of the dictated words to the topic, and eventually a consensus is reached
as to what the class believes constitutes a “web” for that concept.
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CORNERS
What Is It?
Corners is a cooperative learning strategy designed to allow students to better know and accept
themselves and others. Through this classbuilding strategy in which differences are understood and
appreciated, students come to “celebrate diversity.” Corners is also used in a manner similar to
jigsawing for learning about a topic and sharing that learning.
How Do You Use It?
To use Corners to elicit diverse points of view,
announce the category of the corners. Number each
corner and post a visual in the corner if possible.
Any category that allows for individual differences
can be the focus of the corner. For example, if the
Civil War is being studied, the students could pick
their corner based on who they would prefer to have
been—a Confederate general, a Union soldier, an
abolitionist, or a plantation owner. Give the students
a few moments of silent think time to clarify for
themselves their preference, not just go to a corner
that a friend prefers. Next, students go to their
corners and pair up to share reasons for their choice
with a partner. They then form groups of four within
the corner and students in the group paraphrase their
partner’s reasons from the paired listening. Finally,
students play a paraphrase game in which they must
listen carefully to the reasons of the other corner
groups in order to be able to correctly paraphrase
them.
Corners may also be used to assign groups to different corners to examine a particular topic. The students discuss
various points of view concerning the topic, draw conclusions, and determine the best way to present their findings
to the class. See Jigsaw for more information.
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FAT AND SKINNY QUESTIONS
What Is It?
Fat and Skinny Questions is a strategy for students to use when gathering information about a topic.
Fat questions require much thought, discussion, and explanation. Fat questions take time to think
through and answer in depth. Skinny questions require simple yes, no, maybe, a one-word answer,
or a nod or shake of the head. Skinny questions take up no space or time. Little information is
obtained from the answer to a skinny question.
Have students share their ideas with a partner and then decide on one “fat” question they want to ask about the
contents of the box. They must be prepared to explain why they think it is a “fat” question. Record the students’
questions on the grid. From the questions and their respective answers, students gather facts about the contents of
the box until they know what is in the box. Open the box and reveal its contents.
Ask students to decide if questions are “fat” or “skinny” and why they think so. Remind students that “fat” questions
require more thinking than “skinny” questions. Record the marks on the grid as they decide.
Students are asked to gather information all the time. When gathering information, students generally formulate
questions about the topic under study. If students are able to formulate fat questions as well as skinny questions, the
information they collect will be more in-depth, thorough, and substantive.
To provide practice for students in generating fat and skinny questions, ask them to create one fat and one skinny
question about a story, newspaper editorial, magazine article, movie, or textbook. Another way to provide practice is
to ask students to create fat and skinny interview questions for interviewing a famous historical figure.
Page 1 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
FISH BONE
What Is It?
The Fish Bone is a graphic organizer designed to help students identify separate causes and effects.
The Fish Bone is a thinking tool commonly used in business by problem-solving teams to identify
possible causes of a problem. The Fish Bone can be used when looking at possible options when
planning a course of action or in analyzing the cause of a particular consequence, result, or effect.
After the class discussion, have each student select three items from the total list that he or she believes are the
most likely causes of the problem. Have each student rank their selections. Students form groups to compile a list
of causes. Allow groups to discuss which items from the list are most important. After the discussion, each group
selects the three causes they thought were the most likely. Each student is allowed to vote three times. The votes
are tallied to determine the top three choices. Each group prepares an argument to support the selection of the
three causes and then presents its argument to the class. A whole class discussion follows the presentations to
discuss the differences in the conclusions. Have each group decide how it would gather factual data to support its
cause-effect selection. The plan should describe what data they would collect and how they would collect it.
Page 3 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
JIGSAW
What Is It?
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a group to specialize in one
aspect of the learning unit. Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the
same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the original group and teach the material to
the group members .
ESOL Strategy
In the Broward County Multicultural/Foreign Language/ESOL Department’s ESOL Instructional Matrix,
Jigsaw is listed as C4 in the “Interactive Strategies Cooperative Learning Activities” section. Jigsaw is
a cooperative learning strategy in which participants become “experts” about a topic or sub-topic, and
share their learning within a group setting so that eventually all members learn the content. LEP
students can learn the material much more effectively since they must also become teachers of the
content they have learned.
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K-W-L
Know—Want to Know—Learned
What Is It?
K-W-L is an introductory strategy that provides a structure
for recalling what students know about a topic, noting what
students want to know, and finally listing what has been
learned and is yet to be learned.
K W L
Students research and read background material on the topic, keeping in mind the information they had listed under
“What We Want to Know.”
After completing the activity, the students confirm the accuracy of what was listed and identify what they learned,
contrasting it with what they wanted to know. The teacher lists what the students learned under L, “What We Learned.”
Page 5 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER
What Is It?
Numbered Heads Together is a cooperative learning strategy in which students work together to
ensure that each member of a group knows the correct answer to problems or questions asked by
the teacher.
How Do You Use It?
Numbered Heads Together consists of four steps.
• Students number off.
Each student of a group is assigned a different number. If
the groups are not equal in number, one of the group 4 1
members may have more than one number.
• Teacher poses a question.
The question posed is usually formulated as a directive.
Instead of asking, “What mathematical property is used to
factor an equation?” the teacher says, “Put your heads
together and name the mathematical property that is used
to factor an equation.”
• Heads together.
3 2
Students in the groups talk to each other, literally putting
their heads together. The members of the group check to
ensure that everyone knows the answer.
Teacher calls a number.
The teacher calls a number at random and the student from each group with that number raises a hand. If each
group does not have a hand raised, the teacher should allow more time for discussion among the groups. The
teacher then selects one student to answer the question. If the answer is partially correct the teacher may ask, “Is
there another Number One who can elaborate on that response?” As a convenience, the teacher may use an
overhead spinner to select the number. The spinner frees the teacher from having to remember which numbers
have been called.
A variation of Numbered Heads is to have all the students with the number selected come to the board at one time to
record the answer, thus assuring that all the groups have the same correct response. If the question is a true-false
question, the selected numbered students could respond with a thumbs up for true and a thumbs down for false.
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QUESTIONING STRATEGIES
What Is It?
Questioning Strategies is a teaching strategy to prompt thinking. Using questioning techniques in a
variety of different contexts and according to a taxonomy of higher order thinking skills helps students
develop the ability to reason.
How Is It Used?
Because of the multipurposes they serve, questions have always
been considered the backbone of effective teaching. Teachers
generally ask questions to ascertain whether students understand
and remember what has been taught and to have students apply
what they have learned. It is also important that teachers ask
questions that require students to analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate the information they are taught (See Bloom’s Taxonomy).
(By asking questions that inquire about why certain information
seemed important, that request reasons, or that ask what
inferences can be drawn, teachers invite students to use higher
order thinking skills.) Studies show that students exposed to
high cognitive level questions score significantly higher on
standardized achievement tests than those students who have
only been exposed to low order level questions.
Page 1 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
ROUND TABLE/ROUND ROBIN
What Is It?
Round Table and Round Robin are cooperative learning strategies in which students take turns
contributing answers in a group. Round table is usually completed in written form; round robin in oral
form.
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SCAMPER
What Is It?
SCAMPER is an acronym for a series of thinking processes. SCAMPER uses some key words as
stimulators or “triggers” for new ideas to help students s-t-r-e-t-c-h their thinking.
How Is It Used?
To use the SCAMPER technique, begin with an open-ended question—one that calls for students to think of many
new, and different ideas (e.g., product improvement task). With a particular idea in mind, have students think of ways
to change it. The acronym stands for:
R Reverse: How can it be turned around or placed opposite its original position?
Rearrange: How can the pattern, order, or layout be changed?
The words given for each letter are certainly not the only words, the “correct,” or the “best” words that might be used.
Other possibilities for each letter could be used.
When introducing SCAMPER with students, it is usually helpful to begin using only one or two of the letters at a time.
It is not necessary to use the letters/words in the order they are listed. “P” (put to other uses) and “M” (modify,
magnify or minify) are often successful starting points. Feel free to explore any possibilities that might be suggested
by any of the words.
Page 1 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
THINK/PAIR/SHARE
What Is It?
Think/Pair/Share is a strategy designed to provide students with “food for thought” on a given topic
enabling them to formulate individual ideas and share these ideas with another student.
As students begin to share their ideas, each partner benefits from the other’s perspective. A student’s learning is
enhanced by the articulation of an idea. It’s one thing to think about an idea or opinion inside one’s own head; it’s quite
another thing to explain that thinking to someone else. In the sharing, partner’s retrace their words, search for telling
examples, and clarify the fuzziness in their own thinking. If time allows, one pair of students may share ideas with
another pair of students, making groups of four. Sufficient time for discussion and for all students to speak should be
allowed.
Think/Pair/Share helps students develop conceptual understanding of a topic, develop the ability to filter information
and draw conclusions, and develop the ability to consider other points of view.
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TIMELINES and SEQUENCE CHARTS
What Are They?
Timelines and Sequence Charts are graphic organizers that can be used to depict sequence and
order in a variety of forms. All forms of sequencing involve the same basic process—putting one
thing or idea after another according to certain criteria.
ESOL Strategy
In the Broward County Multicultural/Foreign Language/ESOL Department’s ESOL Instructional Matrix,
Timelines are listed as B10 in the “Visuals: Graphic Organizers” section. This graphic organizer allows
learners to organize sequential events chronologically, and also gives meaningful practice in the past and
present tenses.
Page 9 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000
WEBBING
What Is It?
Webbing is a graphic organizer strategy that provides a visual picture of how words or phrases
connect to an object, concept, or topic. As students determine the characteristics of an object or
idea, they begin to define the object by classifying its characteristics. Students begin to understand
how the object or idea is similar or different from others. Webbing helps students clarify concepts.
ESOL Strategy
In the Broward County Multicultural/Foreign Language/ESOL Department’s ESOL Instructional Matrix,
Semantic Webbing/Mapping is listed as B6 in the “Visuals: Graphic Organizers” section. This strategy
provides LEP students with a visual picture of how words or phrases connect to a concept or a topic.
The instructor lists the target topic or concept, and builds a web-like structure (by circling and connecting
the words) of words, phrases and verbs that students dictate as being connected with the central
topic. Class discussion may follow, with the instructor as the facilitator, to argue against or to defend
the perceived relationships of the dictated words to the topic, and eventually a consensus is reached
as to what the class believes constitutes a “web” for that concept.
Page 10 Created by the Department of Program Development and Alignment, The School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2000