What:
This activity provides an opportunity for students to practice their communication skills.
Why:
This activity can help the students feel like the text is more manageable. It can also model to students what they should be doing when reading a text.
How:
- Select a ‘”difficult” text or passage. Break the large text up into 1-2 paragraph sections.
- Break students up into groups of 2-4. Give each group of students a different section of the text/passage.
- Give the students time (~15-20 minutes) to read through and discuss their section of the text. If possible, give students guiding questions such as:
- What is happening in this section?
- What is the important take-away point?
- What might be important for me to know later?
- Bring the class back together. Each group (starting with the first part of the text) presents their section to the class.
- As students present, the instructor should write/draw on the board, correct and add to student responses, and provide examples as needed in order to help tie the concepts together.