Expert Groups
 
WHY DO IT:

• Empowers all students to be the expert, builds self-esteem
• Students directly taught study, note-taking and research skills
• Positive interdependence within collaborative teams
• Modeled metacognition
• Models fluent and proficient reading, due to heterogeneous grouping

 
KEY POINTS:

• Adapted from Spencer Kagan’s Jigsaw
• Supportive research: Robert Slavin, Using Student Learning
• Small, heterogeneous groups (All #1’s meet with teacher on one day, #2’s meet with teacher next day, etc)
• Grade level text, from science and social studies texts
• Leads to access to the textbook
• Use graphic organizers to provide scaffolding and better comprehension (Tony Biesance-conscious organization of information)
• Highlight main ideas and key academic vocabulary
• Sketch for understanding
• Transfer key information
• Color code expert group graphic organizer page

 
STEPS:

1. Show Mind Map First --Preview the text by showing the organizer   —show the legs and subject areas and link to the standards and textbooks—read and paraphrase the legs—it’s an advanced organizer
2. Preview pictures
3. Pass out text
4. Teacher reads aloud text with the students and highlights, modeling metacognitive talk
5. Then  teachers models one word/one sketch using pictures as a guide
6. Students highlight and do same
7. Model 2-3 paragraphs and do with kids, last one let students help and give reasons for highlighting
8. Write and sketch in graphic org—start in center and ask kids questions as you fill it out together—kids have to look at their work and they tell you the answers
9. Don’t do a final read through—kids know it well enough
10. After students have completed organizer, make sure they have names on papers and staple the papers together with the graphic organizer on the top.

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Connection to CCSS ELA:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
  
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.