Give One, Get One
K-12
Big Idea
Directions
In this whole-class activity, students have a task to give and to get information.
Before beginning, students are given quiet time to consider what they know about a particular topic, and to record a number of possible responses (sketches, words, phrases, or sentences) on a sheet designed for that purpose.
1. The teacher poses a question that is open-ended enough to generate a range of responses or provide a worksheet with multiple questions to discuss and respond. Topics can include current events, science topics, social studies and historical events, and characters from class literature.
2. The teacher identifies the resources (charts, articles, books, etc.) available to help students generate ideas or find responses. Then allow a couple of minutes for students to record their ideas.
3. Students are provided with a set amount of time (about 6 -8 minutes) to get up and find a classmate with whom to share ideas. Using Mix, Freeze, Pair may be a helpful strategy to mix students up or Flippity to assign students partners.
4. Partners ask for clarification about any detail not understood, comment on anything of interest, then select one idea from the other’s list and add it to their own, with their partner’s name next to it.
5. When one exchange is completed, students move on to a new partner following classroom protocol.
6. At the end of the exchange period, the teacher facilitates a class debriefing of ideas. A volunteer is asked to share one new idea from a conversation partner, utilizing the language structure of reporting, such as...
I learned from _____ that _____.
• I found out from _____ that _____.
• _____ said (mentioned) that _____.
• My partner, _____ told me (said that) _____.
7. The students whose idea has just been reported shares the next idea gleaned from another conversation partner, and the process continues.
When to Use
Math: List prime or composite numbers, list even or odd numbers, ways to make a number
Language Arts: Characters in a story, genres, adjectives to describe a scene, topics for opinion writing
Science: Examples of force and motion, categorization in life sciences, science project ideas
Social Studies: States and Capitals, Presidents
- For sharing, vary the sizes of the groups from partners to triads to quads.
- Instead of random mingling, have people gather in various clusters, such as by height, by interest, by role, etc. This slightly changes the focus of sharing.
- Use visuals or have students draw their thinking.