Movement Strategies
4 Corners Survey students on opinions/answers and send them to classroom locations based on their answers. Students can migrate if classmates are convincing |
Speed Dating Students stand or sit in face-to-face lines, answering questions or explaining vocabulary. One line shifts while the other remains still. |
Human Timeline Students receive texts or quotes that reveal a sequence. Students then work with one another to form human timeline. |
Trading Cards Students each write a description of a vocab word and a related drawing on an index card. They teach words to one another and then swap cards, teaching a new classmate the word they just learned. |
Back-to-Back/Front-to- Front Students move around the room (similar to music mingle). When they find a partner they face back-to-back while a question is asked, have 30 seconds to consider their response, then turn front-to-front to discuss the question. |
Continuum One side of the room represents one idea, and the other side represents an opposing idea. Students align themselves with their feelings on topic. If they feel neutral,they remain in the center of the room. Students share reasons for position. |
Labs Students meet in partners or groups to conduct research or solve problems using tools of the trade. |
Foldables & Manipulatives Students create foldables or work manipulatives. Great way to engage students kinesthetically. |
Music Mingle Music plays as students move around the room. When music stops, students face a partner and respond to a question. Restart music and rep |
Scavenger Hunts You can either create different locations in the room to gather information, or make a “true” scavenger hunt by leaving a string of clues that tie together in a pre-determined sequence. You can use QR codes and iPads to do this digitally. |
Jigsaw Students meet in “home groups” to discuss a text or solve a problem. Home group decides the topics to be shared with classmates. Students then move to “away” groups where all take notes on each other’s topics. |
Take a Stand The teacher asks a yes-or-no question to students. Students who believe the answer is “yes” will stand up. Class discussion could center around asking students why they stood or stayed seated for each question. |
Gallery Walk Text, pictures, or student work is posted on the wall in various spots. Students spread out to analyze, retrieve information, or discuss each posted item. |
Station Rotation Groups of students stand or sit at various locations in the room to answer questions, solve a problem, conduct research, view a video, etc. At designated time, students rotate to next station. |
Carousel Brainstorming Students respond to questions, quotes or problems posted on the the walls. Groups rotate and add to other groups’ responses. Students return to original poster and write summary of comments. |
Brain Breaks Students stop everything for a quick brain stretch, such as reciting the alphabet while drawing numbers. Often involves standing or moving. |