Group Classroom Exercises & Activities
Group exercises and activities aim to encourage team building and trust among students in your classroom. Students are actively engaged in their learning while participating within groups. Teachers can use these activities to informally evaluate students’ understanding of the lesson or topic being taught.
Group exercises and activities aim to encourage team building and trust among students in your classroom. Students are actively engaged in their learning while participating within groups. Teachers can use these activities to informally evaluate students' understanding of the lesson or topic being taught. Each classroom exercise and activity can be modified to suit age and setting.
Rotations
List five open-ended questions or statements on the board about a topic or main idea you are studying in class. Write each on a poster and place the questions at individual stations. Divide the class into small groups, one for each statement, and place a group at the different stations. Each group brainstorms and responds to the question by writing down a key idea or thought on the topic. At the teacher's signal, groups will rotate to the next station and add to the previous group's responses. Groups will continue through the stations until they reach the location at which they started. At this point, have each group discuss the responses and present their final conclusions to the class.
Jigsaw Reading
Divide the class into several small groups and give each group a different reading on a subject the class is studying. Groups read their assigned reading and then make a list of five main ideas or points to share with the class.
Beach Ball
Purchase a large inflatable ball and a permanent marker for this exercise. Write questions, math problems or conversation starters relevant to the topic or subject you want to evaluate student knowledge. You can use the beach ball in a large group and throw it around the classroom. The person who catches it has to answer the question touched by his left thumb. The student answers the question and passes the ball to someone else.
Human Scavenger Hunt
Download a blank bingo board and fill each square with a question relevant to your subject area. Students are required to find another student who can answer each question correctly. They must have this person sign their name within the square with the answer. Rules include you can only use each participant once and the center circle is free. The goal is to complete a line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.