Social Studies: Setting up and managing small group work

Home / Curriculum Resources / Social Studies / Setting up and managing small group work / Overview / Downloads

Cycle 1

In this learning cycle, novice teachers learn to plan, enact, and reflect on setting up and managing small group work while attending to advancing justice in the classroom. The materials in this cycle include structuring small groups, creating a class lesson, and analyzing colleagues’ practice.

Select a quadrant below to view related activities:

Adapted from:
McDonald, Kazemi, and Kavanagh, 2013; Lampert et al., 2013;
Teacher Education by Design

Introduce

Novice teachers are introduced to the decomposition of setting up and managing small group work by analyzing a teacher's practice and then focusing on what is needed while coaching small groups.

Prepare

Novice teachers learn how to create and engage students while in small groups. This includes attending to equity, compatibility, and using materials that support student learning.

Enact

Novice teachers create an inquiry lesson using a compelling question to guide students' investigation during small groups.

Analyze

In this quadrant, novice teachers analyze, reflect, and provide feedback to a colleague on the lesson they've taught that emphasizes setting up and managing small group work.

Activity 1

Video analysis using small group work decomposition

Activity 1

This activity provides an introduction to novices on the decomposition of setting up and managing small group work. It allows novices to view and analyze a video of a teacher in a social studies classroom.

View Resources

Activity 2

Coaching small groups & noticing strengths

Activity 2

This activity allows novices to identify strengths and areas for improvement as a teacher works with a small group. Then novices identify these factors using a teacher of their choice.

View Resource

Tool

Setting up and managing small group work

Tool A

Small group work decomposition

Tool A

This tool is used to decompose the practice of setting up and managing small group work.

View Resource

Tool B

Coaching small groups & noticing strengths

Tool B

This tool uses reflection questions to identify strengths and areas for improvement as novices begin working on setting up and managing small group work.

View Resource

Activity 3

Teacher time during small group work

Activity 3

This activity helps novices brainstorm ways to use their time effectively during small group work. It also provides a way to practice what they'll say while coaching and interacting with students.

View Resource

Activity 4

Designing prompt sheets for small group work

Activity 4

This activity allows novice teachers to work through what we've named as, "prompt sheets." This activity helps novices think about materials as effective tools for students working in small groups.

View Resource

Activity 5

Forming equitable groups using class lists

Activity 5

This activity requires teacher educators to model their thinking as they create small groups, while paying attention to advancing justice. Novices practice by creating small groups using a sample class list. Then, novices prepare for their field assignment by forming small groups using their own class list.

View Resources

Activity 6

Rehearsing the field assignment, rehearsal guidelines for novices

Activity 6

This in-class activity helps novices prepare for their field assignment through rehearsals. Novices will rehearse their lesson receive feedback from colleagues and a teacher educator.

View Resource

Activity 7

Field assignment, document-based lesson

Activity 7

Novices enact their field assignment (a "document-based lesson") using 2-4 sources and a compelling question to help small groups "Experience" the ideas and materials in the lesson.

View Resource

Activity 8

Video analysis of setting up and managing small group work

Activity 8

This activity is designed to help novices reflect with and provide feedback to a colleague on their effort to set up and manage small group work during their field assignment.

View Resource