Chris Rugg
EDP 621 Summer 2001
Cooperative Lesson
Appropriate Level: Grades 10-12
Goal: Use opinion-based questions to work on student’s communication, reasoning, and group skills.
Time: 3 days (three class periods)
Teaching presentation: first 10 minutes of first day to explain instructions
Individual study: 1 day (1st day overall)
Team study: 1 day (2nd day overall)
Wrap-up/Class Interaction (1 day)
Group size: two groups, each with half of the class
Materials: Copies of the questions for each student and the teacher.
Scratch paper and a formal sheet for each group to place their final answers on.
One copy of my answers and explanations why (enough copies to be handed out at the end for everyone).
Procedures:
Teaching presentations (day 1):
Objective: The learner will read over the different questions and answer them with what they fell are the best answers. Learner will take down notes on why the particular choices were made so that a healthy discussion can take place when the groups are formed.
Group size: whole class (working individually)
Materials: Copies of the questions for each student and the teacher.
Scratch paper and a formal sheet for each group to place their final answers on.
Instructions: Teacher begins class by explaining the importance of being able to work in a group, and how groups function better when all members have a voice.
Teacher then explains the project. Teacher goes over how they want the students to answer each question based on their own personal feelings and to explain why they are making their choices. An example, for the Moon project, it is not sufficient to say pick #’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Instead, for each choice explain why are picking that person, or why you are leaving that person off. Make sure to note if there were any tough choices for you to make between one or more of the applicants. Teacher will then inform the students how long they have to work on each part (the remainder of the class period, spend approximately half of your time on each activity). Teacher wraps up class by telling students what they will do the next day in the groups (i.e. come to a consensus on the activities) and again explains in detail, why they are making their particular choices as a group.
Team Study (day 2)
Objectives:
Students will take the work they did during the prior class, and get into their groups to discuss their decision and make a final list. Groups will have full control over how they go about getting to a consensus, the key is detailing how a consensus was reached, or if it wasn’t reached, what help it up.
Group size: Half of the class
Physical Setting: Groups will work at the tables on opposite ends of the classroom.
Assigning students to teams: Teacher will assign students to teams based a combination of sex, ethnicity, academic standing, and social skills. The idea of the project is to get everyone to understand how to work in a group and how everyone needs to be involved for a group to reach it maximum effectiveness. Therefore it is important the each group be made up of a mix of students based on these criteria.
Instructions: Each team will go around from member to member explaining why they made their particular choices for the activities. After each student has given their reasoning, the group will begin making their group decision. The group has the freedom to pick a leader who has final say on the vote, or they can work as a strict democracy where everyone has equal say. The groups need not come to a consensus. All decisions should be backed up with explanations and if a consensus cannot be reached, those member(s) need to give a reason why they were in disagreement.
Group discussion (day 3)
Objective: To discuss as a class the approaches taken by each group and how successful the group process was in getting to a consensus or in keeping a consensus from occurring.
Group size (still two groups, but together as a class)
Instructions: Each group will have one person represent them and explain the final choices they made and the reasons. The groups will then discuss between themselves in an open forum the similar and different choices that they made for each question. After the students have finished their discussion, the teacher will go over her choices (with reasons). Finally, the students will be asked what they felt they learned from the lesson and how they can use what they learned in future groups.
Group activities:
Each Student will receive a sheet with the following questions
Name: _____________________ Group: ___________________
Reminder: There are no right or wrong answers!! Just make sure you can justify your answers.
Question 1: Men on the Moon
The year is 2459 and life on Earth is about to die out. Fortunately it has been discovered that oxygen and water are present on the third moon of Jupiter, Alpha X. Unfortunately, that is all we know about the moon at this point. You have been summoned by the president to select 6 of the following 13 applicants for a mission to Alpha X to determine the extent at which human life can continue on Alpha X and to then immediately start colonizing the area and setting it up for human arrival. The only space ship suitable for this mission can carry only six people there and back, so it is imperative that the six most qualified are selected. As soon as progress is made on Alpha X, the space ship will return and humans will begin being transported to their new home. Below is a quick briefing of each of the applicants. Good luck.
Candidates:
Question 2:
Here is the situation. You are in a building with 9 other people of which you know none. Each person is secluded in his or her own room so you can't talk to anyone else (this is also why I ask you not to talk to each other, to try and keep the data as realistic as possible). In your room are a button, a speaker, and a timer set at 30 seconds.
Question A: Over the speaker a voice gives you this situation. If no one pushes the button, each one of you will receive $10,000. If anyone pushes the button they will receive $3,000. So if person 1, 3, and 5 all push the button, they all receive $3,000. If any person(s) push the button, those who did not push the button will receive nothing. So if 9 people push the button, those 9 will receive $3,000 a piece and the 10th person will receive nothing. If 9 people do not push the button and 1 person pushes the button, that person will receive $3,000 and the other 9 will receive nothing. You have 30 seconds to make your decision starting now. The question to you is would you push the button.
Here is the situation. You are in a building with 9 other people. Each person has been captured by a militant leader and secluded in their own room so you can't talk to anyone else. In your room are a button, a speaker, and a timer set at 30 seconds.
Question B: Over the speaker a voice gives you this
situation. If no one pushes the button, each one of you will walk out of
here alive, no questions asked and will be returned to your homeland. If
you push the button you will play Russian roulette with my men. The game has a 95% survival rate (that
means that for every 100 people that play this game of Russian Roulette, 95
will live and 5 will die). Therefore if person 1, 3, and 5 all push the
button they will play Russian roulette. If anyone pushes the button, then
those who did not push the button will not leave this complex and will be
executed. If 9 people push the button, those 9 will play Russian roulette
and the other person will be executed. If one person pushes the button,
he will play Russian roulette and the other 9 people will be executed.
Answer to question A: Yes or no, would you push the
button:
Reason:
Answer to question B: Yes or no, would you push the
button:
Reason: