EDP 621 summer 2000

Cooperative Lesson, Grade 7

Niki Skinner

Goal: To review the concepts and effectiveness of one-way vs. two-way

communication.

Abstract: Students work in pairs trying to discover how to save a Gummi

worm from "drowning" by using Gummi savers as life jackets.

Materials: Gummi worms, Gummi savers, and plastic cups.

Procedure:

1. Using the lab tables of 4 students, divide the children into pairs for

the experiment. (Students were previously seated randomly at lab tables

by the teacher closing her eyes and selecting students to sit at seats

according to how the pencil fell on their written names in her grade book.)

2. Pass out 1 Gummi worm and 1 Gummi saver, along with a plastic cup to

each pair of students.

3. Explain to the students that they are to turn their cup upside down so

that the opening is on the table. Next they are to set "Fred" (their Gummi

worm) on top of the cup. The table where the cup is sitting is to be

considered water.

4. Using their Gummi saver, students are to act as if that is a life jacket

and are to put this on Fred in order to save him from drowning. The

following rules are to be followed:

· Students are not to touch Fred with their hands. This means they are not

to pick him up in order to put the life jacket on. (It is understandable

that they may touch him or brush up against him with their fingers, but the

main objective is not to pick him up.)

· If Fred falls off of the cup he is going to drown. Fred may fall a total

of 3 times before he is considered dead. Once he falls students are to be

told to quickly place him back on top of the cup and if he falls more, he

is closer to drowning, with the third time meaning he has died and they

must stop the experiment.

· Students are to be encouraged not to look around at their colleagues to

see what they are doing.

5. Student should be advised that the best way to solve this dilemma is

communication. Fred will fall off the cup but students should discuss how

that happened and how to prevent it in the future. Talking about their

ideas and sharing them with each other will eliminate Fred falling in the

future and will aide in getting his life jacket on.

6. It is important that the teacher acts only as a facilitator during this

procedure and encourages children to direct questions to each other.

Students should be told that Fred would almost assuredly fall off at least

once but that they can eliminate this from happening again if they discuss

it with each other.

7. Students should also be encouraged to sit quietly once their team has

completed the task so that other students may continue to work without

being distracted.

8. Once everyone has completed the task, students should begin answering

the discussion questions as partners. The class will discuss the questions

together once everyone has had a chance to answer their questions.

9. Lastly, once everyone has completed the lab, Gummi worms and Gummi

savers should be passes out to everyone to enjoy eating!

Discussion:

1. What was the most difficult part of this experiment? Why was it hard?

2. What was the easiest part of this task? Why was it easy?

3. What emotions were you feeling when you were attempting to save Fred?

Why do you think you felt these emotions? What helped to calm your

emotions?

4. Which do you think worked better in this experiment, attempting to save

Fred on your own or talking with your partner and sharing ideas? Why do you

think it worked?

5. Which is better for us to use in class, one-way communication or

two-way communication? Why?

Class Discussion Questions:

1. How did you accomplish putting the life jacket on Fred?

2. What did you and your team member discuss as options in getting the

life jacket on Fred?

3. How did you and your team member feel when trying to put the jacket on

Him?

4. What advice would you give for future students who will perform this

lab?