Jigsaw
What is Jigsaw?
Jigsaw is a comprehension strategy where students are divided into groups where they become the experts, and then teach the material to their peers. Jigsaw provides students with the chance to become active learners, researching and reading to information they need to teach their peers. Students are given time to read their assigned text and gain a deep understanding of the main ideas and details, which they will present to their peers. Working with peers to meet a common goal, students are engaged when participating in a Jigsaw activity (Miller & Veatch, 2011). Studies show that using a jigsaw strategy not only improves the attitude and environment of the classroom, but also the effectiveness of instruction (Yueh-Min, 2014). The jigsaw strategy provides students with the chance to work collaboratively with their peers, increasing engagement and motivation and in turn deepening understanding (Chi-Cheng, 2014). Working in teams creates a culture of collaboration and a positive environment that will foster learning (NMSA, 2010). How can I use this strategy in a middle school? In science classes, students can read research or experiment journals in a jigsaw activity, presenting the findings to their peers. They can also jigsaw chapter readings in the content areas. In history classes, students can read jigsaw major events in history and present them in a sequential order, creating a presentation of the textbook content that is engaging and memorable. In social studies or a media course, students can jigsaw current events in a newspaper or online databases to teach their peers about things that are happening in the United States or the world. In English courses, students can jigsaw research articles or other text to find main ideas and details that are essential for their peers to know. No matter what content area the jigsaw strategy is being used, it is important the classroom teacher is there to provide support and clarify any misconceptions that may occur. Writing Component & Standard
In the jigsaw comprehension strategy, writing can be incorporated in many ways. First, students assigned a topic can write on an anchor chart before presenting it to their peers. This would serve two purposes: meeting writing standards and providing a visual support with information. Another way students can use writing with this strategy is to take notes and summarize the information their peers are presenting to them. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience |
How can Jigsaw be differentiated to meet student needs? Jigsaw can be differentiated by the teacher to meet the needs of the class. There are many ways it can be differentiated, such as by group size, which students are paired together, assigning a text, as well as providing students with the option to choose their text. By determining the group make-up of a group, teachers can strategically pair students together by ability level or mixed levels. If the groups are ability-based, appropriately leveled texts can be assigned. Additionally, students can be given the chance to choose their jigsaw based on their interests, which would increase motivation and engagement (Miller & Veach, 2011). Above: In the video above, Reading Rockets featured the jigsaw strategy to show how it can increase comprehension. This video provides a detailed look at the Jigsaw reading comprehension strategy and provides a breakdown of the steps involved in the jigsaw process. In this jigsaw process, the students present their jigsaw knowledge to a small group, rather than whole group. There are many ways to complete the jigsaw activity, but the important idea is that students become experts of a topic with a group, which they later present.
Left: In the video to the left, students perform a research jigsaw, where the reading is not provided for them in a specific text. In this form of jigsaw, students must use their research skills to become experts in the topic they are assigned before returning to their home group to present the information. Below: The video below shows a teacher interviewed about how to engage sixth graders in the jigsaw strategy. She provides tips and advice for teachers using the jigsaw strategy as well as how to engage students while meeting the standards and increasing comprehension. |