Category: Cooperative Learning

Tite: #20 Cubing

Time Needed: 45-60 Minutes
Room Arrangement: Cooperative learning groups of six students
Materials: paper cubes, pencils and other drawing materials
Process/Directions: Have students get into groups, remind students of group rules, explain the
directions to the students. The students will get into groups of six. Each student will have a side
of the cube to fill out with one dimension of a topic under study. The dimensions are
Describe the topic; its shapes, color, and sizes.
Compare the topic to another, and explain why it reminds you of this topic.
Associate the topic to something else and explain why this reminds you of it.
Analyze the topic and tell how its made or whats its composed of.
Apply the topic and tell how it can be used or what can be done with it.
Argue for or against the topic. Take a stand and list reasons to support it.
Have students brainstorm ideas and make a quick sketch or draft of what they are going to do.
Then have the students complete the cube by using a prefold cube or gluing pieces of paper to a
box or folded cardboard.
Example of when I would use this:
During a thematic unit on any number of topics such as Antarctica, Australia, any other country
The Underground Railroad
Endangered Species
A novel or story
An historical event
A product
Source:
Tompkins, G. (2009). Cubing. In 50 literacy strategies: Step by step (3rd ed.). Boston:
Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.