Using Jigsaw Strategies

The jigsaw strategy is used to develop the skills and expertise

needed to participate effectively in group activities.
It focuses on listening, speaking, cooperation, reflection, and
problem-solving skills.

Listening - Students must listen actively in order to learn the

required material and be able to teach it to others in their
original groups.

Speaking - Students will be responsible for taking the knowledge

gained from one group and repeating it to new listeners in their
original groups.

Cooperation - All members of a group are responsible for the

success of others in the group.

Reflective thinking - To successfully complete the activity in the

original group, there must be reflective thinking at several levels
about what was learned in the expert group.

Creative thinking - Groups must devise new ways of approaching,

teaching and presenting material.

Directions for the jigsaw strategy are given below.

Randomly break the class into groups of 4-5 students each,

depending on the size of the class, and assign a number (1 to 45) to students in each group.

Assign each student/number a topic in which he/she will become

an expert.

The topics could be related facets of a general content theme.

For example, in a computer class the general theme might be

hardware and the topics might be central processing unit
(student #1), memory (student #2), input devices (student #3),
and output devices (student #4).

steve procter 2004/2012

Rearrange the students into expert groups based on their

assigned numbers and topics.

Provide the experts with the materials and resources necessary

to learn about their topics.

The experts should be given the opportunity to obtain knowledge

through reading, research and discussion.

Reassemble the original groups.

Experts then teach what they have learned to the rest of the
group.

Take turns until all experts have presented their new material.

Groups present results to the entire class, or they may

participate in some assessment activity.

steve procter 2004/2012