Visual Instructional Plan [VIP]

MAKING HOME/EXPERT GROUPS WITH PLAYING CARDS

Making Home and Expert groups enables you to cover large amounts of connected
material without lecturing. This format makes each student accountable ~ so you
don’t have one person in a group doing nothing or one doing ALL the work. If you’re
working with a younger group OR a group that hasn’t previously done this procedure, you would need
to model – for example, do ONE of the church councils with them as a whole class and fill in the
handout sheet.

STE Title Notes

P
1 How many people in
the class?
2 How many groups do For example, we’re covering Ten Key Church
you want? How Councils, so I need 10 study groups. With
many in each group? approx.50 in the class, we should have 5 in
each Expert group.
3 Take your deck of Important not to use the aces* – make sure
cards deck contains four of each number group you
need. For example, we need 5- 2s, 5-3s, etc.
….5-jacks [cause we need ten groups.]
NOTE: if you’re ever working with more than one
deck of cards in a classroom, NEVER have same design
for multiple decks.
4 Determine where in Either post these numbers around the room
the classroom OR have it displayed on data projector.
groups will meet

5 Fan out card deck Tell them NOT to move into groups until
with faces hidden everyone has a card. Your Home Group =
and have students suite; Your Expert = Card Value (2, 3,…)
pick No switching

6 Give the signal to

move to Expert
groups

7 Ask each group to You would have study materials lined up in

send rep to front to order and clearly marked on front or side
gather materials table.
Should be a handout for students to record
 their findings.
8 Give them a specific
time frame
9 Circulate to check
for understanding

10 At end of time, put For example, all Hearts move to

signal up on board or ______________
on data projector to
have them move to
Home groups
11 Again, give a Each student presents 2-3 key points about
specific time frame topic covered in the Expert group

12 Check for After groups have compiled their findings,

understanding provide an “Answer Key” on overhead or
SmartBoard or data projector or individual
handout to ensure that key points have
indeed been covered.

*Ace of Spades can be included in the deck; this person can move to any group

This procedure needs PREP [you have to prepare handouts + think of how to
arrange groups], but usually works smoothly once set-up. Students are “plugged in”
and accountable.
Great way to cover lot of material
 Fathers of Confederation
 10 Top Elements on Periodic Table
 Apostles
 10 Provinces and 3 Territories
 WWII combatants