It’s Spring! That means students are generally full of energy. AND, you still have 6-8 weeks to go.
If you haven’t tried the Four Corners Activity lately, give it a try. I love it because it’s adaptable and interactive. It can promote critical thinking, discussion, and movement.
Here’s how to implement it:
Setup:
Divide the classroom into four sections or corners. Label each of these corners with signs. To scaffold for Multilingual Learners, make sure to add a graphic to the sign so it’s clear to them.
Each corner represents a different option or perspective related to a topic or question.
Introduction:
Introduce the topic or question to the students. Provide clear instructions on the options represented in each corner.
Movement:
Students move to the corner of the room that corresponds to their choice or opinion on the given topic.
Encourage them to choose the corner that they feel most strongly about or that aligns with the evidence they have studied.
After they discuss (see below), you’ll project the next image. This is a way to engage students in higher-order thinking without it being heavy on language, so MLs of all levels can participate.
Discussion:
Once students have moved to their chosen corners, you’ll encourage small-group discussions. Have them share with each other why they chose that corner. For MLs, they have a chance to share in a less intimidating way than with the full group.
After that, you’ll choose a student at each corner to share why they and their peers went to that corner.
This discussion phase allows students to engage with peers who share similar or differing perspectives.
Reflection:
After you have projected 6-8 images or questions, you can bring the whole class back together.
Invite students to share key insights, arguments, or points raised during the small-group discussions.
Facilitate a whole-class discussion where students can compare and contrast different perspectives.
Invite students to write a few key ideas they learned from the activity.
The Four Corners Activity can be adapted to various subjects, topics, and age groups. It encourages active participation, critical thinking, and collaboration among students. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for movement, which can help maintain student engagement and energy levels during the lesson.
Here’s a video so you can see it in action!
Have you tried four corners?
Do you have other suggestions?
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