Reading and Writing Instruction for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Spring, 2009, Hickory, NC

The Jigsaw Classroom strategy is a cooperative learning technique. Each student is like a piece to a jigsaw puzzle. If you have missing pieces it is not complete, therefore in the Jigsaw Classroom Strategy, it is essential each group member do their part for the completion and full understanding of the objectives. Students are divided into small groups (5 or 6). Each student is assigned to learn about a specific topic, based on a broader topic. For example, in 4th grade we study NC. A student might be assigned to learn about crops grown in NC. Another in the group may be assigned to tourism in NC. After time and resources are made available to students for research to be done, groups come back together and share. Before getting back into groups to share, members meet with others who were assigned the same topic to compare information. This will give them a chance to work with other ‘experts’ who researched the same topic. This can be particularly helpful for struggling students. The members can help one another in organizing the information found. After members gather back together they educate one another about what they learned. This strategy is beneficial for several reasons. First, it makes students responsible for their own learning. The process encourages listening, engagement, and empathy by providing each student in the group an integral part to be responsible for in the activity. Team members must all work hard to accomplish a common goal. They must all work together to be successful. The strategy also teaches students to value one another as contributors to the assigned task.