Activity 3: Skills and Best Practices

The Jigsaw Classroom

Cooperative learning strategies are important tools in the teacher's instructional bag of tricks. Jigsaw is just one of these strategies. The jigsaw classroom provides you with all the information you will need to implement this strategy in your classroom.

Overview of the technique
History of the jigsaw classroom
Jigsaw in 10 easy steps
Tips on implementation
Suggested books and articles

Trends in Social Studies

There are three important trends in social studies. (A link to more information regarding the trends needs to be added.)

Trend 1: History, History, and More History
Trend 3: Using Literature to Teach Social Studies
Trend 10: Writing, Writing, and more Writing

This activity provides you with the opportunity to provide experiences for your students in each of these areas.

Political Cartoons

Select a cartoon from a daily newspaper and use the attached worksheet to model how to analyze a cartoon. Be sure students take the cartoon analysis worksheet with them when they go to their expert group.

Printable Student View

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Cartoon Analysis Worksheet

Level 1
Visuals	Words (not all cartoons include words)
List the objects or people you see in the cartoon.	Identify the cartoon caption and/or title. Locate three words or phrases used by the cartoonist to identify objects or people within the cartoon. Record any important dates or numbers that appear in the cartoon.
Level 2
Visuals	Words
Which of the objects on your list are symbols? What do you think each symbol means?	Which words or phrases in the cartoon appear to be the most significant? Why do you think so? List adjectives that describe the emotions portrayed in the cartoon.
Level 3
Describe the action taking place in the cartoon. Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols. Explain the message of the cartoon. What special interest groups would agree/disagree with the cartoon's message? Why?