JIGSAW
Definition/Description: Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student to become an  expert on a certain topic, through communication and discussion with others reading the same text, researching the same topic or unit, and then share their findings to their original “home” group. One student from each group has his/her own topic and then they meet with other students from other groups who have the same topic and they work together to decide the most important parts to share back with their original or home group to help them develop the same understanding. 

VIDEO

 The video link above demonstrates how to use jigsaw in a middle school language arts class and how it helps students understand complex text. It states how giving students a responsibility and allowing then to be the experts in a group helps build their comprehension skills, confidence, and social skills. You can notice in the video there are students form different ethnicity, and possibly some students who are ELL and see how they are working together to gain understanding. 

The picture above and below are two ways that demonstrate how this strategy works. There is one expert in a group and they share their findings with their new group, which for ELLs makes them accountable for their learning as well as gives them the collaboration and communication aspect to deepen there understanding and gain confidence in sharing to their group! These are two good diagrams that teachers could use for visual aids in the classroom to help student understand how to do the strategy.  (Jigsaw, 2013).

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​In this video, to the right, it goes through how to do/use the jigsaw strategy. It goes through home groups and expert groups as well as how to pick out articles related to the topic. Then the strategy is demonstrated in a classroom. This video will help teachers realize how to effectively engage students while using the jigsaw strategy. This would be a good video to show students before actually doing an activity, because then they can see how it words, and this will eliminate some questions. 

​Justification: The jigsaw strategy is a student-centered strategy that increases students’ participation, which creates a supportive and motivating environment for ELLs. This strategy incorporates reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, but it also develops students’ interpersonal skills and encourages them to communicate and collaborate with their peers. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills are necessary in developing for student literacy development. “To build a foundation for college and career readiness in language, student must gain control over many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanic as well as learn other ways to use language to convey meaning” (Wright, 2015, pg 30). This means students must have the language necessary, and through this strategy students are communicating and using language to convey the meaning of a certain topic. Aronson along with others from University of Texas and the University of California had the original research that gave credibility to the jigsaw approach for reading comprehension. He states that having student’s complete jigsaws allows them to build confidences and emphasizes cooperative learning in the classroom. By providing students an opportunity to actively help each other it build comprehension, social skills, as well as helps them look at the same information differently (Aronson, 2015).The benefits of using Jigsaw for reading compression is it encourages students to share ideas and increased their learning through the communication and discussion with others. It teaches students cooperation, responsibility, teamwork, critical thinking and social skills, which are all skills that students need to be successful in the twenty-first century (Clarke, 2013).

Differentiated instruction: For second language learners

• "Give students experience with small group learning skills before participating in the jigsaw strategy.
  
• Have students fill out a graphic organizer in the "home group" to gather all the information presented by each "expert."
  
• "Home groups" can present results to the entire class, or they may participate in some assessment activity.
  
• Circulate to ensure that groups are on task and managing their work well; ask groups to stop and think about how they are checking for everyone's understanding and ensuring that everyone's voice is heard; and
  
• Monitor the comprehension of the group members by asking questions and rephrasing information until it is clear that all group members understand the points" (Reading Rockets, 2015). 

“To build a foundation for college and career readiness in language, student must gain control over many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanic as well as learn other ways to use language to convey meaning” (Wright, 2015, pg. 30). 

Purpose:
To give students the opportunity to be the teacher, build confidence and responsibility, and work collaboratively with other to come up with the main ideas of a text. 

Tips:

• Have the content/material broken into sections prior to class. 
• Make sure that each section or content can stand alone.
• Differentiation-groups level by story level, varied learning styles in each group etc. 
• Have some questions or questions starters for groups to get started.
• Have one student in each expert group be the leader of the discussion. 
• Incorporate a writing activity.
• Have 3 to 5 students in a group 

Content Area Examples:
Reading:

• Different books on the same topic. Example; all books on the Holocaust. 

• Vocabulary- certain term(s).
• Section of a store. Example;  break story apart in 4 sections for each student.
• Different genres. Examples, fiction, nonfiction, etc. 
• Picture to the right, example of an activity sheet that can be used for a topic in reading, but also math, science, social, etc. 

Math:

• Different topics in same content. Example; every student in the group has a different shape.
• Different methods. Example: using manipulative, using number sense, using problem solving for same problems. 

Science/Social Studies: 

• Different topics in same content. Example; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial or Plant parts in science. 
• Different experiments on the same topic. 

Specific Content Area Examples:

• "Literature – Historical Fiction – Students are reading a historical fiction about the American Independence. The book tells the story as written by a young girl named Emma during the time period of May 1774 – July 1776. The book is written in journal-entry from. As part of the analysis of the text, each “expert” group reads 1-2 journal entries and summarizes the plot line as well as analyzing important information they have learned about the historical period and the lifestyle of the times. The “expert” then shares what he/she has learned with the jigsaw group.
• ELL – Science – Students are learning about different habitats or ecosystems that animals live in. Each expert group is assigned a habitat to learn and study. The “expert” groups research the habitat including the weather, plants and animals that live within the habitat and create a visual representation of the habitat. After the “experts” have created the habitat, they break into their respective cooperative learning group. The habitats are set up as learning station and at each learning station the “expert” of that habitat in the group shares vital information about the habitat.
• Music – Building Background Knowledge – Students are learning about various instruments used in different cultures. Each “expert” group has access to the instrument and research material about the instrument. Students use a notetaking form to gather basic information about the instrument. Once students have become “experts” on their instrument, they meet with their jigsaw group and share what they have learned about their instruments" (Goalkit toolbox, 2015)

Additional Links for: Information, Lessons, and Material

Reading Rockets

Specific for ELLs

lesson example

Activity

References:
Aronson, E. (2015). Jigsaw Classroom: overview of the technique. Retrieved from http://www.jigsaw.org/overview.htm  

Clarke, J. (2013). Pieces of the puzzle: The jigsaw method. In S. Sharan (Ed.), Handbook of cooperative learning methods. Westport CT: Greenwood Press.

Echevarría, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. (2013). Making content comprehensible for Elementary English language learners: The SIOP model. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
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Goalbook Toolkit (2015). Jigsaw Activity. [imagie]. Retrieve September 18. From https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/strategy/jigsaw 

Graphic Organizer for Jigsaw Activity/Groupwork (2011).[imagine]. Retrieved from .http://adventureswithlanguage.com/2011/03/09/graphic-organizer-jigsaw/

Jigsaw (2012). [Web Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtm5_w6JthA 

​Jigsaw (2015). Goalbook Toolkit. Retrieve from https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/strategy/jigsaw 

Jigsaws: A Strategy for Understanding Texts. (2012). [Web Video]. Retrieved on September 18. From https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/jigsaw-method

ReadingRockets. (2015). Jigsaw.  Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw

Wright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Caslon Pub.