Cooperative Learning Basics

This resource is ready-to-use offering practical applications. Chronologically organized, the activities span the entire scope of U.S. History. You will become familiar with the fundamentals of collaboration. You may create activities using the lessons as models. The chapters are clearly written and easy to follow.
The Benefits of Cooperative Learning:
You will understand the definition of cooperative learning and learn about the benefits of classroom cooperation such as: increased self-esteem, higher academic achievement, heightened respect for others, and social skills for the future.
The Core Elements of Cooperative Learning:
You will become fully knowledgeable with the core elements of every successful collaborative activity—Social Skills, Individual Accountability, Notable Interdependence, Group Goals, and Group Processing.
The Structures of Cooperative Learning:
You will become acquainted with widely used coop-erative learning structures and the five core elements: Jigsaw, Group Investigation, Numbered Heads Together, Think-Pair-Share, Round robin, Three Step Interview, Corners and Pairs Check.
23 Classroom-ready Lessons:
These activities illustrate how to use the structures in your classroom. Each lesson has its own rationale, time frame and objectives. The lessons include step-by-step procedures, assessment suggestions, and facsimiles of worksheets for the activities. Each lesson comes with hints to deal with situations you may encounter: absenteeism, choosing groups, grading, unmotivated students.
How-to-do-it-yourself:
Once you are familiar with the basics and use the ready-made lessons and models, you will be able to create your own cooperative learning activities. To aid you, there is an annotated bibliography of cooperative learning literature.