COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

In order to include more opportunities for students to work, interact, and share in our classes, here
is a list of activities that can be useful in your sessions. These activities belong to Spencer Kagan,
but have been modified for our online setting. Please click on the link for further description.

Numbered-Heads
Together Think –Pair – Share Paraphrase Passport Carousel Brainstorming

Circle the Sage Rooms (Corners) Gallery Walk Instant Star

Jigsaw Thinkpad Brainstorming Three-Minute Pause Three Stay, One Stray

Three-Step Interview Think-Pair-Square Two Facts and a Fib Visible Quiz

Round Robin
Pass a Problem Brainstorming Say and Switch Send a Problem

Virtual Talking Token Team-Pair-Solo

 1. Numbered Heads Together
It ensures all members in a team understand since one is randomly selected to be held
accountable.
Steps:
1. A question or problem is posed and shared on the screen and students are asked to get a
screenshot or a picture of it.
2. Team up students in breakout rooms of 3 or 4 students.
3. Assign a number to each student.
4. Students discuss the question or problem in their breakout rooms. Suggested time for this
task: 3 minutes
5. Visits the breakout rooms randomly confirming that all students have a number assigned.
This could also be done through the chat or the Participants option.
6. Back to the main room, call a number and students who were assigned that number
report their answers to the whole class.
7. Ask students with the chosen number to raise their hands, then mute everybody and
randomly select some students to report their answers to the class.

2. Think – Pair – Share

It ensures a smooth problem-solving process. A problem is posed. Students think about the
problem on their own within a given period of time. Students share in pairs and later with the rest
of the class.
Steps:
1. Develop a set of questions or prompts for different stages of the lesson; this strategy can
be used to practice the target key language, as well. The question(s) are shown by sharing
the screen with the class. The instructions need to be clear and the procedure modeled
to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy.
2. Think: Begin by asking a specific question. Allow a minute or so for students to "think"
about what they know or have learned about the topic. Depending on the level, you can
leave prompts for the expected use of the language.
3. Pair: Each student should be paired with another student or a small group. Use breakout
rooms for this purpose. If needed, one of the members of the group can share his/her
screenshot with the prompts. Randomly visit some of the groups to monitor their sharing.
Suggested time: 3 minutes.
4. Share: Pairs / groups are sent back to the main room. Volunteers from different groups
may raise their hands to participate. Mute everybody and remind students to wait for
their turn. Call students from groups that were not visited during the sharing stage in the
breakout rooms.
 3. Paraphrase Passport; Rally robin
It is used for generating ideas or responses.
Steps:
1. Students work in groups (Breakout rooms).
2. This activity requires students to paraphrase what the last person has said before giving
their own opinion or input. The person whose statement is paraphrased indicates
whether the speaker has correctly captured the meaning.
3. Once the speaker is satisfied that she or he has been accurately paraphrased, the
discussion continues with the next speaker's comments.
4. Visit each room randomly to monitor development of activities.

4. Carousel Brainstorming
It provides an opportunity to generate ideas and check understanding. Teams go from one graph
to another at given periods of time, adding ideas.
Steps:
1. Prepare a chart in an online document (word, PPT, etc.) with key questions or topics.
Share it with students.
2. Team up students using breakout rooms. Each team should be assigned a graph in your
online document with which each team should start working.
3. Assign an amount of time to spend in each graph to record their ideas. A student in the
team should be chosen to write ideas.
4. Have teams rotate to another graph and choose another student to write ideas.
5. Teams read and discuss what the previous team has written.
6. Teams add additional comments before rotating.

5. Circle the Sage

It provides chances to share opinions and report information. A person who knows the answer /
has an opinion shares information with different teams.
Steps:
1. Ask a question or announce a topic with the whole class. Previously, pre-select students
and give them the answers or opinions on the topic.
2. Team up the rest of the students in breakout rooms, and tell the teams that one “sage”
will share her/his answer or opinions with them.
3. Assign an amount of time to share the ideas, and then rotate the “sages”.
4. Finally, each team discusses the answers/opinions from the sages and then prepares the
team statement based on the team’s opinion.

6. Rooms (Corners)
It is used for facilitating opinion making. Students have the chance to explain reasons behind their
opinions.
Steps:
1. Prepare a poll in MS Forms with a question and different alternatives.
2. Share the poll with students. Once you receive the poll’s answers. Team up students in
breakout rooms according to same answers given in the poll.
3. Teams talk about why they choose their particular answer.
4. Back in the main room, teams from the previous rooms share with the rest.

7. Gallery Walk
It allows students to share opinions, ideas, or work previously prepared.
Steps:
1. In break-out rooms, have teams generate ideas on a topic and prepare a visual graph or
virtual poster. Ask them to choose the guide that will stay with the work.
2. Rotate students to different breakout room, always keeping the chosen guide in the
group. Students visit the new gallery room and ask questions about the visual graph or
virtual poster. Keep rotating students.
3. Finally, teams go back to their original break-out room and share their new information
with the guide.

8. Instant Star
It is used for sharing opinions randomly. Students are randomly called to share with their
teammates.
Steps:
1. Ask a question to the whole class and provide think time.
2. Team up student using breakout rooms and assign numbers to students in each team.
3. Call a number in each team, and the “instant star” has to share her/his thought or answer
with teammates in the break-out room.
4. If time allows, in the main room, you may call students randomly to share what they found
in their groups.

9. Jigsaw
It provides a sense of working using a problem-solving process. Each student in a team finds a
part of the answer and shares with their teams. A topic can be divided into parts. Students have
a role and complete their part of the task, share their findings with others who have the same
role, and then finally, report back to their group.*
Steps:
1. Introduce the task or problem to be solved.
2. Team up students in breakout rooms and assign a role in each team.
3. Each student in each team has a specific responsibility.
 4. Provide think time for students to perform their roles individually.
5. When students are ready, have them get together with students with the same role. They
will share how they have completed the part of their tasks. This new group is the “Expert
group.”
6. Once the “expert groups” share their ideas, students return to their initial groups and
share what they have found and complete the entire task (solve the problem).
(*) The task or problem can be reading a chapter, working on an outline for an essay/paragraph, for instance. / This
type of activity may take time to carry. Thus, you may even divide the sequence of steps during consecutive days.

10. ThinkPad Brainstorming

Brainstorming activity with students writing down their ideas on their own. Then they share and
explain what they have written down to a partner or a group.
Steps:
1. A question or situation is presented to the class by sharing screen. There must be enough
information for students to understand what kind of ideas they are expected to come up
with.
2. Students can write down the question or take a screenshot.
3. Students are given an appropriate amount of time to brainstorm on their own.
Alternative: An external website can be used to write down ideas, like Popplet or Coggle.
4. From pair or groups for students to share their ideas and expand on them (according to
their level).
5. Students are given some minutes to discuss their ideas.
6. Depending on the activity, students can decide on one idea and present it, or they can
present different ideas they have discussed.

11. Three-Minute Pause

This activity can be used to engage students to the class, as well as checking if students have any
doubts regarding the lesson.
Steps:
1. Plan a moment during the lesson in which a pause would be appropriate and non-
disruptive.
2. Share screen and show questions regarding the topics that have been covered so far.
Students can also be encouraged to write their own comments or questions in case they
need clarifications.
3. Give students 2 minutes to answer the question and write their own. Optional: Use
external tools, such as Mentimeter, for students to write down their
answers/comments/questions.
4. Ask students to share their answers and questions. If you used an external tool, the
answers and questions can be checked there.
 5. Take notes on topics that students have questions about or are not clear among students.
This information can be used to answer questions immediately (if necessary) or to prepare
a review/extra activity for students.

12. Three Stay, One Stray

This brainstorming activity allows students to get information, share ideas, and compare their
group’s ideas with other groups.
Steps:
1. Share your screen and show a problem or issue to the students. Their task will be to find
or choose a solution for the situation.
2. Form groups of 4 and give them an appropriate amount of time to discuss.
3. Half-way through the given time, use the breakout rooms window to move one person
from their original group to another. Optional: depending on the time they are giving, the
teacher can repeat this steps two or three times.
4. While in a different group, the “strays” can share their group’s ideas and solutions and
take notes of what this new group has discussed.
5. “Strays” may be returned to their original groups to share what they have learned.
6. When students return to the main room, they can share their conclusions.

13. Three-Step Interview

This activity allows students to interview each other and then share what they have learned with
another pair.
Steps:
1. Give students a topic and prompts to create an interview. They must take notes of their
partner’s answers.
2. Pair the students in breakout rooms and give them an appropriate amount of time to
interview each other.
3. Once the time is over, use the breakout rooms’ window to create groups of 4, joining two
pairs together. Ask them to report what they have learn about their classmates.
4. Give students a few minutes to report their findings to the new pairs and close the
breakout rooms.
5. Back in the main room, students can share their notes.
 14. Think-Pair-Square
This activity follows a very similar process as the Think-Pair-Share strategy, but in this particular
case, students are paired up with a second group before sharing their ideas with the whole class.
Steps:
1. Share screen and show students one or more questions or situations.
2. Give students some time to think about their possible answers.
3. Use breakout rooms to get students to work in pairs and give them an appropriate amount
of time to share and support their answers.
4. Using the breakout rooms’ window, create groups of four people, joining two pairs
together.
5. Give them time to share and support their ideas with the group.
6. Once they are back in the main room, ask students to share their answers with the class.

15. Two Facts and a Fib

This discussion activity will allow students to analyze situations and give (and support their ideas)
in a fun, engaging way.
Steps:
1. The teacher presents two real pieces of information and a false one. Alternative: You can
ask one student from each group to create their own real sentences and their own false
sentence for additional engagement.
2. Using breakout rooms, get students to work in groups trying to figure out which
statement is false, giving reasons and supporting their ideas.
3. Give students an appropriate amount of time to discuss.
4. One they are back in the main room, one student from the group will report the group’s
answer.
5. Optional: This can be turned into a competition if the group gets a point each time they
figure out what the false statement is. Teacher can use external tools, like Mentimeter,
to create slides with different groups of sentences for students to guess.

16. Visible Quiz

This is quiz that encourages students to discuss and support their answers while working in groups.
Steps:
1. Before the class, create the quiz in a PPT or in an external tool (like Mentimeter or
Quizlet).
2. In class, share your screen or provide students with the link to access the quiz questions.
3. Use the breakout rooms to get students into groups and ask them to discuss with their
classmates and choose their answers, supporting their choice.
 4. Back in the main room, ask students to explain their answers.

17. Pass a Problem

It ensures a smooth problem-solving process. Problems are posed and distributed among the
groups. Students think about the problem in teams within a given period of time and then share
their solutions with the rest of the class.
Steps:
1. Develop a set of problems based on the topic of the unit or activity. The number of
problems should be half of the number of possible breakout rooms you will form later on.
The problems are written on the computer’s notepad or Popplet so that once the groups
are form, they can be assigned. The instructions need to be clear and the procedure
modeled to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy.
2. Team up students using breakout rooms. Each team should be assigned a problem which
each team should start working.
3. Assign an amount of time to spend in solving the problem, this includes discussing and
note taking for the possible solutions. A student in the team should be chosen to write
ideas.
4. Once the time is up, students remain in their breakout rooms, and you should collect the
possible solutions and hand them to the team which was given the same problem so that
students can see what the other group came up with.
5. Finally, back in the main room, students may share how similar or different the other
group’s solutions were.

18. Round Robin Brainstorming

It is a great activity used to promote listening and reporting information.
Steps:
1. Develop a set of open-ended questions related to the unit or activity’s topic.
2. Team up students using breakout rooms. One person in each team should be appointed
as the recorder.
3. Each team is given the set of questions and should start working on them. Remind the
students that the answers are individual, not 1 per group.
4. This activity requires students to give full answers and the recorder to write down the
information, whether in full sentences or key words that will be easy for him to report
later on.
5. Visit each room randomly to monitor development of activities.
6. Once the team has finished answering the questions, the reporter will be changed to
another group and report their classmates’ answers. Another option is having them
report in the main room to the whole class.
 19. Say and Switch
It provides an opportunity to train students on quick-thinking responses. Students are randomly
called to continue where their classmates stopped talking. This is decided by an amount of time
given for each participation.
Steps:
1. Prepare a list of topics chart in an online document (word, PPT, etc.) or using Popplet.
Share it with students.
2. Team up students using breakout rooms. Each team should assign someone to control
the specified time when a classmate is talking.
3. Assign an amount of time to be spend talking about the topic. A student in the team
should be chosen to control the time and make sure their classmate stops talking as soon
as the time is up and that the next person in the group continues talking about the topic
adding new ideas and information.

20. Send a Problem

It provides opportunities for team work coming up with solutions to problems posed by their
classmates.
Steps:
1. Prepare an online document (Word, PPT, etc., or a Popplet) for students to write a list of
problems they would like to have solutions to.
2. Team up students using breakout rooms. Each team should assign a group of problems to
find a solution to.
3. Assign an amount of time to come up with solutions and instruct them to write them on
the document next to the problem. Remind the students to interact with each other in
the group to come up with one or two solutions per problem.
4. Finally, each team discusses the solutions to the problems they wrote and decide how
useful or possible the offered solutions are.

21. Virtual Talking Token

It is used to teach students to strategically participate and give their opinion since their
participation is limited to the number of virtual tokens they have.
Steps:
1. Decide the number of virtual tokens that will be given to each student.
2. Prepare a list of topics to be discussed. Make sure that the topics to debate that are
related to the unit so that students can use the vocabulary and content used in the unit.
3. Team up students in breakout rooms choosing one member to keep track of the
participations.
 4. Students discuss the topic, though their participation is limited to the number of virtual
talking tokens that they have. This promotes more quality in their participation than
quantity.

22. Team-Pair-Solo
It ensures a smooth problem-solving process. A problem is posed, and students think about the
problem in pairs or groups, and then on their own. Later, students share their possible solutions
with the rest of the class explaining which ones they could solve on their own and which ones they
would the help of others.
Steps:
1. Set a list of problems or difficult situations ideally related to the topics in the unit.
2. In break-out rooms, have teams generate possible solutions for the problems as a team.
One student is in charge of writing the possible solutions to the problems.
3. Once they have finished, students go back to the main room, and think possible solutions
individually. They work on their own finding possible solutions writing their solutions.
4. Finally, students get back into breakout rooms sharing which solutions could be done on
their own and which ones might need someone else’s help while comparing which could
be better or have a better result.