#1 Round Robin Questions and Answers

Team Roles: Leader, Encourager, Writer, and Observer.
Each student has a text. The teacher assigns a five page section to be read silently or aloud as a group. After reading, the leader goes to the teacher and receives 3 envelopes, one for each team member. There is a different set of comprehension questions in each envelope. Each member completes his/her set of questions and then presents the answers for review by the group. When the group is satisfied with all answers, the sheets are taped together and signed by everyone.
Observer: Has a sheet for each team member with the following questions:
1. How did me help my group to be successful?
2. Did I ask questions in my group?
3. Did I offer answers?
4. Was I careful not to put-down another person's answers?
Overall group question:
How did we decide which answer we would choose for the question?
Were we careful to encourage rather than criticize?

#2 Cooperative Reading (verbal/linguistic intelligence)

Team: Two to four members.
Rolls: Reader(s), Recorder, Encourager, and Observer
Materials: Book for each student. One set of paper and pencil.
Team reads the story together. They may take turns or use 1 or 2 readers. After reading, the group brainstorms and writes three questions to ask the class. They must know the answers. Write the questions on paper with the answers written on the back. Questions are either asked and answered orally or written. Questions may be passed to other teams.
Observer: Checks to see all members participate

#3 Listening & Reading Comprehension (visual/spatial intelligence)

Objective:

To use the newspaper to improve students listening and reading comprehension skills.

Materials:

• newspapers
• color pictures
• construction paper
• collection or articles

Procedures:

To Start

Hold up a large color picture from the newspaper or elsewhere, making sure everyone in the class gets a good look at it. After about 30 seconds, put the picture face down and ask students to jot down everything they can remember about it.

Compare lists. Talk about how easy it is to look at something without really paying attention to it. Ask students if they ever have had a similar experience with listening or reading.

Group Activity

Tell students that you are going to use a game to help them improve their comprehension skills. Read an interesting story from the newspaper, and ask students (individually or in teams) to answer questions about it. Questions might be based on the 5Ws and H the, who, what, when, where, why and how of the story. See which students or teams can recall the most. Try this activity with other stories as well. Stress attention to detail, as well as to the gist of the stories.

Follow-Up:

Students' comprehension is better when they are interested in the subject discussed. Give students a list of 10 categories: sports, fashion, school news, entertainment, celebrities, etc. Have them choose the two or three that interest them most.

Set up five learning stations, each containing news stories from a popular category. The articles for that category can be mounted on construction paper; questions about the article should appear on the reverse side. Students can go to the station of their choice and read the articles, testing their own comprehension with the questions. Change the articles every week or so.

#4 TITLE: REVIEW BASKETBALL (Bodily/kinesthetic) 
 
OVERVIEW:     
 
 It is often difficult to get students to actively read text books and search for information and comprehend the information. This activity is designed to get students to search for more information in the text provided for them.
 
OBJECTIVE(s):
 
1. Students will become more familiar with the material that they are studying.
2. Students will take a more active role in their learning.
3. Student will learn from each other 4. Students will learn to use reading material to find information.
 
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: 
 
 Pens, Paper, Reading Material, Small Ball, and Trash Can.
 
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
 
1. Each student will write five questions found in the literature.
2. The class will then be divided into two classes.
3. Using materials provided by the teacher (textbooks, newspaper articles, etc.) Teams will then take turns asking the opposing team questions that they have written. It is up to you whether or not they are allowed to use books to find information. I usually let them if more than 2 or 3 pages are involved.
4. A team that answers correctly receives one point and an opportunity to "shoot" for an additional point. In my class, shooting involves attempting to throw a tape ball into the trash can. 
5. If the team asking the question stumps the other team, they do not automatically receive a point, but they do have the opportunity to shoot for a point.
6. Points can also be deducted for inappropriate behavior.
7. The team that is ahead at the end of the pre-established time frame is the winner.