Putting the Pieces Together for Learning

In class, we worked on a collaborative jigsaw project in which the class was divided into different base groups. The base group assigned a Native American tribe to each member of the group. Once the tribes were assigned, the class found their expert groups. Expert groups are the people from other groups who were going to be studying the same Native American tribe. These expert groups worked to find the important information about the tribe, keeping in mind the essential question at hand: How did geography effect the Native American tribes? 

This activity helped to develop my knowledge of the Native American tribes content because, through research and the teaching performed by my peers, I relearned much of the information that I had previously acquired in elementary school. I thought that this learning experience provided a means for learning and becoming an expert in a specific area and then learning from one's peers to better one's understanding of the topic overall. Prior to the project, I had little background knowledge about the Native American tribes. Though I recognized them by name, I was unable to list any facts about each tribe. After the activity, I was able to see my improvement of knowledge by taking the assessment tests created for each group. 

I thought that by completing the Jigsaw activity, I was able to better understand the effects and benefits of this method of learning. I learned that students often learn best when they are learning and teaching for themselves. Many times, the instructional approach that is taken within classrooms is direct instruction. Though this approach has its benefits, there are other methods that prove to be more effective in certain situations. 

This activity could help students learn about geography because they are exploring the effects that geography can have on a specific group of people. Many of the tribes that we studied were affected by geography in similar ways. Students can explore the similarities and differences and how the place in which a person lives can impact the way that they live. 

As a future teacher, I plan on using the jigsaw method to promote cooperative learning. This approach to learning allows students to become experts in a specific topic in a unit, which improves their understanding of the results of their learning. This activity would also provide students with an opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. This activity could be used across all content are and can be an effective method for learning at all grade levels. Students in the lower elementary grades can complete this activity with more guidance from the teacher. In the upper elementary grades, groups can work more independently and take on more responsibility for their learning.