Active Learning Handout 2

Active Learning Teaching Strategies

Babble Gabble

An action by which pairs retell a story they have just heard. One child retells the story as quickly
as they can, still including as much detail as possible. After a minute so, their partner continues
the tale.

Big Question

A question that provides a link into a non-fiction subject, sparking children’s interest in the
topic to be covered.

Conscience Alley

An activity in which one child takes on the role of a character while the other children create
each side of an alley, putting forth their opposing views on the character’s dilemma as the child
in role walks between them. The character listens to his or her ‘conscience’ before making a
decision about the course of action to take.

Envoys

Group members who move between the other groups, sharing information and collecting
ideas.

Expert Groups

Groups that each focus on a specific subject, researching and discussing to become experts on
it. (Leads to Jigsawing.)

Fortunately/Unfortunately

An activity in which players take turns to tell a story that begins alternately with these words.
For example: ‘Unfortunately, I lost my dinner money on the way to school.’ ‘Fortunately, I don’t
like school dinners!’

Forum Theatre

An activity in which a small group of children acts out a scene, while the rest of the class works
as directors.1
Freeze Frame

A drama activity in which the children use their bodies to form a still image that illustrates a
specific incident or event.

Grammar Poetry
Nonsense sentences consisting of an adjective, noun and verb all beginning with the same
letter or sound. For example: ‘Angry aardvarks amble.’

Hot-Seating

A drama activity in which a child takes on the role of a character in the ‘hot seat’, while the
other children ask the character prepared or improvised questions.

Improvisation

A drama activity that is not planned in any way. The children take on roles and make up the
dialogue, actions, etc. as they go along.

Jigsawing

An idea-sharing technique: group members are given numbers and form new groups of
children with the same number. They undertake investigations, discuss their work and/or
agree on main points, before reporting back to their original groups.

Just a Minute

An activity in which the children speak for one minute on a chosen subject, trying not to
hesitate or repeat themselves.

Learning Wall

A place where key ideas, information and success criteria are stored in the classroom, so that
children can easily refer to it throughout the sessions.

Mind Map

A document, usually in the form of a diagram, on which the children write down their ideas
about a particular topic, such as the personality traits of a character or the features of a story
type. (Also the action of creating this document.)
Modelled Writing
A teaching technique in which the teacher models the writing process by orally rehearsing
before writing, making and explaining decisions and changes out loud, while encouraging the
children to share the writing process.

Rainbowing
An idea-sharing technique: discussion is paused and group members are given colours. They
form new groups of children with the same colour and share their ideas.

Role Play

An activity in which the children take on the roles of different characters to act out a scene.

Role on the Wall

A presentation area consisting of an outline of a character, on which key words and phrases
are placed inside and outside the character: the character’s thoughts are placed inside; actions
and other characters’ opinions are placed outside.

Signifier

A prop or item of clothing used to signify a role being played during drama activities.

Snowballing

An activity in which pairs discuss a subject and then join with another pair to form a group and
share ideas. Two groups then join together and so on, until there is a whole-class discussion.

Statement Game

An activity in which the children are given a set of cards on which statements are written.
Groups or pairs then use the cards to discuss and decide how to categorise the statements.

Talk Partners

Pairs who talk through and develop ideas together.

Teacher Demonstration
A teaching technique in which the teacher models the writing process by orally rehearsing
before writing, making and explaining out loud decisions and changes.
Teacher in Role

A teaching technique in which the teacher takes on the role of a focus character in order to
introduce, control or develop drama activities.

Think Alouds

A teaching technique in which the teacher explains their thought processes out loud during a
writing activity. This includes aspects such as rereading the text to check for sense and making
changes to the text (e.g. crossing out or improving words for effect).

Think-Pair-Share
An action by which the children use Think Time and then talk though their ideas with a partner
before sharing these ideas with a larger group or the rest of the class.

Think Time

A brief amount of time the children are given in order to think about a question or subject
before answering or discussing it.

Thought Tracking

An activity in which the action in a story (such as a Role Play) is frozen at a key moment and the
thoughts of a character are spoken aloud, either by a child in role or by a group.

Two Stars and a Wish

A feedback technique: when reviewing each other’s work, the children identify two praiseworthy
aspects and one aspect that could be improved.

Walking Bus

An activity in which music is played while the children walk around the classroom. When the
music stops, the teacher asks a question that the children discuss with those nearest to them.

Word Tennis
An activity in which children, in pairs, take turns to say one word or phrase. This may make
up a continuous sentence or be used as a word-association activity.