Learning together: benefits and spidergrams
Read the text on page 32 of your book about the benefits of group learning, and then read our own text below. When you read, look for the topic sentence, the details, and what the writer learned. A spidergram is like a mind map. In the middle you write the topic, for example Learning together. Each branch is a group of ideas: benefits, devices, study tools, media. Then you can use the spidergram to write about your topic. Apps and shared notes are digital tools that can help a group, but the most important tool is people who listen to each other.
| Branch | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Benefits | cooperation, leadership, new ideas |
| Devices | laptop, tablet, smartboard |
| Study tools | notes, quiz cards, mind maps |
| Media | video, ebook, website |
Last term my class worked in small groups on a science project about plants. At first I wanted to work alone, because I thought it was faster. But in my group of four, each of us had a job. Hagar was the leader and kept the time. Sandy was very creative, and she drew the poster. Mina and I communicated by asking questions and listening. We shared our notes on a school computer, so everyone could see them. The project took less time than I expected, and we also became better friends. I learned that cooperation does not mean less work. It means we do the work together.
| Middle | Branches |
|---|---|
| Learning together | benefits · devices · study tools · media |
Make a spidergram. Write Learning together in the middle of a big paper. Draw four branches: benefits, devices, study tools, media. Add at least two ideas to each branch with a grown-up. Then use it to say three sentences.