Placemat Strategy

Pre-Assessment: The placemat activity works well as a pre-assessment strategy. Divide students into groups of four or five. Give each group a sheet of paper that is large enough to accommodate the size of the group. Divide the paper up so each student has an area to write in and there is room in the middle for their final answers.Provide students with the topic of study. Students individually brainstorm their ideas and print them in their section of the paper. When finished, the group discusses the brainstormed ideas and writes the three or four main ideas in the center of the page. This is a good way to assess prior knowledge of a subject as well as individual student readiness.

Formative Assessment: Provide each group of four or five students with a large sheet of paper. In the middle of the paper write the topic or target question. Students divide the paper up so they each have a section to write in and there is room in the middle to summarize their responses. Students individually write or draw to demonstrate their understanding of the topic or target question in their area of the placemat. They then share what they have written or drawn with the other group members. After everyone has finished sharing, students discuss the information and come up with two or three main ideas. They write these ideas in the center of the paper and share them with the rest of the class. An analysis of the placemats provides you with a glimpse of what individual students have learned so far in the unit.

How To Use Placemats:

The placemat strategy is an enjoyable activity for students and provides you with information about their current level of understanding.

References:

Marzano, R., Pickering, & Pollock. (2001). Examples of Cooperative Work Activties. 30 Strategies to Promote Cooperative Learning, 1, all.

-- 30 examples of teaching strategies to promote cooperative learning.

Professional Learning Communities. (n.d.). Placemat Consensus. Retrieved September 28, 2014, from http://teach.oetc.org/node/10623

-- Resource of various ways the placemat strategy can be used at all grade levels.

Regier, N. (2012). Book Two: 60 Formative Assessment Strategies. Focus On Student Learning - Instructional Strategies Series, 1, 15.

-- An excellent addition to the pre-assessment resource below.

Regier, N. (2012). Book One: 50 Pre-assessment Strategies. Focus On Student Learning - Instructional Strategies Series. 1, 13.

-- From our Week 5, Online Discussion 4

What is a "placemat?"

Recommendation:

YES!

This is a great way to allow students to work together while making each student accountable for their own work. I like that this strategy can be used as both a pre-assessment and a formative assessment. This is a good strategy for multiple learning styles, ELL students, and exceptional students.

Placemat Strategy