Jigsaw Activity in Music Class

Laura Plank

What is the Jigsaw Technique•The jigsaw is a cooperative learning

technique used to increase positive educational outcomes. Like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece, or in this case, each student's part is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product.

•Since every student's part is essential, then every student is essential. That is what makes this strategy so effective.

History of the Jigsaw• The jigsaw technique was first introduced in 1971 in Austin,

Texas by Elliot Aronson and his graduate students. The city's schools had recently been desegregated and racial tension and competition amongst the students were increasing.

• Aronson and his students devised a cooperative jigsaw structure in a fifth grade classroom where the students were divided into small groups, diversified in terms of race, ethnicity and gender. Each student was made responsible for a specific part of an assignment.

• Within a few weeks, the success of the jigsaw was obvious. The students learned that everyone, despite their race, ethnicity or gender was essential to the project and to their success.

Jigsaw technique in music class•The theme for our spring program this year

is “A Musical Journey Around the World”

•The students have been learning folksongs and dances from six of the seven continents.

•To help my fourth and fifth grade students to take ownership of the program, I set up a jigsaw activity for them to find information about the continents.

The room was divided in six stations – one for each continent.

As the students entered the classroom, I handed them a list of research questions, and directed them to the specific station that was randomly listed at the top of their paper.

The students were able to answer many of the questions at these stations which included a map of the continent, and information about the specific songs included in the program.

The students worked cooperatively on this first day.

But many of them became frustrated when they weren’t able to find the information they needed within the station.

So, the next day a few of the groups were able to work on the computer in the “music lab”, while I rehearsed the other students in the main room.

Using the World Book Encyclopedia for Kids site, the students were able to work together to find the information they needed.

What’s next?•The remainder of the groups will

complete their research.

•When all groups have completed their research, the groups will report their findings to the rest of the class.

•We will then use that information to compose a script for program.

Advantages to using the jigsaw in this activity:• The students were able to take ownership over

their learning and contribute to the program in a meaningful way.

• The students were collaborating rather than competing with each other.

• Every student was involved and every student was important.

• Students were listening to each other and teaching one another.

• As the teacher, I was able to facilitate the learning rather than “spoon-feed” the information.