Closing a lesson - an alternative to exit tickets

Many teachers have implemented exit tickets, which are are great closure to a class and a great way to check for understanding.  If you are interested in changing it up a bit now and then, here are some ideas.  Many of these ideas can also be used inside the lesson for quick reviews and breaks.

Teachers use closure to:

• Check for understanding and inform subsequent instruction
• Emphasize key information
• Tie up loose ends
• Correct misunderstandings

Students find closure helpful for:

• Summarizing, reviewing, and demonstrating their understanding of major points
• Consolidating and internalizing key information
• Linking lesson ideas to a conceptual framework and/or previously-learned knowledge
• Transferring ideas to new situations

Like contracting your bicep at the top of a dumbbell curl, closure squeezes an extra oomph into a lesson. See my favorite closure strategies below!

Creative Closure Activities

1. Snowstorm

Students write down what they learned on a piece of scratch paper and wad it up. Given a signal, they throw their paper snowballs in the air. Then each learner picks up a nearby response and reads it aloud.

2. High-Five Hustle

Ask students to stand up, raise their hands and high-five a peer -- their short-term hustle buddy. When there are no hands left, ask a question for them to discuss. Solicit answers. Then play "Do the Hustle" as a signal for them to raise their hands and high-five a different partner for the next question. (Source: Gretchen Bridgers)

3. Parent Hotline

Give students an interesting question about the lesson without further discussion. Email their guardians the answer so that the topic can be discussed over dinner.

4. Two-Dollar Summary

Kids write a two-dollar (or more) summary of the lesson. Each word is worth ten cents. For extra scaffolding, ask students to include specific words in their statement. (Source (PDF): Ann Lewis and Aleta Thompson)

5. Paper Slide

On paper, small groups sketch and write what they learned. Then team representatives line up and, one and a time, slide their work under a video camera while quickly summarizing what was learned. The camera doesn't stop recording until each representative has completed his or her summary.

6. DJ Summary

Learners write what they learned in the form of a favorite song. Offer extra praise if they sing.

7. Gallery Walk

On chart paper, small groups of students write and draw what they learned. After the completed works are attached to the classroom walls, others students affix Stickies to the posters to extend on the ideas, add questions, or offer praise.

8. Sequence It

Students can quickly create timelines with Timetoast to represent the sequence of a plot or historical events.

9. Low-Stakes Quizzes

Give a short quiz using technologies like Socrative, BubbleSheet, GoSoapBox, or Google Forms. Alternatively, have students write down three quiz questions (to ask at the beginning of the next class).

10. Cover It

Have kids sketch a book cover. The title is the class topic. The author is the student. A short celebrity endorsement or blurb should summarize and articulate the lesson's benefits.

11. Question Stems

Have students write questions about the lesson on cards, using question stems framed around Bloom's Taxonomy. Have students exchange cards and answer the question they have acquired.

12. So What?

Kids answer the following prompts:

• What takeaways from the lesson will be important to know three years from now?
• Why?

13. Dramatize It

Have students dramatize a real-life application of a skill.

14. Beat the Clock

Ask a question. Give students ten seconds to confer with peers before you call on a random student to answer. Repeat.

15. Find a First-Grade Student

Have kids orally describe a concept, procedure, or skill in terms so simple that a child in first grade would get it.

16. Review It

Direct kids to raise their hands if they can answer your questions. Classmates agree (thumbs up) or disagree (thumbs down) with the response.

17. CliffsNotes, Jr.

Have kids create a cheat sheet of information that would be useful for a quiz on the day's topic. (Source (PDF): Ann Sipe, "40 Ways to Leave a Lesson")

18. Students I Learned From the Most

Kids write notes to peers describing what they learned from them during class discussions.

19. Elevator Pitch

Ask students to summarize the main idea in under 60 seconds to another student acting as a well-known personality who works in your discipline. After summarizing, students should identify why the famous person might find the idea significant.

20. Simile Me

Have students complete the following sentence: "The [concept, skill, word] is like _______ because _______."

21. Exit Ticket Folder

Ask students to write their name, what they learned, and any lingering questions on a blank card or "ticket." Before they leave class, direct them to deposit their exit tickets in a folder or bin labeled either "Got It," "More Practice, Please," or "I Need Some Help!" -- whichever label best represents their relationship to the day's content. (Source: Erika Savage)

22. Out-the-Door Activity

After writing down the learning outcome, ask students to take a card, circle one of the following options, and return the card to you before they leave:

• Stop (I'm totally confused.)
• Go (I'm ready to move on.)
• Proceed with caution (I could use some clarification on . . .)

Download the PDF cards for this exercise. (Source: Eduscapes)

Discourse!

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Teaching Mathematics

Recently, there was a study done based on results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).  The results showed that countries who scored higher on the assessment used less memorization techniques in class.   I have linked the report as well as an article regarding memorization findings from the report below.

This supports our efforts to teach starting with the concrete level.  Students need to know how the numbers work and be able to process through problems rather than apply rules and procedures.

Article
PISA Publication

100 Questions that promote Mathematical Discourse

More Inquiry!

Here is a great resource for promoting discussion in your math class.

100 Questions that promote Mathematical Discourse

INQUIRY

Of all the WICOR strategies, it seems that Inquiry is the most difficult to wrap our heads around.  Additionally, Inquiry is a skill that will advance our students in today's world.   For these reasons, I am going to attempt to provide some suggestions and ideas related to Inquiry.

A definition of Inquiry:

Inquiry is uncovering one's understanding, asking critical questions, engaging in thinking, learning and discussion. Students who inquire analyze and synthesize materials or ideas, clarify their own thinking, probe others' thinking, and work through ambiguity. 

One teaching strategy related to Inquiry:

Philosophical Chairs.  Philosophical chairs is similar to a debate.  A question (with 2 sides or answers) is posed to the students.  Students choose whether they agree or disagree (or they choose an answer to align with).  The students move to the designated side of the classroom; students can be undecided and stay seated in the middle if you choose.  Students on each side take turns defending their position.  Students are allowed to switch sides, or make a choice if they stayed in the middle.  I have used this in math class to discuss possible answers to a question or methods for performing a task.  You can have the students pre-write to organize their thoughts before separating into sides.  You should debrief afterwards to discuss what were convincing arguments.  Having students do a reflection writing afterwards is also good.  One strategy is to assign sides and cause students to think about a different opinion than they may have otherwise.

Resources on the Dashboard:

Explanation

Powerpoint

Rules of Engagement

Great quotes that made me think...

Problem Solving and Understanding!

Competition Idea for Student Motivation

It is difficult sometimes to motivate students toward academic achievement.  Here is a website that one teacher uses to track a competition she created. Students earn points toward rewards through a variety of tasks.

JIGSAW: AVID S.O.W. (Strategy of the Week)

JIGSAW

Jigsaw explanation on the OPA Dashboard.

Jigsaw is a strategy for grouping students and having them teach each other.  You can do it in a few ways.   The basic structure is the students are grouped in a home group and then an expert group.  You divide the material up among the groups.  To begin, one member of each home group comes together to become experts on a piece of the material.  They then return to their home group and teach that material to the home group.  It is a good idea to structure each leg of the process using timers.  For example:  10 minutes to become experts on the material.  Then in the home group 3 minutes for each person to present.  This will help keep things moving and ensure that the home groups don't get stuck on one person.

Reading Application:  Each group reads a portion of the material, discusses what they read and answers questions relating to the material.  When returned to the home group, each person, in turn, reviews the material learned in the expert group, and helps their home-teammates answer questions and take notes on the material.  

Math Application:  Could use for vocabulary words, each expert group reviewing and understanding a vocabulary word that they then share in their home group including examples.  Could use a basic type of problem that the class is working on.  Giving each group a specific problem or task to solve.  After they work it out, they return to the home group to teach their home group how to solve the problem.  I have used this with honors students; I gave each group a different section from the textbook.  They had to review the techniques involved and the sample problems and work through some problems together.  They then taught the material to the rest of the class.