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3.4.2 COOPERATIVE WORK

Cooperation satisfies the individual's need for security and creates situations of sharing and discussion aimed at creative problem solving, improvement of the classroom climate and effective and productive learning.


Activity: cooperative learning


Objectives: learning to work together, improving peer relations, improving school performance.

Implementation: the pupils divided into groups of 4 read and learn a specific topic (history, geography, science, etc.) together. Each small group reads the text, and each pupil identifies words or concepts that they do not know and tries to understand them with the help of their peers. Taking turns, each student tries to repeat to the others what they have understood.

Variation: the pupils are divided into groups of 4/5 pupils; each group investigates a different aspect of the same topic (e.g. Lazio Region: one group investigates the physical aspect of the region, one group focuses on the region's economy, another group on its customs, etc.). Each member, with the help of his/her peers, reads and learns the topic assigned to the group. At the end of this first phase of work, mixed groups are formed. In each group, there is at least one "expert" for each topic (therefore, each group will be composed of one pupil who has studied the physical aspect, another who has studied the economy, yet another who has studied customs and traditions in depth, etc.). Each one thus becomes responsible not only for his/her own learning, but also for that of the others, since, in the new group, he/she will have to explain what he/she has previously learnt.


Suggestions

- Set a time limit to complete the activity

- Organize the space to avoid interference between the various groups

- Build small group to avoid confusion and low productivity 

- If there are several CYPs engaged in bullying in the class, avoid putting them in the same group but divide them up. Pair the CYP engaged in bullying behaviour with peers who are not subject to his/her negative influence and have a good level of self-esteem and assertiveness.

- If there is a child in the class who is often bullied, avoid having him/her work in the same group as the CYP engaged in bullying behaviour, but pair him/her up with calmer classmates, with whom he or she gets along well, who can help him/her gain confidence and self-esteem

- Divide the tasks within each group to facilitate the equal participation of all.