Thinking Partners
Purpose
Increase rigor by thinking different ways around one topic or concept with a partner.
Materials
- Thinking Partners handout – one for each student
- Think It Up questions prepared
- Thinking Partners Template – Elementary (English)
- Thinking Partners Template – Elementary (Spanish)
- Thinking Partners Template – Secondary (English)
- Thinking Partners Template – Secondary (Spanish)
Instructions
- Using the Thinking Partners handout, students mingle to get different thinking partners for the unit.
- Throughout the unit, teacher poses Think It Up questions using the verbs on the Thinking Partners handout.
- Students pair up with the appropriate thinking partner to help form a response.
- Teacher sees and hears the students’ thinking and clarifies/verifies as appropriate.
Classroom Management
- Role play how to get different thinking partners to sign your Thinking Partners handout.
- Remind students there will be no harm or humiliation for incorrect answers because as they participate in the strategy, they will be growing the brain’s neural networks (getting smarter) when they correct mistakes!
Differentiation
Promote access by pairing with a supportive peer, using thinking/response stems, allowing students to dictate responses to a scribe, and/or encouraging use of a speech-to-text or word prediction support.
Think It Up!
Choose a Think It Up question as an exit ticket or a journal entry as evidence of learning.
Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems or Spanish Thinking Stems to frame responses.
- Summarize what you just learned and explain why it is important.
- Evaluate this question as easy, medium, or difficult and justify your rating.
