Chatterbox
Purpose
Students think, talk, and write to deeply analyze an assessment question and correct mistakes while playing with a Chatterbox.
Materials
Instructions
- Choose a Chatterbox option from the provided templates or customize your own to create the handout.
- Organize students into partners.
- Give each pair a Chatterbox handout to cut/fold into a Chatterbox toy.
- Project a troublesome assessment question.
- Round 1:
- Student 1 chooses a word on the Chatterbox; student 2 spells it out, working the Chatterbox.
- Student 1 chooses a number; student 2 counts it out, working the Chatterbox.
- Student 1 chooses another inside number; student 2 lifts the tab to reveal the question.
- Student 1 answers the question; student 2 compliments or coaches.
- Round 2:
- Repeat step 5 with students switching roles.
- Repeat for 6-8 rounds so each student answers 3-4 questions.
- Observe students’ thinking and clarify/verify as appropriate.
- Students summarize what they learned and note how to avoid mistakes in the future.
Classroom Management
- Model how to cut/fold/create the Chatterbox.
- Rehearse how to use the Chatterbox with a simple, fun question before using it with academic content.
- Consider using the activity as a learning station.
- Remind students there will be no harm or humiliation for incorrect answers because correcting mistakes is a sign of intelligence!
Differentiation
- Promote access by previewing the question and partnering with a supportive peer.
- Promote access by allowing the use of student/teacher notes/summaries of the content.
- Promote access by allowing a peer to read the question aloud.
- Access language supports by proficiency level ->
Think It Up!
- Have students think more deeply about the concept by responding to a Think It Up prompt as an exit ticket or journal entry:
- Draw a conclusion about how the Chatterbox questions helped you better understand the concept.
- Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.
Read the video transcript
Want students to catch their mistakes and stay engaged? Try Chatterbox. You'll remember these from when you were a kid. First, pair students together, give each a Chatterbox template to create the Chatterbox. You can use our prefilled template or fill it in with your own ideas. Now ask students a tricky question. Students then go back and forth playing with the Chatterbox and answering the questions inside of it to relate back to the tricky assessment questions. Lastly, students summarize what they learned and how they can avoid any mistakes next time. Get the Chatterbox template and detailed instructions in the caption.
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