Texas Two-Step

Purpose

Students help each other remember critical information associated with key words, concepts, topics, skills, or texts.

Materials

• List of words, concepts, topics, skills, assessment questions, or texts to review in each round
• Texas Two-Step template (English/Spanish)
• Music

Instructions

1. Select slide(s)/music prompt(s) and project for students to see (if using the provided template).
2. Organize students into line A and line B, facing each other.
3. Present an important word, concept, topic, skill, assessment question, or text.
4. Students do the Texas Two-Step:
   • Step 1 – Line A students share everything they know about the concept in 30 seconds.
   • Step 2 – Line B students add at least 1 more idea.
5. Present another important word, concept, topic, skill, assessment question, or text.
6. Line A and B students switch roles, sharing what they know in a Texas Two-Step.
7. Play country music as students get a new partner:
   • Line A students take 1 step to the right, then line B students take 1 step to the right.
   • The last person in line A and the last person in line B walk through the middle to the other end.
   • Now each person should have a new partner!
8. Present another word, concept, topic, skill, assessment question, or text to continue the Texas Two-Step.
9. Observe students’ thinking and clarify/verify as appropriate.

Classroom Management

• Rehearse the movement in step 6 before adding the academic content.
• Consider using the hallway or a larger common area for this strategy.
• Remind students there will be no harm or humiliation for incorrect answers because correcting mistakes is a sign of intelligence!

Differentiation

• Promote access by allowing students to preview the prompts/questions or allowing the use of teacher/student notes.
• Promote access by allowing students to use vocabulary journals or visual supports.
• Provide response support by offering word banks or thinking stems to answer the prompts.

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:
  • Make a connection among the words, concepts, topics, or skills.
  • Summarize one idea you know better after this activity than you did before.
• Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.