SHOWDOWN
Steps for the Strategy
1. Question cards are stacked in center of the team table.
2. Teacher selects one student on each team to be the Showdown Captain for the
first round. Showdown Captain draws the top card and reads the question.
3. Working solo, all students write their answers.
4. When finished, teammates signal they’re ready.
5. The Showdown captain calls “show down.”
6. Teammates show answers; Showdown Captain leads check.
7. If correct, the team celebrates; if not, teammates reteach then celebrate.
8. The person on left of the Showdown Captain becomes the new Showdown
Captain for the next round (repeat from Step 2).
Alternative Use of the Strategy
1. Students could write their own question cards to review for the exam.
2. This is a good strategy to review material that you covered during the last class
period that you will be building on during the current course.
Management Tips
1. Short answer questions or problems that have specific solutions work best
Numbered Heads Together *
Steps for the Strategy
1. Divide the class into groups of 2, 3 or 4.
2. Students number off in the group.
3. Present a problem to the students.
4. Each group is to come up with the answer and make sure that everyone in the
group knows it.
5. Teachers calls a number and the person with the corresponding number has to
answer the question.
Variations
• Instead of sharing out with the class, they share with their answers with students
who have the same number.
• Reinforce mental math by calling numbers as the result of mental math problems.
(e.g. Call on students whose number is the square of two.)
Management Tips
1. Before posing a question, make sure each person is assigned a number.
2. Having students sit in a specific seat according to number insures honesty in
responding.
3. Model how to make sure each person knows the answer.
Social Skills
1. Active Listening
2. Appropriate noise level.
3. Collective responsibility.
*Based on various materials available from Kagan Publishing.