Roll the Dice

Roll the Dice, also called "Roll 'Em" is a student participation strategy.

In Roll the Dice, students are seated in groups of four to six. They think about a posed question as the teacher rolls two dice: one that represents the table or group number and one that represents the seat number. The student sitting in the seat represented by the rolled dice answers the question. Rolling of the dice continues until the class hears a sufficient number of answers.

Like Pick-a-Stick, Roll ‘Em randomly sample students to assess prior knowledge and understanding, but unlike the traditional activity of simply calling on students, they maintain whole-group engagement within the direct instruction, thus reducing the number of students who are off task or not paying attention. Importantly, they hold students accountable for participation.

In a variation, you can use Roll 'Em as part of a group report out. (See Numbered Heads Together).

Muhammad, Anthony; Hollie, Sharroky (2011-10-27). The Will to Lead,The Skill to Teach: Transforming Schools at Every Level (Kindle Locations 1753-1758). Ingram Distribution. Kindle Edition.