List-Group-Label

1. Select an important concept from a class reading, lesson, or unit of study.

2. List:

   1. • Have students brainstorm all of the words that they think relate to the topic.

      • Display student responses either on chart paper, sticky notes, or index cards.

      • Allow students to struggle with this work and make some mistakes.

      • Add words to the list to deepen student thinking.

3. Group:

   1. • Divide the class into small groups. Groups sort words into categories based on important relationships.

      • Ask students to explain their reasoning for placing words together.

      • Groups may ask each other questions and change their grouping based on new learning.

4. Label:

   1. • Invite students to suggest a category label for the groups of words. Students should give reasons for suggesting the groups and carry this forward into the justifcation for the label.

      • Discuss grouping strategies across small groups of students, and then facilitate a discussion with the whole class. 

      • Correct any student misperceptions while debriefing the grouping strategies.

      • Suggested sentence stems are included below:

        • 1. • I placed these words together because...

             • These words are similar because...

             • The best label for this group of words is ...

To add rigor:  

• • Ask students to return to their lists of words after they read the  text or engage in the lesson and reevaluate their original thinking. Based on revisiting their work before the lesson, they may decide to add new key words to the list or change labels for the categories, delete items, or add new ones.

  • Add in some confusing terms to the list. If the students are unable to see how these newly introduced words ft, use this information to assess student thinking.

  • To integrate technology, using a word processing program to list and categorize words.