5, 3, 1

Visible Learning Strategy - 5, 3, 1 ( or 3, 2, 1) this is a scaffold and an instructional tool during which learners are asked to gather five examples, thoughts, or pieces of content, and then share/build with peers to come to three conclusions or questions, and then are asked to summarize or convey their overall learning in the final one spot. This summarizing technique is a tool to assess students’ background knowledge or their level of understanding as well as their ability to build on understanding and ideas.

Elementary Assessment

This video example shows how a teacher uses this strategy as a way to assess students' understanding of her instruction.

High School Cooperative Learning

Students working together to build evidence and support a claim. 5, 3, 1 used as collaboration and brainstorming. One or more pieces of the 5, 3, 1 can be done with classmates.

Middle School Science - 3, 2, 1 Varation

To scaffold their learning, students develop questions and answer them throughout instruction. These move from less complex to more complex.

SS Example (left)

This example shows how content can be broken down within the three sections to build understanding as well as collaborate with classmates.

Another way:

Students engage in a reading and pull out 5 words that are unfamiliar to them. They then make 5 predictions about what those words could mean, based on the context.

With a partner, the students share their words and predictions, and help and revise one another’s 5 predictions.

Together, they then write 3 sentences together where they use their new words. (More than one word per sentence is allowed).

Then, independently, the students pick one word from the reading that really stands out to them and illustrate and explain that word.