Cooperative Lesson Plan

Grade: 8th Subject: Computer Date: April 13, 2006
1) Select a Lesson
a) Lesson summary The students will write a one paragraph summary describing the business they created. They will include: 1. Three categories in their business (departments) 2. Two different brand names they will sell 3. Something special about their business. The student will proof read and spell check. Each student will have a partner and use the Praise, Question, and Polish format. The partner will read the other’s paragraph and compliment them on each of the 3 parts of the paragraph that they completed successfully. They will question them on parts that may be missing or incomplete. Then the partners will work together to create a completed polished summary. Then the roles will be reversed in completing the other partners paragraph.

b) Instructional objectives The students will create a summary describing their business. The students will develop their social skills helping a partner complete the three parts of the paragraph.

2) Decisions
a) Group size 2

b) Assignment to group Students will be grouped with a partner by when they finish their paragraph.



c) Types of positive interdependence
X goal reward resource
X role X task environmental
fantasy enemy identity

d) Assigning roles

e) Materials needed (group/person) Computer, Appleworks Word Processing, Overhead



f) Team-building activity We will show a completed business presentation with animations to peek interest in each student.

3) Set the Lesson (as it would be explained to students)
a) Academic task We will show the students a completed project to show where we are headed. Then we will talk about the types of business’s that you can have. Each student will write a one paragraph summary describing the business they created. They will include: 1. 3 categories in their business (departments) 2. Two different brand names they will sell 3. Something special about their business. These will be on the overhead. The student will proof read and spell check. Each student will have a partner chosen for them when they are done. The partner will read the other’s paragraph and compliment them on each of the 3 parts of the paragraph that they completed successfully. They will question them on parts that may be missing or incomplete. Then the partners will work together to create a completed polished summary. Then the roles will be reversed in completing the other partners paragraph. A T-chart will show what it will look like and sound like.

b) Purpose The students will create ideas for their business that will be used in their product database, spreadsheets, and multimedia presentation. The students will develop their social skills helping their partner finish their paragraph summary.

c) Positive interdependence The students will work together in creating a finished, polished summary paragraph with all 3 criteria included.

d) Individual accountability Each student will write a summary paragraph. Each student will read their partner’s paragraph and compliment them on each of the 3 parts of the paragraph that they completed successfully. They will question them on parts that may be missing or incomplete. Social Skills/Cooperative Skills

4) Social Skills
a) Skill(s) to be practiced The students will use quiet voices and share ideas and opinions.


1. Show students the need for the skill The skills will help the students finish their paragraph summary and prepare them for our product database, spreadsheets, and multimedia presentation.

2. Show students how & when to use the skill Show the students a T-chart on the overhead on what the use of the skills will look like and sound like.

5) Plans for Processing
a) Observation:
X teacher student visitor
objective anecdotal X informal

b) Plans for giving feedback The teacher will move around the room and give individual and group feedback.


c) Discussion of interaction (questions to be discussed) What can we do to improve the way you helped your partner.

d) Goal setting How can we use the information from our paragraph in our future projects.


6) Criteria for Success
a) Academic task Each student will have a finished summary paragraph with all three criteria.


b) Social task Each student will help their partner with ideas for completing their paragraph.


7) Evaluate Outcomes
a) Task achievement The students did a good job of writing and editing their paragraphs with their partners help. They seemed to enjoy the process.

b) Group functioning The students worked well together and stayed under control. They were on task.



c) Notes on individuals The individual paragraphs were well done. They did a good job of helping their partner.


d) Suggestions for next time I will use the process again because I think it motivated them to do well on their paragraph because another student was going to read it.