how do you set up groups?

i'm trying to develop a way to place students into groups for next year so that i don't have to deal with figuring out groups each class.

how do you do this?

i've heard of clocks or animal groups..is there a term for this type of thing i could google?

i'd like something creative

thanks!!

Re: how do you set up groups?

I'm confused - what kind of groups do you want?

ability grouping?

heterogeneous groups?

center groups?

Re: how do you set up groups?

If you want random groups, I make up index cards:

Groups of 3 - baseball teams...one word per card:
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
etc

Groups of 3 - desserts...one word per card:
1. Hot Fudge Sundae
2. Strawberry Milk Shake
3. New York Cheesecake
etc

Groups of 2 - Cereal
1. Captain Crunch
2. Frosted Flakes
3. Special K

I mix up the cards and hand them out. The kids have to find their match to make a group. I have candy ones and hockey ones too. My HS kids think it's funny!

Re: how do you set up groups?

pp..thank you so much!

i want random groups

instead of letting them choose partners or groups of 3 or 4, i want to just tell them to get into groups that i establish..i like the idea of the index cards though

Re: how do you set up groups?

The index cards are great! I use them all the time...you can also make groups based on what you're teaching at the time.

I teach HS math...so if I'm talking about types of numbers, I write different numbers on the index cards and then have students grouped by the numbers (Whole Numbers, Irrational Numbers, Rational Numbers, etc).

A friend teaches science and does it based on organs in a system (respiratory system, reproductive system, nervous system, etc).

ETA: Once you hand out the index cards, you can tell them to get in their dessert/cereal/baseball etc groups for a couple weeks there after. Then change it up...

Message edited 3/7/2012 10:36:04 PM.

Re: how do you set up groups?

I just use colors- red, blue, green, yellow.