Corners for Your Classroom

Corners (Kagan, 1995) helps students realize that there are multiple ways of thinking about a topic and promotes an appreciation of individual differences. It helps students to become comfortable expressing their viewpoints and exposes them to others’ reasoning processes. In addition, it provides a structure for students to interact with others that they may not normally interact with.

Corners

Teachers announce topic and 4 choices for corners

1. Students make selection and write it down
2. Students go to corners
3. Students pair off and discuss

Ideas for the classroom

Corners can be used in any subject, for a variety of grade levels, to provoke thought. Some ideas include:

Language Arts

• My favorite…

Character from a book the class has read

Literary device

Science

• I would rather be…

Careers in scientific fields

States of matter

Social Studies

• My favorite…

State/Country/Region

Type of government

Mathematics

• I am/have…

Shapes

Problem-solving method

Reference:

Kagan, M., Robertson, L., & Kagan, S. (1995). Cooperative Learning Structures for Classbuilding. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Cooperative Learning.