Gallery Walk

Purpose:Anexcellenttoolforpresentinginformationandforhavingstudentsworkcooperativelyand movearoundphysicallytopreparesummaries.TheGalleryWalktoolissimilartoCarouselBrain­ storming(seepg.19)inthatstudentsworkinsmallgroupsandmovefromonestationtoanotherina prescribed order. It differs in that in Carousel Brainstorming, students generate ideas to questions whileintheGalleryWalktheylearnorreviewinformationateachstation.

Procedure:Theteacherselectsatopicandpreparesinformationtobepresentedtothestudentsby havingthemvisitanumberofstations(5-8)aroundtheroom.Thestudentsworkinsmallgroups(2-4 perteam),reviewtheinformationatthestation,discussit,recorditonanorganizer,anddecidewhat theybelievearetheimportantpointstobelearned.Avarietyofmaterialcanbeusedateachstation, includingreadings,charts,videos,slides,newspapers,objects,experiments,etc.Afterthestudents arefinishedvisitingeachstation,theylookovertheirnotesandgenerateateamsummary,whichcan includewords,demonstrations,pictures,andvisualaids.Thestudentsthenpresenttheirsummaries andreflectupontheirworkasagroupandontheprocessofpreparingasummary.

STEPS:

  1. Theteacherselectsthecontenttobepresented.
  1. Theteacherdividesthecontentinto5to8stations,usingavarietyofmethods topresenttheinformation.
  1. Studentsdivideintoteamsandareassignedastartingstation.
  1. Studentsreviewtheinformation,discussit,agreeonitskeypoints,and recordtheirideasonagrouporganizer.
  1. Afterfiveminutes,studentsmovetoanotherstation.
  1. Aftercompletingthecycle,studentspresentagroupsummaryusingwords, pictures,demonstrations,charts,etc.,asneeded.
  1. Thestudentsreflectonthegroupworkandonwhatmakesasummary powerful.

ToolsforPromotingActive,In-depthLearning152(c)2001,TheThoughtfulEducationPress

(800) 962-4432

Examples: Three Teachers' Gallery Walks

AscienceteacherusedtheGalleryWalktointroduceherstudentstothe topicstheywouldbestudyingthroughoutthesemester.Ateachstationshe usedpicturesandwordsrelatedtoher7majortopics:thescientificmethod, ecosystems, biospheres, adaptation, weather, environmental issues, and technology.The students visited each station, interpreted the information theteacherprovided,andthenpresentedwhattheybelievedwasasummaryofthecontentandquestionstobeaddressedduringtheyear.

AsocialstudiesteacherusedtheGalleryWalktoteachabouttheRoaring 20's.Atonestationhehadnewspaperheadlines fromthetimeperiod.At anotherstationhehadtwoeditorialsaboutwomen'srighttovote.Atathird stationhehadgraphsthatshowedstatisticsrelatedtothegrowthoftheautomobileindustrybetween1920to1925.AfourthstationhadreadingselectionsfromtheGreatGatsby.Anotherstationhadcomparativepicturesof womenfromtheturnofthecenturyandpicturesofwomenfromtheRoaring 20's.Thelasttwostationshadthe18thAmendmentdeclaringprohibition and two video clips from the movie, The Roaring 20's. After the students visitedallofthestations,theypreparedagroupsummaryofthematerial, focusedonwhythe20'swerecalledtheRoaring20's.

AnartteacherusedtheGalleryWalktointroducehisstudentstoMonet'sstyle.Aroundtheroomhe hungeightpicturesrepresentingvariousperiodsandthemesinMonet'swork.Studentswalkedaround theroom,analyzingandtakingnotesoneachpainting.Fortheirsummarytask,studentshadtodecide onthesixmostimportantelementsinMonet'sstyleandexplainthereasoningbehindtheirchoices.

Tools for Promoting Active, In-depthLearning153

(c) 2001, The Thoughtful Education Press

(890) 962-4432

Reproducible

Gallery Walk Planning Form

Topic

What do I want my students to:

Know? / Understand? / Appreciate and
(Facts, details, skills) / (Big ideas, concepts, issues, controversies) / value?
(Perspectives, cultural and human contribu-
tions, interdisciplinary
connections)

Stations:

Title Material: / Title Material:'
Title.
Material: / Title Material:
Title Material: / Title Material:
Title Material: / Title Material:

ToolsforPromotingActive,In-depthLearning154(c)2001,TheThoughtfulEducationPress

(BOO) 962-4432