As a secondary language arts teacher, I am always looking for a fun, interactive way to help your students deepen their understanding of a topic while building collaboration and critical thinking skills.
The "...And One" activity is an excellent tool for fostering teamwork, memory recall, and analytical thinking—all in one engaging exercise. I came across the "+1 Thinking Routine" in Harvard's Project Zero thinking routines toolkit and knew I had to modify it to fit my classroom and share with you!
What is the "...And One" Activity?
"...And One" is a step-by-step, collaborative learning strategy that encourages students to think independently, share ideas, and reflect on their understanding of a topic. It’s designed to guide students through recalling information, building on peer contributions, and refining their knowledge. The process not only enhances their comprehension but also encourages self-assessment and growth and collaboration. Need to see it right now? Just click here!
How It Works
After giving students an article or a chapter to read or showing a video, start the ...And One activity by following these steps:
Step 1: Recall Students begin by independently writing down everything they remember about the topic—facts, details, and ideas—without referring to any material. This encourages memory recall and personal engagement.
Step 2: Add One The real magic begins here! Students pass their papers to a peer, who adds one new idea, detail, or connection. This step is repeated multiple times, allowing each student to contribute to and benefit from the collective knowledge of the group.
Step 3: Return & Review Once all the papers are returned to their original owners, students review the additions, identifying the most important contributions with a star. This step allows them to reflect on key ideas and see their topic from different perspectives.
Step 4: Summarize Using the expanded list of ideas, students write a concise 3–5 sentence summary of the topic. This helps them synthesize the information into a cohesive understanding.
Step 5: Look Back Students revisit the original material to identify any information they missed and add it to their notes. This ensures their learning is thorough and accurate.
Step 6: Rate Your Understanding Finally, students evaluate their confidence in understanding the topic using a simple scale. This self-assessment helps them reflect on their progress and identify areas where they might need more review.
Why Teachers Love It
Encourages Peer Collaboration: Students learn from each other by building on shared ideas.
Develops Critical Thinking: Adding thoughtful details and connections requires deeper analysis of the topic.
Fosters Self-Reflection: The self-assessment step empowers students to identify their strengths and areas for growth.
Easy to Implement: This structured activity is easy to create, but I have made it even easier by making it for you! Here is the print-and-go version. But, I also made it editable, so you can make it fit exactly what you and your students need.
How You Can Use It
This activity is perfect for:
Reviewing concepts before a test
Introducing a new topic by activating prior knowledge
Encouraging team-building and peer feedback
Practicing summarization and reflection
Final Thoughts
This is such a great way to build collaboration, confidence, and critical thinking in your classroom. Try it out with your students and watch them take ownership of their learning, one addition at a time! I can't wait to see how your students work together to create a better understanding of ANY topic!
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