Inside-Outside Circle

The Inside-Outside Circle (Kagan, 1994) is a technique in which students move around and interact with each other. It can be used as a cooperative strategy and a summarizing strategy. During inside-outside circle, students either sit or stand facing each other in two concentric circles. Students respond to teacher questions or note-card prompted questions and then rotate to the next partner. In the end of this type of structure, students will have both been teachers and learners of new information. The activity encourages community building among students while incorporating movement and interaction. This structure also facilitates peer tutoring and checking for different levels of knowledge acquisition.

Implementation

1. Place an engaging question or statement prompt on the board.

· Alternately, place a variety of different, but related questions on index cards.

2. Questions that require higher level thinking skills questions should be selected.

3. Standing inside the circle allows for better teacher management.

4. When students have appropriate “think time” the quality of their responses will improve.

5. Students are actively engaged in thinking, with different questions and different partners.

6. One benefit of this activity stems from the fact that some students find it safer or easier to enter into a discussion with another classmate, rather than in a large group.

Classroom Management

1. Students create one large circle and pair up.
2. One partner moves to the inside; partners face each other.
3. Give students at least ten seconds of "think time" to react to the prompt.
4. Ask students in the inside circle to share their response with the classmate facing them in the outside circle.

· When they have done this, ask them to say "pass", at which point the students in the outside circle will share their responses with the classmate facing them.

· Student groups can demonstrate that they are finished by both turning to face the teacher in the center.

5. Have the outside circle move one step to the left or right and discuss the same question with a different partner.