Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Strategies for Reaching Consensus

Shayna Pond | Published: June 7th, 2023 by K20 Center

Summary

How can we better support shared decision-making and build buy-in as a community? Building relationships and encouraging group engagement are vital skills for student and teacher learning communities alike. This collection includes strategies for many communication and learning purposes that can be used to help to build consensus, to engage in shared decision-making, and to inspire collaborative action.

Resources

Driving Question Board

Grade Level Grade Level

  • Preschool - Secondary

This strategy encourages students to share their questions and observations about anchoring phenomena. By sharing their thoughts throughout the learning experience, students can connect personally and culturally to the content. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing, Extend/Additional Learning Activity, Evaluate/Assessment

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • More Than 30 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Activate Prior Knowledge, Analyze, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Conversation Starter, Critical Thinking, Cross-Curricular, Infer, Interpret, Organize, Problem Solving, Speak & Listen, Synthesize

Grade Level Grade Level

  • Preschool - Secondary
Affinity Process

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th

This strategy engages students in organizing ideas into themes to summarize content or find points of agreement. Students respond to a prompt and work in groups to organize the responses into themes. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Individual, Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Engage/Opening, Explain/Closing, Evaluate/Assessment

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • Less Than 10 Minutes, 10 - 20 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Activate Prior Knowledge, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Organize, Review, Student Choice

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th
8-Up

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 5th - Secondary

This collaborative strategy can be used to help a whole class or large groups come to a consensus of agreed upon ideas. 8-Up makes it possible for all students' ideas to be considered. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Large Group (at least 30), Medium Group (at least 10), Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Explore/Learning Activity, Extend/Additional Learning Activity, Evaluate/Assessment

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • 10 - 20 Minutes, 20 - 30 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Collaborate, Organize, Persuade, Problem Solving

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 5th - Secondary
Cooperative Processing

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 1st - Secondary

This process is helpful for shared decision-making. The structure enables all voices to be heard and considered in the decision-making process. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Large Group (at least 30), Medium Group (at least 10)

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Brainstorming, Collaborate, Elaborate, Problem Solving, Speak & Listen, Synthesize

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 1st - Secondary
Democratic Voting

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th

This strategy outlines steps for class voting that allow all student and teacher ideas to be addressed with equity. Students come to a group consensus by voting for their top choice or choices. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing, Extend/Additional Learning Activity, Evaluate/Assessment

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • More Than 30 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Brainstorming, Collaborate, Organize, Problem Solving, Speak & Listen, Student Choice

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th
I Think / We Think

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th

This strategy can be used in a variety of ways to encourage students to think about and list their individual ideas on a topic and to record common ideas that surface during group share-out and discussion. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • 20 - 30 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Activate Prior Knowledge, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Organize, Present, Reason, Speak & Listen, Student Choice, Summarize

Grade Level Grade Level

  • 6th - 12th
Sticky Bars

Grade Level Grade Level

  • Preschool - 12th

This strategy quickly assesses students’ ideas concerning a concept or question and can be used as either formative or summative assessment (but is most appropriate for a formative assessment). Sticky Bars helps students see that there is often a range of opinions concerning a concept. Read more »

Strategy Instructional Strategy

User Group Group Size

  • Individual, Whole Class

Copied To Clipboard Placement In Lesson

  • Engage/Opening, Explain/Closing, Evaluate/Assessment

Time Frame Time To Complete

  • Less Than 10 Minutes

Tag Intention Or Purpose

  • Activate Prior Knowledge, Analyze, Conversation Starter, Critical Thinking, Identify, Interpret, Physical Movement, Review, Self-assessment, Student Choice

Grade Level Grade Level

  • Preschool - 12th

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