Summary
This collaborative strategy can be used to introduce new material or to review texts that students have read. 30-Second Expert helps students summarize and synthesize information in a brief, reciprocal activity.
Essential Question(s)
Procedure
Ask students to draw a T-chart on a blank sheet of paper. Have them label the left side "What I know about this topic" and the right side "What I learned from my partner."
Have students write what they know about the topic on the left side of the T-chart. If students are using this strategy to summarize a text, have students complete this step after they have finished reading.
Place students in pairs or allow students to choose partners.
Invite students to stand and turn toward their partners. Designate one student in each pair as the speaker and the other as the listener. Then, have the speaker share a significant piece of information or interesting insight from the text. The speaker should say, "I am an expert on this topic because I know. . . ." Give students only 30 seconds to share.
Have the listener say, "According to (partner's name)," and summarize what the speaker has said. The listener should finish by asking, "Did I get that right?" At this point, have the speaker clarify any misconceptions or add any information the listener left out, while the listener adds any insight learned from their partner to the right side of their T-chart.
Ask student pairs to switch roles. The speaker becomes the listener. The listener becomes the speaker. Have students repeat steps 4 and 5 in their new roles.
Remind students to thank their partners or even to give each other a high-five, and say, "Good job!"