Co-Teaching Instructional Strategy Share

Name of Strategy: Spider Web

Co-teaching method and rationale: The co-teaching method we chose for this
lesson was Team Teaching. We chose this co-teaching strategy because we felt it
would be the best way to observe everyones different thoughts on pollution and
through team teaching, our students were able to hear both teachers take on
pollution.
Materials: Two balls of yarn (each a different color)
Grade Level(s): All
Describe the strategy with specific directions for implementation:
1. Start the lesson off with asking the class what their own definition is of
pollution.
2. Teach PowerPoint lesson about the two different types of pollution we will be
learning.
3. After lesson is over, demonstrate yarn activity to class with directions on how
activity works. Asking the question: Why is Air/Water Pollution a problem and
how will it affect you in the future? After Teacher 1 answers, she will toss the
yarn (underhand) to Teacher 2, while keeping hold of the end of the yarn, and
then Teacher 2 will answer the question also.
4. After demonstration, have students transition from classroom to outside.
5. Randomly pick two students to start the yarn toss.
6. Purple yarn will be assigned air pollution and yellow yarn will be assigned
water pollution.
7. Have the students answer the question: Why is Air/Water Pollution a problem
and how will it affect you in the future?
8. After everyone has had a turn answering one of the pollution questions,
quietly return back to the classroom.
9. As a closing activity, students will be able to share out connections they made
or things they have learned through the strategy.
Possible Variations
We could also have taught this lesson using Parallel Teaching by splitting the
class in half.
If students were older, we could have split the class into four or five groups
and allowed the students to work on the strategy on their own.
For younger learners, or to fill up more time, you could only ask one question
at a time.

Describe how this strategy might be used across content areas:

Language Arts
o Parts of Speech (noun, adjectives, etc.)

o What is the best book you have read recently and why?
Math
o Lower Elementary: What is something you did at home this week that
you and your family used math for?
o Upper Elementary: Name a prime number
Science
o Name an animal and its habitat
o Characteristics about chemical states
Social Studies
o Tell one fact about the Civil War
o States and their capitals
o Characteristics about Native American Tribes
Health
o What is your favorite type of food and what food group does it fall
under?

How might this strategy be adapted to meet the needs of students with various
different disabilities and learning characteristics?
This strategy allows flexibility with students answers. They can either give
their own opinions about the topic or base it off the lesson they are taught.
If students have physical disabilities, the class could be broken down into
smaller groups so the ball is passed back and forth rather than thrown.
Based on the learning characteristics in the classroom, more pollution topics
can be taught in one days lesson.