FIRST... a shout-out to Anne Koschmider for her Mentor Monday post last year on Hexagonal Thinking. Amazing ideas there from Anne, Woodrow Boyles , Stefanie Wager , and Megan Suits , as well as some similar activities posted in that thread from Joe Baginski , Erik Christensen and Chris Steussy . So thankful for your ideas!
So here we are in mid-April and it’s hard not to feel the effects of that long drag between winter recess and spring break take its toll on your classroom energy. Last week, needing to review a big chunk of Unit 8 of the 1750 Curriculum amidst this low energy, I finally tried out “hexagonal thinking” with my 10th graders… and just like that… everyone was awake, active, and arguing in the language of causation! The best part is that this would work with just about any unit, and it’s super easy to do. Anne's post represents a digital approach to this strategy which is amazing. I used the old-school paper approach as a break from the digital world, in my on-level Global History classes. Here's my take:
The Set-Up
- I thumbed through the Cold War-related articles and lessons we’ve completed so far in Unit 8 and pulled out roughly 20-25 terms, names, events, big ideas, etc. The Unit 8 articles were the most helpful for this.
- I gave each small group of students:
- a full, mixed-up set of cut-out hexagons with one term on each hexagon
- a big sheet of construction paper
- some glue sticks
The Instructions
- I kept it simple: “Slide your hexagons around the paper until you think you’ve formed the tightest possible connections between them. Each hexagon must touch at least one other hexagon, and all hexagons must connect somewhere (no gaping spaces on the paper between clusters of hexagons). When you are confident with your placement, glue them down!”
- Each group was allowed to have one Chromebook handy for fact-checking, or to refer to our class notes from this unit.
- Groups were warned that they would be put on the spot to defend one/some of their connections at the end. When I saw a group finishing up, I chose one spot on their array where a few hexagons intersected. The group’s challenge was to articulate the relationship between those intersecting terms, in writing.
What DIDN’T Surprise Me
- The students really did need that Chromebook for reference purposes
- Some connections were much easier for them to make than others
- We all liked the change of pace
What DID Surprise Me
- Kids were yelling - in a good way - about the relationship between people, events, and ideas.
- Manipulating shapes, glue sticks, and big construction paper was an all-immersive activity, even for high school students.
- I caught a few of them taking pictures of their work. (Proud, are they?)
If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, check out that Mentor Monday post, or try these links for extra detail:
Hexagonal Thinking in Social Studies
History Tech - Loving Hexagonal Thinking
