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The elements of component 3c are:

Activities and assignments

The activities and assignments are the centerpiece of student engagement, since they determine what it is that students are asked to do. Activities and assignments that promote learning require student thinking that emphasizes depth over breadth and encourage students to explain their thinking.

Grouping of students
How students are grouped for instruction (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) is one of the many decisions teachers make every day. There are many options; students of similar background and skill may be clustered together, or the more-advanced students may be spread around into the different groups. Alternatively, a teacher might permit students to select their own groups, or they could be formed randomly.

Instructional materials and resources
The instructional materials a teacher selects to use in the classroom can have an enormous impact on students’ experience. Though some teachers are obliged to use a school’s or district’s officially sanctioned materials, many teachers use these selectively or supplement them with others of their choosing that are better suited to engaging students in deep learning—for example, the use of primary source materials in social studies.

Structure and pacing
No one, whether an adult or a student, likes to be either bored or rushed in completing a task. Keeping things moving, within a well-defined structure, is one of the marks of an experienced teacher. And since much of student learning results from their reflection on what they have done, a well-designed lesson includes time for reflection and closure.

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Virtually all students are intellectually engaged
in challenging content through well-designed learning tasks and activities that require complex thinking by students. The teacher provides suitable scaffolding and challenges students to explain their thinking. There is evidence of some student initiation of inquiry and student contributions to

the exploration of important content; students may serve as resources for one another. The lesson has a clearly defined structure, and the pacing of the lesson provides students the time needed not only to intellectually engage with and reflect upon their learning but also to consolidate their understanding.

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The learning tasks and activities are fully aligned with the instructional outcomes and are designed to challenge student thinking, inviting students to make their thinking visible. This technique results in active intellectual engagement by most students with important and challenging content, and with teacher scaffolding to support that engagement. The groupings of students are suitable to the activities. The lesson has a clearly defined structure, and the pacing of the lesson is appropriate, providing most students the time needed to be intellectually engaged.

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The learning tasks and activities are partially aligned with the instructional outcomes but require only minimal thinking by students and little opportunity for them to explain

their thinking, allowing most students to be passive or merely compliant. The groupings of students are moderately suitable to the activities. The lesson has a recognizable structure; however, the pacing of the lesson may not provide students the time needed
to be intellectually engaged or may be so slow that many students have a considerable amount of “downtime.”

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The learning tasks/activities, materials, and resources
are poorly aligned with the instructional outcomes, or require only rote responses, with only one approach possible. The groupings of students are unsuitable to the activities. The lesson has no clearly defined structure, or the pace of the lesson is too slow or rushed.

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Five students (out of 27) have finished an assignment early and begin talking among themselves; the teacher assigns a followup activity.

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Students in only three of the five small groups are figuring out an answer to the assigned problem; the others seem to be unsure how they should proceed.

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Most students disregard the assignment given by the teacher; it appears to be much too difficult for them.

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Students are asked to fill in a worksheet, following an established procedure.

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Students are asked to formulate a hypothesis about what might happen if the American voting system allowed for the direct election of presidents and to explain their reasoning.

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Students are using math manipulative materials in a rote activity.

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Students determine which of several tools— e.g., a protractor, spreadsheet, or graphic calculator —would be most suitable to solve a math problem.

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A student asks whether they might remain in their smal groups to complete another section of the activity, rather than work independently.

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The teacher lectures for 20 minutes and provides 15 minutes for the students to write an essay; not all students are able to complete it.

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Students are using math manipulative materials in a rote activity.

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Most students don’t have time to complete the assignment; the teacher moves on in the lesson.

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Students are given a task to do independently, then to discuss with a table groupd, follwed by a reporting from each table.

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We felt number 1 was Ineffective because the grouping was not aligned.

Students in only three of the five small groups are figuring out an answer to the assigned problem; the others seem to be unsure how they should proceed.

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We felt 2 was high effective. Student are thinking high critically thinking.

Students are asked to formulate a hypothesis about what might happen if the American voting system allowed for the direct election of presidents and to explain their reasoning.

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We felt that number 3 was Developing. The activity didn't require much thinking.

Students are using math manipulative materials in a rote activity.