Making Group Work Productive.

Mr. Bonine’s Critter Project is a weeklong assignment in which students consolidate what they have learned during the semester, engaging collaboratively in productive group work to think, plan, and refine their skills (Frey, Fisher, & Everlove, 2009). Mr. Bonine has introduced this project at the optimum time in the instructional cycle. When students are ready to clarify and refine their growing understanding of what they’ve been learning, they need opportunities to interact purposefully with one another to complete meaningful learning tasks.