Carousel sharing provides assessments of knowledge, interest, and attitude. It also explores a multiple perspective on a topic, encouraging conversation and an exchange of ideas. The strategies for carousel sharing are applicable for several different topic areas, such as reading, math, and social studies. This brainstorming creates a structure that allows students to freely express their opinions, and work with others.
As an example, assess your classroom and divide the students into groups of three. Mix up the groups so that close friends are separated and dominant students are paired with others who won’t be intimidated. Determine the topic you will be studying and create a series of questions pertaining to the topic. Make certain that these questions are open-ended and cannot be answered by a simple yes or no. They need to be provocative or controversial enough to spark conversation and ideas. Don’t ask “Did Lincoln free the slaves?” Instead ask “What were the results of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation” or “Why did Lincoln free the slaves?”
Usually groups of three enable each student to participate fully in the structured learning activity. Assign each person in the group a role. The recorder will write down the responses, the mediator will make certain that all three members have a turn, and the speaker will eventually convey the group's answers to the class as a whole.
You can assign each group a colored magic marker, such as blue, red, orange and yellow. Then set up easel paper and a set of each of the colored markers in various sections of the room. On each piece of paper, write the open-ended questions. At the front of the room on the blackboard, write out the general topic area, the overall problem, and the issue statement or main question.
Station each group in front of one question. For instance, you can discuss the reasons slavery was abolished. At each station, ask open-ended questions. Allow the students to discuss and write down their answers to these questions and at a predetermined time.
Move the groups of three students clockwise to the next question and have them discuss and assess what is missing from the answers of the other groups. You will need to move or carousel to each group to ensure that everyone is participating and that no student is being intimidated.
When each group has answered each question, the carousel is complete. The entire class comes together and each group speaker presents their assessments to the rest of the class. Using all the data and ideas generated, have the class choose the three most important points that were raised. Then hold a general group discussion that revisits the main question raised and determines a consensual conclusion. Carousel sharing promotes conversation, idea generation, decision making and creativity within the classroom. It can be used as a technique to teach any subject, from science to reading to math, so students will be able to express their own thoughts in a structured learning situation.