How To Incorporate Learning Stations

Learning stations.  Have you heard of this method of exploration but are unsure what it entails?  Are you intrigued but unclear about how to get started?

 

The beauty of learning stations is that they can be used for all subjects and all grade levels.  Learning stations are locations in the classroom where students are tasked with completing activities related to relevant content. 

 

This post will focus on applying learning stations in an English Language Arts course.  Regardless of what subject(s) you teach, you can adapt these concepts to fit your area of study. 

 

I incorporated learning stations for the first time several months ago in an eighth grade Language Arts course.  My only regret – that I had not used this method sooner!  Here’s how it played out:

 

My students and I were at the mid-way point of reading a historical fiction novel.  I decided that having reached this point in the novel, it would be a good time to “shake things up” by using learning stations.

 

Six stations were visited over the course of three 80-minute class periods.  This may seem like an excessive amount of time, but several minutes must be factored in at the beginning and the end of each period for attendance and clean-up.  Plus, a portion of the third day was used for students to complete any stations they may have missed due to absences, as well as for everyone to do a reflection (this will be discussed in more detail shortly).    

 

The stations incorporated the review of content and the application of specifics from the text.  Also, some stations allowed for group work while others required students to work individually.  Here is a breakdown of the learning stations:

 

Station 1 – Academic Vocab

Students identified 10 new, challenging, grade-appropriate words from the text.  They used dictionaries to locate the definition and part of speech for each word.  Also, they created a unique sentence for each vocab word of choice.    

 

Station 2 – Conflicts

Students completed a graphic organizer about the meaning and role of conflict in a text.  They also responded to open-ended questions specific to the conflicts presented in the novel.  Students were required to cite evidence from the text. 

 

Station 3 – Big Ideas & Themes

Students completed a graphic organizer about the meaning and role of big ideas and themes in a text.  They also responded to open-ended questions specific to the big ideas and themes displayed in the novel.  Students were required to cite evidence from the text. 

 

Station 4 – Create A Timeline

One timeline per group was created depicting 10 events from the story so far.  Students were required to explain the significance of each event to the plot, as well as provide a small illustration. 

 

Station 5 – Give A Character Advice

Students individually wrote a one-page letter offering advice to a character of choice.  That character’s conflict was to be stated along with logical solutions based on factors such as what has already transpired and that character’s personality. 

 

Station 6 – Illustrate A Scene

Each student drew the scene that he/she believed to be most important to the novel.  Speech bubbles were allowed if the scene included a significant conversation between two or more characters.  A written explanation about the importance of the scene was required.   

On the first day of stations, students were given packets of the necessary graphic organizers for the activities.  Each student was also provided with a checklist to be accountable for completing each station.  Rather than having printed packets, Chromebooks and Google Classroom can be used.  If you have enough computers for your students and are comfortable with students carrying the computers around the room, by all means save paper. 

 

A list of instructions for the six tasks were placed on each station’s table.  I recommend either laminating or placing the instructions in a plastic sleeve to prevent damage. 

 

While students are working at the stations, your role as the facilitator is to visit each group, ask students to explain what they are working on, provide guidance, and be a timekeeper, announcing when it is time to rotate to the next station. 

 

On the final day of stations, save time for a wrap-up of the activities.  As a class, discuss what was accomplished at each station.  As individuals, students will complete a written reflection about what they enjoyed most, what they disliked, and what suggestions they have for next time.  Students feel a sense of value when they are able to voice their opinion, whether it be verbally or on paper. 

 

Regarding the number of students per group, three or four is the ideal number.  Having more than that runs the risk of students getting off track.  In a class that is larger than say 20 students, which is a real possibility, there are two ways to keep the groups small: add more stations or split the class into two large groups, say Group A and Group B.

 

In the “split the class” scenario, you may need to dedicate six days to learning stations.  Students in Group A will break into smaller groups to visit the learning stations on days one through three.  On those same days, students in Group B can work on a different assignment, such as a research project or an independent reading activity.  Days four through six will be vice versa for Groups A and B.    

As mentioned earlier, learning stations can be used for any subject.  A science course may have stations about cells and DNA, while a math course focuses on coordinates and algebraic expressions.  The stations can be specific to a particular unit or text, as well as for a review of numerous topics for mid-terms or finals. 

 

Learning stations afford students with the opportunity to move around and change up the normal routine, in a positive way.  Also, students will develop cooperative skills, as some of the tasks require shared responsibility amongst group members.    

 

After completing all learning stations, students will have a deep understanding of the content and will likely ask, “When are we doing stations again?  This was fun!”

 

Best of luck applying learning stations to your lesson plans!  Leave a question, comment, or suggestion below, in the Comments Section!

 

Please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store to purchase an affordable set of instructions, checklist, and graphic organizers for English Language Arts learning stations.  Also, check out a variety of resources for all grades and subjects!

 

Peace.  Love.  Reading & Writing.

 

💗 Miss M