Snowball Activity

What is it?

Snowball technique is an active learning strategy that helps students share and teach each other concepts and topics. This technique allows the students to work in groups and build their knowledge gradually. Students begin this activity individually. They then create progressively larger conversational groups by doubling their group size every few minutes until everybody in the large group has reconvened by the end of the activity.

Why use it?

• To promote active engagement in the learning process.
• Promotes sharing knowledge and different perspectives.

How do I do it?

Watch the video below as it outlines the process of the snowball  activity, and how it can be adapted for online settings.

1. Introduce the topic and provide any required information to the students.
2. Allow the students to go over the information provided (say for 10-15 min) and jot down the key facts or ideas or answers to the questions.
3. Get the students to share the facts, ideas or answers with one other student and discuss for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Once the pair has discussed and consolidated their thoughts, ask them to move to another pair and share their thoughts again.
5. Now the two pairs join together to form a group of four students.
6. Get the group of four students to continue the process leading to the formation of a group with 8 students.
7. You can continue this to the point that is comfortable for you and your class.
8. Follow it up by a class discussion at the end.

Considerations

• If you end up with one large group at the end, then get the group to present their findings.
• If you stop at a point where there are a few groups left follow it with a whole class discussion and call on individual groups to discuss their ideas.