Groups of Three
Three is the smallest group with a majority. Two students cannot deadlock as easily, and nobody sits as far from the work as they can in a six. Trios face the front, so you can still teach from the board and then send them into the group task without rotating furniture.
Use it when
- Short collaborative problems
- Groups where you want a built-in tie breaker
- Rooms that are wider than they are deep
Pick something else when
- You need students facing each other
- The class does not divide cleanly and a pair or a four would be kinder than a leftover one
- Discussion should be whole-class
Class sizes
9 students
1 rows on a 15 by 7 grid.
12 students
1 rows on a 20 by 7 grid.
15 students
2 rows on a 20 by 10 grid.
18 students
2 rows on a 20 by 10 grid.
21 students
2 rows on a 20 by 10 grid.
24 students
2 rows on a 20 by 10 grid.
27 students
3 rows on a 20 by 13 grid.
30 students
3 rows on a 20 by 13 grid.
33 students
3 rows on a 20 by 13 grid.
36 students
3 rows on a 20 by 13 grid.