ESS Student Intro Activity 1
Exploring Roles Used in POGIL® Teams
Why?
Many people dislike working in groups, because it can be challenging when you work with other people.
To make sure that your group functions well together as a team, each member will take on a specific
role. The better you perform your role, the more successful your team will be. You will change roles
frequently so that you learn to perform any role in any team setting. In this short activity, you will
explore the duties of each role. You will also think about how these roles interact to create fun and
productive team learning.
Model 1—Roles Used in POGIL Classrooms
TECHNICIAN QUALITY CONTROLLER
“What do we need? I’ll get it.” “Let me see if everyone has finished this
Participate actively. question before we move on.”
Reach an agreement with your team members before you Participate actively.
write anything down. Write answers that are clear and Make sure everyone comes to an agreement on most answers
complete. before anyone writes anything down. Write answers that are
Gather any necessary materials. Use a calculator or computer. clear and complete.
Conduct the experiment or activity. Double-check work before you and your team members
record anything.
Show your team members each step of the experiment or
activity. Pick up paperwork and turn in paperwork.
Clean and put away the materials. Position your written work on your desktop so the teacher
can see your answers without interrupting your team.
MANAGER ENCOURAGER/CHEERLEADER
“Come on, let’s get moving. No slacking.” “You did a great job on your task today!”
Participate actively. Participate actively.
Reach an agreement with your team members before you write Reach an agreement with your team members before you
anything down. Write answers that are clear and complete. write anything down. Write answers that are clear and
complete.
Keep track of time so your team can meet the goals for the day.
Notice and tell other members what they are doing to
Push everyone to get all their work done and stay focused on help your team succeed.
your tasks. Suggest specific actions that each member can take to
Make sure everyone does their assigned job. improve how well the team works together to meet goals.
READER SPOKESPERSON
“Okay, I’ll read the activity out loud for everyone.” “Here’s what my team found out…”
Participate actively. Participate actively.
Reach an agreement with your team members before you Reach an agreement with your team members before
write anything down. Write answers that are clear and you write anything down. Write answers that are clear
complete. and complete.
Read every word in the activity so everyone follows the Ask questions of the teacher; report your team’s data
same order of activities. to the class; interact with other teams to compare
results.
Read slowly enough that other team members can read
along and process the information well. Write answers on the whiteboard, under the
document camera, on a flip chart or wherever the
teacher directs.
POGIL® Earth and Space Science Activities | Designed to Support the NGSS 7
ESS Student Intro Activity 1
Use the information from Model 1 to answer questions 1–6.
Reach an agreement with your team before writing down your consensus answer.
1. Which role is responsible for keeping the team moving at a good pace?
The manager
2. Which role is responsible for slowing the team down so everyone can reach an agreement and
write down the same answer?
The quality controller
3. Analyze the role responsibilities for patterns. List two responsibilities that every role has in
common:
-Participate actively
-Reach an agreement with the team before writing down clear and concise answers
4. One of the roles is used only on days when your team conducts a lab experiment, uses a
computer or uses a calculator. What is the name of this role?
The technician
5. There are only three roles that require you to move around the room. Circle the names of these
roles.
Quality Encourager/ Manager Reader Spokesperson Technician
Controller Cheerleader
6. Describe the two roles that are most likely to come into conflict. Explain your answer in a
complete sentence. Include evidence from Model 1.
The manager and quality controller are most likely to come into conflict
because the manager keeps everyone at a good pace and the quality
controller slows things down to make sure everyone is at the same place
Check with your teacher before you continue.
Extension Questions
7. What role do you think will be the hardest for you, personally? Explain your answer.
I think that the manager will be the most challenging because I tend to work at a slower pace
than most people
8. Describe 1–2 ways that using specific roles might help teams function more effectively to help
every team member learn.
The roles coordinate effectively, allowing the most amount of work to be completed, and
all roles assist each other in one way or another, and that increases productivity.
8 POGIL® Earth and Space Science Activities | Designed to Support the NGSS