One pagers are simple, powerful tools to help students to process and show their learning in a creative and engaging way.
I use one-pagers constantly in my upper elementary classroom! I have used them in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The possibilities are indeed endless!
One Pagers are NOT about art, they are about processing information visually and in written form. Through combining language and visual imagery, students are able to tag those memories and store them in their brains in a more efficient way. When my students are completing a one pager, I remind them that they will not be graded on their artistic abilities, but on the completeness, the following of directions, and the thoughtfulness of their work.
When I first started using one pagers, I often gave my students a blank sheet of paper. Talk about a lesson going down in flames! I would give my best directions and be met with blank stares, ugh! I quickly realized that students do better with boundaries. So I then started using folded paper. I liked this method because it offered a chance for students to follow visual directions while folding the paper, and I was giving my students a tool that they could use on their own at any time. However, this method had a few drawbacks. I only knew one or two ways to fold paper and sometimes the folding didn’t go as planned for some students.
The fix, templates! I began to make templates for my students. This gave my students choices and gave me the opportunity to give clear and direct expectations.
With a template, I can direct my students to include a quote, three symbols, the author and title of a novel, and four key facts, for example. I can ask them to show me the beginning, middle, and end of a story. I assign them as vocabulary activities, asking for a work, a definition, a sentence, and an image or as a math task, asking for three ways to show a multiplication problem. The possibilities are indeed endless!
Another benefit of one pagers is differentiation! Talk about endless possibilities! One pagers are perfect for English Language Learners, as they take the pressure off of writing an essay in order to show understanding. Students with disabilities can still be included and assessed using one pagers, and they are a perfect pairing with choice boards for your Gifted and Talented students.
I hope you will give one pagers a try this year! If you need any help or ideas on how to use one pagers in your classroom, contact me! I am here to help you do what you do best!
