Cold Call Interactive Practice

Technique: Cold Call

Objective: To practice Cold Calling with multiple variations and increasing complexity

Description of Activity: A Role Play in which participants will be able to practice implementing
different variations of Cold Call to deepen their mastery of the technique.

Estimated Time: 1.5-2 hours

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice
Participant Copy

Objective: Get as much practice as possible with different variations of Cold Call while
incorporating feedback.
Plan: Script your Cold Call questions using the sample lesson plans.

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice
Participant Copy (Contd)

Practice Directions:

Teacher: The teacher will ask participants their scripted Cold Call questions After
receiving feedback from the coach, the teacher will apply the feedback and Do it
Again.
Coach: One participant will be the coach. He or she will stop the teacher halfway
through each round and deliver feedback about one thing he/she did well and one
thing that he/she could improve during the second half of the role play. It can be
helpful to use the following sentence starters (use the Feedback Cheat sheet at the
end of this document):
o It was effective when
o Next time try
Students: The rest of the participants in the group will play the role of cooperative
students.

Round Feedback
Fast Feedback: 45 Seconds. Student shares one glow
Round 1: Just Try It Out and one grow. Teacher implements immediately.
It was effective when
Next time, try.

Round 2: Slow Call Fast Feedback: 45 Seconds. Student shares one glow
Cold Call with Wait Time and and one grow. Teacher implements immediately.
reflective affect It was effective when
Next time, try.

Round 3:Add a Turn and Talk Fast Feedback: 45 Seconds. Student shares one glow
Cold Call with a Turn and Talk and one grow. Teacher implements immediately.
It was effective when
Next time, try.

Round 4: Student Struggles
Respond when a student that you
call on does NOT get it right the first
time
Fast Feedback: 45 Seconds. Student shares one glow
and one grow. Teacher implements immediately.
It was effective when
Next time, try.

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice Lesson Scripts

Sample Lesson #1 Questions

Subject: 4th Grade Reading
Objective: SWBAT analyze the theme/s of a poem.
Background: Students read the poem below and the teacher asks the questions that follow.

Alley Violinist
By: Robert Lax
if you were an alley violinist I like your playing very much,
and they threw you money signed
from three windows a sick old lady

and the first note contained and the last one contained
a nickel and said; a dollar and said:
when you play, we dance and beat it,
sing, signed
a very poor family would you:
stand there and play?
and the second one contained beat it?
a dime and said: walk away playing your fiddle?

Example Possible Cold Call Questions:

1. How much money does the first person/group give the violinist? The second? The last?
Student Answer: The first person gives a nickel. The second person gives a dime.
And the last person gives a dollar.

2. Why does the last person give the most?

Student Answers: The last person does not appreciate the music and wants the
violinist to stop playing.
The first two groups are poorer.

3. What does the author of this poem mean when he says beat it in line 16?
Student Answer: The author means to leave and get out of the area.

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice Lesson Scripts (Contd)

Sample Lesson #2 Questions

Subject: Middle School Science
Objective: SWBAT interpret food web diagrams in order to explain how changes in the
population of organisms affect ecosystems.
Background: Students review the food web diagram below and teacher asks the questions
that follow.

Food Web:

Key

= the direction energy is moving from

one organism to another (Ex:
GrassMouse means the grass
transfers energy to the mouse
because the mouse eats the grass)

Example Possible Cold Call Questions:

1. How many organisms in this food web eat shrews?

Student Answer: 1

2. How many organisms eat hawks?

Follow On: Name one of those organisms.
Student Answer: 3 (Shrews, rabbits, and snakes)

3. Identify a predator in this food web.

Follow-On: Now name its prey.
Student Answer: Snake is a predator; a mouse is its prey

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice Lesson Scripts (Contd)

Sample Lesson #3 Questions

Subject: 5th Grade History
Objective: SWBAT analyze 18th century political cartoons in order to identify the causes of
the American Revolutionary War.

Source: British Newspaper, October 31, 1774

Example Possible Cold Call Questions:

1. Name a significant symbol or object that appears in this cartoon.

Follow-Ons: Now name another. And another.
Student Answers: Liberty Tree, upside down Stamp Act, noose, and teacup.

2. What event is being depicted in this cartoon?

Follow-Ons: Whats one piece of evidence? And another?
Student Answers: Boston Tea Party (possible evidence: teacup, background image of
colonists dumping tea into a harbor, reference to Bostonians in the title).

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice Lesson Scripts (Contd)

Sample Lesson #4 Questions

Grade: 6th Grade Math
Objective: Students will be able to convert between mixed numbers and improper fractions.

Write the following fraction as a Mixed Number and Improper Fraction:

Mixed number Improper Fraction

1) Write the following fraction as a
Mixed Number and Improper Fraction

Answer: Mixed number: 3 Improper fraction:

2) How many pizzas are shown below? Mixed number Improper
Fraction

Answer: Mixed Number 1 Improper Fraction Answer:

Example Possible Cold Call Question:

1. What is another way to represent 10/4 as a mixed number?

Follow-Ons: And another way? How about as an improper fraction? As a decimal?
Student Answers: Mixed Numbers: 2 2/4 or 2 1/2 ; Improper Fraction: 5/2; Decimal:
2.5

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 Cold Call Interactive Practice Feedback Cheat Sheet

Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):

1. Teacher uses language and tone to show that Cold Call is positive and systematic.
2. Teacher uses Cold Call to effectively Check For Understanding and/or enhance pacing and
engagement.
3. Teacher unbundles Cold Call questions in order to distribute questions to more students.

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)
Incorporating a different sequence of Timing the Name (e.g.,
Timing the Name Question. Pause. Name or Name. Pause. Question)

Keeping the identity of who youll Cold Call unpredictable by:

o Cold Calling the same student twice in a row
Unpredictability o Circulating while you Cold Call
o Maintaining consistent eye contact with everyone (not
just the students you plan to call on)

Gradually progressing from easier (i.e., right there) questions

Scaffolding to harder ones (e.g., compare/contrast, provide
examples/evidence, distinguish between, etc.)
Unbundling Unbundling Cold Call questions into smaller parts and
distributing them to more students
Speaking in a more neutral tone
Tone Speaking in a more upbeat/positive tone
Using Follow-On: Cold Calling students about the things other
students add to the discussion (e.g., Do you agree, James?)
A Different Type Using either Hands up or Hands down: Asking students to keep
of Cold Call their hands down, or Cold Calling when hands are raised

Consistently waiting 3-5 seconds after asking each question

Varying the wait time depending on the rigor of the question
(e.g. more rigorous, more think time, less rigorous less think
Manage the Pause time)
Adding a stop-and-jot to give students time to process their
thoughts in writing
Narrating the Wait Time to reinforce academic skills or build
motivation (e.g., I see Renee underlining her evidence)

Balance of Hands and Cold Calling more or using more Call and Response or taking
Call and Response more hands in order to get closer to Balanced Cold Calling (40%
Take Hands/40% Cold Call /20% Call and Response)