Cooperative groups require students to be randomly or specifically grouped for activities.
There are many standard ways of grouping students, such as numbering heads, or counting off. But there are more creative and purposeful ways of creating cooperative groups that give students a reason to be in a specific group. These purposeful ways of grouping may be linked to the topic being taught and may initiate scientific thinking about the subject. Many of these grouping techniques will be demonstrated in class. Please refer to this book for additional ideas on grouping students in cooperative groups in the science classroom.