Overview of the Technique History of the Jigsaw Classroom Jigsaw in 10 Easy Steps Tips on Implementation Books and Articles Related to the Jigsaw Technique Chapter 1 of Aronson's Book "Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion After Columbine" Links on Cooperative Learning and School Violence About Elliot Aronson and This Web Site

In Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion after Columbine, Elliot Aronson, one of American social psychology's giants, has made a remarkable contribution. Drawing on close observation of primary and secondary school life, on decades of classic social psychology research and theory, and on the useful model of medical epidemiology, Aronson masterfully explores the broader lessons of the Littleton, Colorado tragedy. The psychology is impeccable and deep, but there is no jargon; and Aronson's uniquely intimate style makes for easy and entertaining reading.

Thirty years ago, George Miller, in a memorable presidential address to the American Psychological Association, challenged his colleagues to "give psychology away" -- to address contemporary social problems in their writing and research in a way that was accessible to people beyond the ivy-covered wall and densely written journals of academia. No psychologist has taken up that challenge more consistently, and more successfully than Elliot Aronson.

He addresses the reader directly, in a passionate and often personal account of what goes on in America's schools. We get a sense of the bullying, cliquishness, humiliation, competition, and deep alienation that youngsters face at a particularly vulnerable time in their life. And we are led to take note the lack of emphasis placed by educators on empathy, cooperation, and the nurturing of "social intelligence." Too often, Aronson charges, educators and parents are willing to tolerate an environment in their schools that they would never permit in an adult workplace. In a society where models of cathartic violence are ubiquitous in the news and entertainment media, where weapons to act upon murderous impulses can readily be obtained, the result is both inevitable and tragic.

What is to be done? Aronson invites us to consider the steps that British epidemiologists took in the mid 19th century when confronted with a cholera epidemic. Upon determining that the cases clustered around a particular contaminated well, they first removed the pump-handle, so that no more water could be drawn from it. They did not stop with this measure, however; they then addressed the root cause of the epidemic, that is, the contamination itself, which arose from the proximity of latrines to the water supply. In analogous fashion, Aronson acknowledges the need to curb media violence, enact more stringent gun-control measures, and in some schools perhaps even resort to the use of metal detectors (although, in the latter case he is quick to note that doing so increases rather than decreases the oppressiveness of the learning environment). But he insists that we must address the root causes as well and transform our schools in a more fundamental fashion. That is, we must take steps to curb taunting and ostracism, to develop empathetic skills and values in students, and to create learning environments that actively encourage cooperation and tolerance.

Expressed in such general terms, neither the analysis of causes nor the suggested remedies are particularly novel. What is unique in Aronson's treatment, however, is the persuasive way he marshals social psychological theory and research to make the analysis and prescriptive measures specific and concrete. The reader is given a quick but expert tour of classic experiments and of fundamental concepts. In particular, Aronson explains that one of social psychology's most important insights involves the tendency we all have to attribute deviant behavior to evil or pathological traits of the individual actor. In so doing we fail to recognize the powerful role played by situational factors, and the likelihood that a less pathological situation would produce more positive behavior. Aronson also offers a detailed account of successful interventions that have produced less hostile school environments, including a remarkably successful Norwegian program to reduce bullying and his own famous "jigsaw classroom" technique to promote cooperation and social integration.

A book about the challenges faced in our schools that simultaneously enlightens parents and other general readers, instructs and inspires educators, teaches undergraduates about core concepts in social science, and fills fellow academicians with pride is a rare accomplishment. Elliot Aronson has given us a 190-page masterpiece that every teacher, administer, and parent would benefit from reading.