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🎨 Gallery Walk

An Interactive Teaching Strategy Guide

Engage students through collaborative movement and discussion

What is a Gallery Walk?

Gallery Walk is an engaging discussion technique that gets students moving around the classroom while working in small groups to share ideas and respond to meaningful content.

🎯 Key Benefits
  • Active Learning: Students are physically engaged and moving
  • Collaboration: Small group discussions promote peer learning
  • Multiple Perspectives: Students see and build on others' ideas
  • Inclusive Participation: All students contribute at their comfort level
💡 Perfect For:
  • Building on prior knowledge
  • Reviewing concepts before assessments
  • Analyzing texts, images, or data
  • Problem-solving activities
  • Peer feedback sessions

How to Implement Gallery Walk

1Prepare

Create 6 stations around your classroom with questions, prompts, images, or problems posted on chart paper or whiteboards.

💡 Pro Tip

Use different colored paper or markers for each station to help with organization and rotation.

2Group Students

Form teams of 3-5 students depending on class size. Start each group at a different station.

  • Assign roles: Recorder, Timekeeper, Discussion Leader
  • Give each student a different colored marker for accountability

3Begin

Groups read their station's prompt and the recorder writes responses on the chart paper.

✅ Individual Accountability Options
  • Have students initial their contributions
  • Use a worksheet for personal notes
  • Assign different colored markers per student

4Rotate

After 3-5 minutes, groups rotate clockwise to the next station. They read previous responses and add their own ideas.

Station Timer
3:00

5Monitor

Circulate and observe student discussions. Provide clarification or hints as needed.

  • Check for understanding at each station
  • Encourage quiet students to participate
  • Note interesting discussions for whole-class sharing
  • Ensure groups stay on task

6Reflect

Return to original stations to see how responses evolved, then reconvene for whole-class discussion.

🤔 Reflection Questions
  • What surprised you about other groups' responses?
  • How did your thinking change as you moved through stations?
  • Which station generated the most interesting discussion?

Sample Activities & Questions

ENGLISH

Character Analysis

  • What motivates the main character?
  • How does the character change throughout the story?
  • What would you do in this character's situation?
SCIENCE

Lab Results Analysis

  • What patterns do you observe in the data?
  • What might have caused unexpected results?
  • How could we improve this experiment?
HISTORY

Primary Source Analysis

  • What is the author's perspective?
  • What evidence supports their claims?
  • How might others have viewed this differently?
MATH

Problem Solving

  • What strategy did you use to solve this?
  • Can you solve it a different way?
  • How could you check if your answer is reasonable?
ART

Visual Analysis

  • What emotions does this artwork evoke?
  • What techniques did the artist use?
  • What story might this artwork tell?
GENERAL

Prior Knowledge Check

  • What do you already know about this topic?
  • What questions do you have?
  • How does this connect to your life?

Creative Variations

🎨 Graffiti Wall

Transform your classroom into an interactive graffiti space where students express ideas through words, drawings, and creative responses.

  • Use large sheets of paper on walls
  • Encourage colorful markers and drawings
  • Perfect for brainstorming and creative expression
💭 I Like, I Wonder, Next Steps

Use this feedback-focused variation to help students improve their work through peer review.

  • I Like: One positive aspect of the work
  • I Wonder: A question or curiosity about the work
  • Next Steps: A suggestion for improvement
🏃‍♀️ For Younger Students (PK-K)

Have students stand by their work while visitors give oral feedback. Do this in small shifts over several days.

🏃‍♂️ Gallery Run

A faster-paced version perfect for review sessions and knowledge checks.

  • Use more stations (8-12) with simpler questions
  • Rotate every 1-2 minutes
  • Focus on recall and comprehension
  • Great for test prep!
📱 Digital Gallery Walk

Adapt for remote or hybrid learning environments.

  • Use breakout rooms as "stations"
  • Share documents or slides for each station
  • Use collaborative tools like Padlet or Jamboard

Planning Tools & Templates

📋 Pre-Activity Checklist
  • Prepared 6 stations with clear, engaging prompts
  • Grouped students into teams of 3-5
  • Assigned student roles (recorder, timekeeper, etc.)
  • Gathered materials (chart paper, markers, timer)
  • Planned rotation schedule and timing
  • Prepared reflection questions for closure
🎯 Station Setup Ideas
  • Question Stations: Open-ended prompts for discussion
  • Image Analysis: Photos, artwork, or infographics
  • Text Excerpts: Primary sources, quotes, or passages
  • Problem Solving: Math problems or science scenarios
  • Video Clips: Short videos with discussion prompts
  • Hands-On Materials: Objects, specimens, or manipulatives
⏱️ Timing Guide
  • Elementary (K-5): 2-3 minutes per station
  • Middle School (6-8): 3-4 minutes per station
  • High School (9-12): 4-5 minutes per station
  • Review/Gallery Run: 1-2 minutes per station
🗣️ Sentence Starters for Students
  • "Building on what the previous group said..."
  • "I agree/disagree because..."
  • "Another way to think about this is..."
  • "This connects to... because..."
  • "I'm wondering if..."
  • "The evidence suggests..."