creative thinking and problem solving grade 10 lesson plan

Caps Business Studies 10

Caps bs 10 term 3 week 1 – 2 creative thinking and problem solving, topic – creative thinking and problem solving.

• Creative thinking and its contribution towards successful and sustainable business practice • Creative thinking to generate entrepreneurial opportunities and to solve business problems

• Problem solving:
• Research skills -finding information to assist with problem solving
• Problem solving versus decision making
• Problem-solving cycle: identification of the problem, definition of the problem, formulation of the strategy, implementation of the strategy, allocation of resources, monitoring problem solving and evaluation of the problem-solving process
• Problem-solving techniques (e.g. Force-Field Analysis, Chair Technique, Empty Chair Technique, Delphi Technique, Nominal Group Technique, brainstorming, Forced Combinations, SCAMPER) — The use of indigenous knowledge to solve problems and identify business opportunities — The use of mind mapping, brainstorming and creative thinking/idea generation to identify innovative and entrepreneurial business opportunities — The use of non-conventional thinking to identify innovative business opportunities — Ways in which creative business opportunities can realistically be implemented

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Solving Problems Critically and Creatively

Minilesson print.

To view this video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8OQ9Vsx21g.

You solve problems every day, and not just in math class. You figure out what to wear, what to eat, and how to manage friendships. You can solve even bigger problems using critical and creative thinking. Watch this video to find out how.

Your Turn Critically analyze a problem. Think of a problem that relates to something you are studying, or use this problem: Many people don't have enough to eat . Analyze the problem critically by writing down the causes and effects of it in a chart like this one.

Your Turn Creatively offer solutions. Review the causes and effects of your problem. Brainstorm ways to remove one or more of the causes. Brainstorm ways to lessen one or more of the effects. Create a list of as many possible solutions as you can, even wild ones! Which solution interests you most? What would you have to do to make it work? (The next step in problem-solving is planning the solution.)

From pages 47-66 in Inquire High School

From the blog post " How to Teach Creativity "

Teacher Support:

Click to find out more about this resource.

Standards Correlations:

The State Standards provide a way to evaluate your students' performance.

• LAFS.K12.W.3.7
• LAFS.K12.W.3.8
• LAFS.K12.W.3.9
• LAFS.K12.W.4.10

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Creativity Lesson Plans: Teach Innovation and Creative Problem Solving in Elementary, Middle, and High School

CREATIVITY LESSON PLANS UPDATE – Mar 1, 2024: Here are 14 creativity lessons for elementary, middle school, and high school.

Why do we need creativity?

• Problem Solving: To create solutions to obstacles
• Innovation: To create new ways to do things / business products
• Content Creators: Influencers, Social Media gurus, and other personalities literally create content – videos, posts, reels.

Creativity Lesson Plans are not just for art class.

This is about switching to a growth mindset and creating new ideas to solve academic problems, relationship problems, and global challenges!

New Year season in January 2024 is the perfect time to teach students how to have a Creativity mindset.

(After all, they’re still in the honeymoon phase. All bright, shiny, and eager to try new things… for now.)

Creativity lessons for elementary and middle school go way beyond art class. It’s more than creative writing in English class.

Likewise, innovation in high school goes way beyond business class.

Many of us think we can’t teach creativity or mark creativity.

• We think we’re not creative people. We’re no good at art.
• We’re not sure how to teach innovation to students because we think you’re either innovative… or not… and that’s just the way it is.

These Creativity Lesson Plans help change the way we think about “creativity” in the classroom.

Instead of thinking about creativity as art, let’s think of it as creativity in problem-solving.

The root word of creativity is to create .

• It’s about connecting ideas in different ways to create something new.
• This can be creating something new for us personally, or it can be something new that the world has never seen before.

Yes, we solve problems in the arts: How can we connect ideas together to create a new twist in an art assignment, a dance, a dramatic production, or creative writing?

But, we also use a lot of creativity in problem-solving everyday life challenges. In fact, we use a lot of creativity in Social-Emotional Learning!

SEL is more than just checking in with people to see how they’re doing (although, that’s important.)

Here are three ways creativity and social-emotional learning go hand-in-hand:

• Self-management includes the ability to manage one’s emotions. When things get tough, sometimes, we need to create new ways to deal with our emotions. (Instead of just hiding them from the world.)
• Self-awareness is the ability to understand your emotions, thoughts, and values. Linking our feelings, values, thoughts, and experiences is exactly what we do when we’re creative and connecting new ideas and experiences in ways we haven’t thought of before.
• Relationship skills are the ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships. Relationships require work – especially when you have different points of view about things that personally matter. We need to be creative in solving problems and dealing with conflict constructively.

Use these fun creativity lessons to help teach innovation and prepare students for another year of the unknown!

Think about creativity this way:

• Creativity is about creating / making new things
• We get creative when we solve problems every day.
• We find solutions to obstacles all the time.

What do you do when…

• life gives you a pandemic and you have a new normal?
• things are constantly changing between teaching in the classroom, physical distancing, and online distance learning?
• you lose your job and need to figure out how to make a living?
• the world is unfair and you need to change the system?
• you need to do a class project and the teacher tells you to come up with an original idea. (In other words, don’t copy the teacher example…)

How do we teach innovation? Is that even possible?

It’s easy to say, “be creative”… “innovate!” But, how do we actually do that?

Try this in your classroom!

Teaching creativity in the classroom requires a paradigm shift.

We can encourage innovation and creativity in our students by changing their points of view about what it means to be creative.

Try this quick MINDS-ON activity to kick start your Creativity Lesson Plans:

Let’s teach innovation and creativity by explicitly giving students a process and fostering a growth mindset.

Creativity means to create.

• Not just in art, but in every subject.
• Not just in school, but in life.

1. Brainstorm different synonyms for create.

• Create: Build, construct, design, produce, set up, generate
• Created: Assembled, completed, made, manufactured, finished
• Creating: Accomplishing, composing, executing, forming, generating
• Source: Thesaurus.com – create

2. Generate a list of short sentences that use these new verbs. (If you teach a specific subject, then you might also give a curriculum-appropriate topic as well.

• Science – ecosystems : Build a way to explain how an ecosystem works that a 5 year old kid could understand.
• Math: generate study notes and a process to help you practice your skills before the next quiz.
• Relationships: Find a way to form a deeper connection with your partner.
• Life – errands: Complete this list of errands today.
• Goal setting : Accomplish one thing today that would move you closer to achieving your dreams.

3. Explain that creating something means connecting ideas we have in new and different ways. Some will work, others won’t.

• This means, the more ideas we have in our head, the more connections we can make.
• Ideas don’t have to be in the subject or topic that we’re trying to solve a problem for.
• In fact, some times, the most creative ideas come from connecting something we’ve seen somewhere else and trying it in a new area.

So… the more ideas and experiences we have to draw upon, the more likely we can find inspiration when we’re trying to solve problems.

Creativity takes time, so pausing to observe and wonder is important.

How to teach innovation and creativity to students

Remind students that:

• Creativity is a skill that we can get better at.
• Creativity and innovation are about connecting ideas in new ways.
• So, then the goal is to have more diverse life experiences.
• Then, observe what happens and give yourself time to wonder…

Okay, so what does that mean for us, teachers?

How do we actually teach innovation? (Skip to the creativity lesson plan .)

How to Teach Creativity in the Classroom

Let’s shift how we approach creativity at school!

Yes, we need to appreciate the important role of creativity in the arts.

But, we can also take our creative teaching ideas outside of the art classroom.

We know the hidden word in “creativity” is “create”.

We know we need to help our students recognize that we constantly create things in life. We create solutions to life problems every day.

As principals, teachers, and educators, we can help students recognize that creativity is actually a transferable 21st century skill that we use:

• in relationships,
• in careers, and
• to deal with the unknown.

(Jump to the creativity unit lesson plan .)

Teaching Creativity and Teaching Innovation to Students – New Pedagogies for Deep Learning ideas

Need some NPDL creative lesson plan ideas?

Creativity can be one of the harder 6 Cs to try to wrap your head around.

Especially because when we start talking about being creative, we automatically say things like, “I’m not good at art,” or “I’m not very creative.”

Often times we’re stuck in a fixed mindset. We think you’re either creative, or you’re not. And that’s just the way it is.

So here’s one way to reframe creativity for people who are exploring new pedagogies for deep learning (NPDL) with their students.

7 things to include when teaching innovation and creativity in the classroom and at school:

• Every teacher can embed lessons on creativity in their course. It’s not just for art teachers!
• Reframe creativity as an important 21st century competency / learning skill. Not just something we do when it’s time to be “creative.”
• Everyone can be creative . We use creativity all the time. (We call it problem-solving.)
• Creativity is a learnable skill and process – we can all have more creative minds! We can encourage a growth mindset , strategies, and effort.
• Teach students how to break patterns, observe results, and wonder what if .
• Creativity is a learnable skill
• Anyone can become more creative by applying strategies and effort
• Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.
• We draw on life experiences and connect them in different ways to come up with new ideas.
• Practice what you preach! Teach innovation and creativity by modeling your own journey. Try the Do Something Different activity yourself to try to become more creative.

Creativity and Innovation lesson plans can be in every teacher’s toolbox.

Not just the art teachers.

Creativity is an essential 21st century skill because creativity and innovation are about figuring out ways to solve problems and express yourself in new ways.

It’s about connecting the ideas in your head with your life experiences in new ways to overcome obstacles.

But, it’s also about right now:

• Are you worried about how to teach (and assess) students to be more CREATIVE and INNOVATIVE in your class?
• Do you have to evaluate creativity as part of your learning skills or class?
• Do you want your students to come up with their own answers instead of simply copying the teacher’s example?

No problem. We got this!

Whether you call this 21st Century Competency “creativity,” “innovation,” or “problem solving”, we’re talking about the same thing: The ability to connect ideas in new ways to have original ideas that have value.

How to be MORE Creative Lesson Plans Table of Contents:

• Learning how to be more creative is a skill that anyone and everyone can work on.
• We need to be creative to solve problems in life
• We need to be creative to solve problems at work

Want a FREE sample?

The “do something different” creativity challenge:.

• How to be more Creative Lesson Plan KEY CONCEPTS:
• You get 298 slides / pages in 14 lessons
• Software Requirements
• Teacher Pro Tips
• PART 1. EXPERIENCE
• PART 2. WATCH
• PART 3. UNDERSTAND
• Here’s what you get in the How to be MORE creative Lesson Plans ZIPPED FILE

Teach innovation to students. How to be more creative and innovative

Creativity lesson plans:.

Encourage creativity and teach innovation by explicitly teaching students:

• Creativity is more than just for art
• Creativity is a learnable skill. That means we can all become more creative.

By encouraging a growth mindset , a creativity lesson plan can focus on the idea that with hard work, strategies, learning from mistakes, and just tinkering around, we can become more creative.

Despite what some people believe, we can nurture and become more creative, just as we can become better at reading, living healthier lives, and getting back up when we get knocked down (perseverance.)

Who can be creative?

We use creativity all the time in everyday life, but we don’t always think of it as “CREATIVITY” or “INNOVATION”. We think of it in the human mind as the ability to make sense of a problem.

• Finding a solution to a problem
• Figuring out how to do something
• Wondering about stuff

You see CREATIVITY in the business world all the time

Innovation is essential in business.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, small business or working for the government or large corporations, we “create” things at work all the time. And, I’m not talking about art!

• Figuring out a new product that is different
• Coming up with a new way to sell an old product. (The Diamond Shreddies campaign is brilliant.)
• Creating a way to convince people to take action.
• Finding common ground with other people on your team so you can get the job done.
• Pivoting your business to deal with Covid-19

In a competitive global economy, our students need 21st century skills that are transferable to any situation.

Are we teaching students to be innovative and creative?

(or are we teaching them that there is only one correct solution to a problem?)

• Can our students enhance and explore ideas in creative ways and bring these ideas to action to meet the needs of a community?
• Can our students use imagination when creating a plan to develop an entrepreneurial project?
• Do our students improve ideas and experiment with ideas to try to solve a real-world problem [in their community?]

Learning how to be more creative and innovative is a skill that anyone and everyone can work on. (Hello, growth mindset!)

This is actually a pretty big deal.

School is kind of an artificial institution that often squishes creativity. We start off in Kindergarten exploring the world and trying out new things.

Then, something happens as we get older.

• We start to learn there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.
• Some answers are better than others. Usually, school favours the most concise, precise and efficient answers.
• We become afraid to make mistakes. We don’t want to speak out or be different or have our ideas put down.
• There’s pressure to be right, and never wrong. (Hello, fixed mindset.)
• We stop playing. (Creative takes time, wonder, and exploration…)

You might say that school makes excellent workers and employees:

• The environment requires you to sit down at a desk for eight hours a day.
• You get rewarded if you raise your hand (or ask permission) to give the right answer.
• People who ask to use the bathroom…

Is this what we want to train our human mind to be capable of?

How does this mindset help students to make sense of new situations or undefined problems when we leave the classroom?

We might want our students to be able to “think outside the box” but it’s hard because school is often about being inside the box – for both teachers and students.

• As teachers, it’s easier to mark assignments that have simple questions with simple answers directly from the worksheet. Sometimes, we just need to photocopy a handout package and then quickly correct them. It’s not ideal, but there’s so much to do in the job that you have to pick and choose your battles!
• For students, school often rewards us if we can play the game of sit quietly, do your work, raise your hand, and memorize facts for tests. Classroom discussions are often around guess what the teacher is thinking.

We need to be creative to solve problems in life:

• We keep fighting over the same stuff…
• I just finished school, but there are no jobs!
• I have too many bills to pay!
• We missed our ride.
• why does this keep on happening to me?

We need to be creative to solve problems at work :

• This project is due tomorrow!
• Nobody is buying our product!
• I deserve a raise!
• Uh-oh. They’re downsizing…

So, we need to provide students with explicit strategies to help them be more creative.

These How to be More Creative lesson plans were initially developed with middle school students in mind. However, we can also modify or adapt the lesson plans to teach innovation in other areas:

• Elementary students
• High school students
• Home-schooled students
• Small business human resources training
• Large corporation human resources training

How do you bring creativity into the classroom?

We can teach innovation and creativity by encouraging a growth mindset and taking your time.

This means explicitly teaching students that we can be more creative through effort and strategies.

Watch this short YouTube video about things to know about teaching creativity to your students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythiQXTE1qs

Quick question: The answer is Twelve. Did your question involve math? Probably.

It’s hard to be creative under pressure.

• When you do this “Twelve” activity with your class, you can give them much more time as well as playing multiple rounds so you can look at different strategies to come up with new ideas.
• In the “Twelve” activity, we also give students to judge how “creative” an answer is. Once you’ve played the game a few times, you can start to separate “new variations” with “whoa, I never even thought about that” out-of-the-box variations.

“Twelve” is one of the activities we have in our How to be MORE Creative Lesson Plan package.

But, you can get it for free here .

How do you teach creativity and innovation?

Teach students how to break patterns.

In life, we often get stuck in patterns.

If we practice breaking patterns, it helps us to have new experiences.

• Observe what happens.
• Observe how you feel.
• When we start to wonder why things happen that way, it might spark a sense of curiosity in you.

What does this have to do with creativity? By experiencing, observing, and wondering, we add moments to our life that might later become inspiration to something new!

Who knows what experiences today will help us to create new ideas tomorrow?

This is an important part of learning how to be more creative and innovative. (It’s also a key part of teaching innovation and creativity!)

We turned this idea about “doing something different” into a fantastic activity to inspire observation, wonder, and creativity…

(Or how to teach innovation without focusing on innovation!)

For one week, try a little experiment with your students.

Rather than give creativity challenges for students, why not encourage students to make time and space to try new things and wonder.

Creativity Challenge for Students:

Every day, do the following four steps:

• Do something different (each day.)
• Wonder about why things happen that way.
• Record your thoughts.

Morning Work:

• Every day, students spend 5 minutes filling out their Do Something Different journal entry handouts. (Use the short-answer question handout; students can write in jot notes.)
• Students spend the next 5 minutes chatting with a partner about what’s working, what’s not working. Their partner might notice something new.
• (Optional): Spend 5 minutes as a class discussing how the creativity challenge is going.
• At the end of the week, students will have four jot note pages about different things they’ve tried, and what they’ve observed.
• During the Friday Morning Work, instead of filling out the short-answer question handout, students take one of their previous jot note pages and write a proper paragraph response.
• Students hand in this paragraph response for assessment.

For more information about this Creativity Challenge for students, please check out

• Lesson C1: Explanation of the Do Something Different Challenge
• File 5d – Do Something Different Handout (print version)

The How to be More Creative Lesson Plan package includes a detailed script and creative lesson plan, handouts, and journal entry handouts.

Mental Health Note: Most people feel nervous when asked to do something new. If you feel this way, try starting with an easier challenge. Sometimes, the more we do something, the easier it gets for our human mind. And, that includes doing new things. You got this!

How to be more Creative and Innovative – Lesson Plan KEY CONCEPTS:

We provide over 2 weeks of creative lesson plans  to do with your class to help students recognize that creativity is a learnable skill and we can all become more creative. 

Creativity is MORE than just being artsy!  Creativity is a process that can be taught, and creativity can be assessed.

There are 4 key concepts in our How to be more Creative Lesson Plan:

• Creativity is a learnable skill. 
• Anyone can be more creative by applying hard work and strategies.
• Creativity is  the process  of  having original ideas  that  have value . 
• We use life experiences and connect them in different ways to come up with new ideas.

In this package, we:

• Introduce the concepts of Creativity as a learnable skill and help get students into a growth mindset to realize they can be creative in any subject or aspect of their life. 
• Provide several exercises which give students opportunities to try to come up with new ideas that when points in the activity. (I.e. be creative and independently evaluate whether their ideas are “new” and “creative” within the context of the activity)
• Provide a week-long challenge of doing something new every day, and a structured handout package to help students to record their observations. (These journal entries could be used as portfolio samples or assessment data for student writing.)  
• What do musicians have to say about their creative process?
• What are educational and business leaders saying about creativity and innovation?
• You get discussion questions for students, as well as answers from the video for teachers to help guide the discussions.
• Allow for deeper exploration of the concept of “Creativity” by playing with the term using the Frayer Model of understanding 

Get TWO weeks of Creativity Lessons for Elementary, Middle School, and High School: How to be MORE CREATIVE and INNOVATIVE LESSONS (learning skills):

We are creating all the time, but we don’t always recognize that this is actually creativity and innovation.

Creativity is when we…

• try to solve a problem, or
• have an aha moment and figure out how to do something or
• connect the dots in a new way… These are all examples of creativity.

Creativity is something our human minds can develop. How do we know this?

Because there are…

• Award-winning musical artists out there talk about what they’ve learned about creativity and how it requires hard work.
• Educational experts out there explain how creativity is something that we can teach and assess.
• Business experts out there identify the strategies and habits that super-creative people use.

Activities for creativity can go beyond simply assigning a “creative” task and giving students opportunities to be creative.

What if our creativity worksheets also provided strategies to show students how to be more creative?

We watched a bunch of videos and selected 7 of them for you to check out and discuss with your class.

Then we constructed a bunch of activities for students to experience “creativity”

Finally, we came up with discussion questions and possible student answers for you to help your students come up with a deeper understanding of creative thinking.

In this 2-week lesson package of creativity lessons for elementary, middle school, and high school, students have the opportunity to:

• EXPERIENCE  activities to explore how we generate ideas, where new ideas come from, and identify strategies that help us be more creative… or shut down creativity…
• WATCH  examples of artists, educational and business experts discuss creativity and how to be creative.
• UNDERSTAND  what “creativity” is by using a vocabulary building graphic organizer (Frayer model) to brainstorm features of creativity, examples and non-examples of creative thinking / process, and finally narrow down essential characteristics of what creativity actually is.

YOU GET 298 SLIDES / PAGES in 14 LESSONS. 

• 256 slides  in POWERPOINT and GOOGLE SLIDE format
• 70 page lesson plan PDF  with  14 DIFFERENT lessons  (45-55 min each.)
• 2 page Double entry Journal handout
• 5 page “Creative Words” activity hand out
• 1 page “Twelve” activity handout
• 10 page “Do something different” Creativity Challenge handout package
• graphic organizer to analyze debate questions (HANDOUT + sample answer key)
• 2 page Vocabulary Building Graphic Organizer
• 1 page Creativity Learning Skills SELF-EVALUATION handout
• 2 page Creativity Review Assessment – What did you learn? (7 short answer questions + sample answer key.)

We just saved you an incredible amount of prep work!

And the slides and handouts look legit good. Just sayin’.

SAMPLE TWO WEEK Short Range Plan: (14 How to be MORE Creative LESSON PLANS)

We base this schedule on a 50 minute period and provide around 40-60 minutes of content per lesson.

Depending on your teaching style and classroom dynamics, you may find things go longer or shorter than the suggested times. Possible discussion points are included in some of the slide notes.

TEACHER PRO TIPS:

If you are short on time, cut out some of the videos. We suggest watching:

• it gives 5 specific strategies on how to be more creative.
• It’s a short clip where she explains how she is a system of writing down ideas.
• It clearly explains what creativity is: Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.

Creativity Lesson Plans for Elementary, Middle, and High School PART 1. EXPERIENCE

Day/lesson 1 – introduction to creativity (slides 1 – 29) – 45 min total.

• Introduction of Creativity, Imagination, innovation (slides 1-7) – 10 minutes
• Getting into a growth mindset with Creativity (slides 8-24) – 10 minutes
• Why we need creativity (slide 25-28) – 10 minutes
• Discuss strategies to be less creative – 5 min
• Discuss strategies to be more creative – 5 min
• Double entry Journal – 5 min

DAY/LESSON 2 –  This is a … / Creative Words (slides 30 – 45) – 55 MIN TOTAL

• Review strategies / Introduce Part 1 (slide 30 ) – 5 minutes
• Explain activity (slides 31-35)  
• Play activity (slide 35)   
• Reflection:  Strategies to get people to be less / more creative (slide 36)
• Explain activity (slide 37-41)  – 5 min
• Work period (slide 42) – 10 min
• Take up answers (slide 43) – 10 min
• Review strategies (slide 44-45) – 10 min

DAY/LESSON 3 –  Creative Words (cont) (slides 46 – 49) – 40 MIN TOTAL

• Review strategies / get set up (slide 46) – 5 min
• Work period (slide 47) – 10 min
• Take up answers (slide 48) – 15 min
• Discussion 
• Double Entry Journal  

DAY/LESSON 4 – Twelve (slides 50 – 60) –  45 MIN TOTAL

• Introduction (slide 50-56) – 10 min
• Work period (slide 57) – 10 min
• Take up answers (slide 58) – 15 min
• Discuss strategies (slide 59-60) – 10 min

DAY/LESSON 5 – Twelve continued (slides 61 – 69) –  50 MIN TOTAL

• Introduction: How to find inspiration from class answers (slide 61-66) – 10 min
• Work period (slide 67) – 10 min
• Take up answers (slide 68) – 20 min
• Discuss strategies (slide 69) – 10 min

DAY/LESSON 6 –  Twelve continued (slides 70 – 85) –  60 MIN TOTAL

• Inspiration from as the areas of life (slide 70-73)
• Numbers (slide 74)  
• Words (slide 75)  
• Pictures (slide 76)  
• Household objects (slide 77) 
• Sports (slide 78)
• Magic (slide 79)
• Brainstorm ideas from art / school (slide 80-81)
• Scoring / Set up (slide 82-83) – 5 min 
• Work period (slide 83) – 10 min
• Take up answers (slide 84) – 20 min
• Double Entry Journal 

DAY/LESSON 7 –  Do Something Different (slides 86 – 126) –  55 MIN TOTAL

• Creativity in Life (slide 86)
• Fly metaphor (slides 87-97)  
• Patterns (slides 98-101)  
• Explaining the Challenge (slides 102-111)  
• Explain the Handouts / Tracking sheet (slides 112-113)  
• Explaining handout (slides 114-115) 5 min
• Independent brainstorming (slide 116) 5 min
• Combine ideas as a class: BIG LIST (slide 117-118) 10 min
• Explaining Journal Entry (slides 119-125)  10 min 

Creativity Lessons for Elementary, Middle, and High School PART 2. WATCH 

Day/lesson 8 – part 2 videos (slides 127-135) – 50 min .

• How did it go? (slide 127)
• What did you do? Observe? Wonder? (slide 128)
• Next Steps (slide 129)
• Part 2 Video Introduction (slide 130) – 2 minutes
• Watch the video (slide 131) – 5 min
• What is Creativity? 
• What are 5 strategies to help us be more creative?  
• Introduction (slide 133) – 2 min
• Watch the video (slide 134) – 5 min
• What strategies can help us in the creative process?

DAY/LESSON 9 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 127-129; 136-139) –  45 MIN

• Introduction (slide 136) – 3 min
• Watch the first video 73 Questions with Taylor Swift  (slide 137) -10 min
• What is creativity? 
• What strategies about creativity can we infer from how she writes songs?
• Watch the second video Taylor Swift Interview (Nova FM)  (slide 138) 2 min

DAY/LESSON 10 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 127-129; 140-146) – 55 MIN

• Introduction (slide 140) – 3 min
• Watch the video (slide 141) -4 min
• What can we infer about Creativity based on what he says?
• What can we infer about Strategies about creativity based on how he writes songs?
• Introduction (slide 143-144) – 4 min
• Watch the video (slide 145) – 16 min
• What are Originals? 
• Why should we study the habits of Originals?
• What strategies can help us be more creative?

DAY/LESSON 11 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 127-129; 147-149) –  40 MIN

• Introduction (slide 147) – 3 min
• Watch the video (slide 148) – 7 min
• What are the 3 parts of Creativity? 
• What strategy can help us in the creative process?

DAY/LESSON 12 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 127-129; 150-152) –  50 MIN

• Introduction (slide 150) – 2 min
• Watch the video (slide 151) – 18 min

Creativity Lessons for Elementary, Middle, and High School Part 3 UNDERSTAND

Day/lesson 13 – vocabulary builder (slides 153-171) – 50 min.

• Introduce Part 3 – Understand (Vocabulary Builder) (slide 153)
• Graphic Organizer set up (slide 154-155) 
• Minds on (slides 156-157)
• Filling out the graphic organizer (slides 159-162) 
• Revising graphic organizer (slides 163-167)
• Summary (slides 168-171)

DAY/LESSON 14 – Self Evaluation / Review – (slides 172-176) – 50 MIN

• Student Self Evaluation (slide 172-175) – 10 min
• Chapter Review Test (slide 176) – 40 min

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET  when you download the Creativity Lessons for Elementary, Middle School and High School students:

THE READ ME file in the PREVIEW file section tells you exactly what you get when you buy this product.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below!

We provide CREATIVE LESSON PLANS:

• a  short-range plan  showing the outline of topics and corresponding slides for 2-3 weeks of lessons.
• a  detailed lesson plan  (70 pages) for the 14 days / lessons.

We provide HANDOUTS:

• Double-Entry journal graphic organizers for students to take notes on strategies to be more or less creative.
• “Creative Words” activity handout with 5 different versions of the worksheet to record words.
• “Twelve” Creativity Activity handout for students to record questions with the answer 12.
• “Do something different” Challenge handout / worksheets for creativity. The package includes an introduction page, tracking sheet, brainstorming worksheets, and 2 versions of the journal entry handout.
• Vocabulary Builder graphic organizer (to develop a deeper understanding of what  Creativity  is.)
• Student Self Evaluation of their “ Creativity ” Learning Skill
• Chapter Review assessment and answer key of possible answers

We provide 3 different versions of the lesson slideshow (176 slides):

• A link to the Google Slideshow so you can show it right away. ( Get started in seconds!)
• A link to a version of the Google Slideshow that you can make a copy of the presentation. ( Edit the content to fit your exact classroom needs. )
• A Creativity and Innovation PPT Powerpoint file that you can download (PPT) and modify. (Edit the presentation to fit your needs, and  use the presentation when the internet is down! )

All of our slides and handouts can be edited and modified to fit your specific classroom needs.

• You can edit the slides in Microsoft PowerPoint and Google slides format
• You can edit the handouts in Microsoft Word. (We also provide PDF format for easy printing)

Heads up Content warning: (Slide 141-142 Jay Z video clip)

The first few seconds of one of the videos we chose (Jay-Z interview clip) has an intro that we skipped for you.

• The 5 second intro from the video uploader,  Evrrything Trill  shows a black-and-white darkened video clip of a girl in lingerie on a bed. 
• FYI: Trill is an adjective used in hip-hop culture to describe someone who is considered to be well respected, coming from a combination of the words “true” and “real”. (Source: Urban Dictionary)

If you play the video from the slideshow or the link in our slideshow, the video playback is set to begin 6 seconds into the interview and skips the intro entirely.

But, if you search for the video separately on YouTube, it will of course start from the beginning of the video.

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BUSINESS STUDIES – GRADE 10: TERM 3 WEEKS MAIN TOPIC BUS ROLES TOPIC: CREATIVE THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING DATE COMPLETED ASSESSMENT

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• Famous Inventions
• Famous Inventors
• Patents & Trademarks
• Invention Timelines
• Computers & The Internet
• American History
• African American History
• African History
• Ancient History and Culture
• Asian History
• European History
• Latin American History
• Medieval & Renaissance History
• Military History
• The 20th Century
• Women's History

Lesson plans and activities for teaching about inventions by increasing creativity and creative thinking. The lesson plans are adaptable for grades K-12 and were designed to be done in sequence.

Teaching Creativity & Creative Thinking Skills

When a student is asked to "invent" a solution to a problem, the student must draw upon previous knowledge, skills, creativity, and experience. The student also recognizes areas where new learnings must be acquired in order to understand or address the problem. This information must then be applied, analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated. Through critical and creative thinking and problem-solving, ideas become reality as children create inventive solutions, illustrate their ideas, and make models of their inventions. Creative thinking lesson plans provide children with opportunities to develop and practice higher-order thinking skills.

Throughout the years, many creative thinking skills models and programs have been generated from educators, seeking to describe the essential elements of thinking and/or to develop a systematic approach to teaching thinking skills as part of the school curricula. Three models are illustrated below in this introduction. Although each uses different terminology, each model describes similar elements of either critical or creative thinking or both.

Models of Creative Thinking Skills

• Benjamin Bloom
• Calvin Taylor
• Isaksen and Treffinger

The models demonstrate how creative thinking lesson plans could provide an opportunity for students to "experience" most of the elements described in the models.

After teachers have reviewed the creative thinking skills models listed above, they will see the critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills and talents that can be applied to the activity of inventing. The creative thinking lesson plans that follow can be used across all disciplines and grade levels and with all children. It can be integrated with all curricular areas and used as a means of applying the concepts or elements of any thinking skills program that may be in use.

Children of all ages are talented and creative. This project will give them an opportunity to develop their creative potential and synthesize and apply knowledge and skills by creating an invention or innovation to solve a problem, just as a "real" inventor would.

Creative Thinking - List of Activities

• Introducing Creative Thinking
• Practicing Creativity with the Class
• Practicing Creative Thinking with the Class
• Developing an Invention Idea
• Brainstorming for Creative Solutions
• Practicing the Critical Parts of Creative Thinking
• Completing the Invention
• Naming the Invention
• Optional Marketing Activities
• Parent Involvement
• Young Inventors' Day

"Imagination is more important than knowledge, for imagination embraces the world." -  Albert Einstein

Activity 1: Introducing Inventive Thinking and Brainstorming

Read about the Lives of Great Inventors Read the  stories  about great inventors in class or let students read themselves. Ask students, "How did these inventors get their ideas? How did they make their ideas a reality?" Locate books in your library about inventors, invention, and creativity. Older students can locate these references themselves. Also, visit the  Inventive Thinking and Creativity Gallery

Talk to a Real Inventor Invite a local inventor to speak to the class. Since local inventors are not usually listed in the phone book under "inventors", you can find them by calling a  local patent attorney  or your  local intellectual property law association . Your community may also have a  Patent and Trademark Depository Library  or an  inventor's society  that you may contact or post a request. If not, most of your major companies have a research and development department made up of people who think inventively for a living.

Examine Inventions Next, ask the students to look at the things in the classroom that are inventions. All the inventions in the classroom that have a U.S. patent will have a  patent number . One such item is probably  the pencil sharpener . Tell them to check out their house for patented items. Let the students brainstorm a list all of the inventions they discover. What would improve these inventions?

Discussion In order to guide your students through the inventive process, a few preliminary lessons dealing with creative thinking will help set the mood. Begin with a brief explanation of brainstorming and a discussion on the rules of brainstorming.

What is Brainstorming? Brainstorming is a process of spontaneous thinking used by an individual or by a group of people to generate numerous alternative ideas while deferring judgment. Introduced by Alex Osborn in his book " Applied Imagination ", brainstorming is the crux of each of the stages of all problem-solving methods.

Rules for Brainstorming

• No Criticism Allowed People tend to automatically evaluate each suggested idea--their own as well as others. Both internal and external criticism is to be avoided while brainstorming. Neither positive nor negative comments are allowed. Either type inhibits the free flow of thought and requires time which interferes with the next rule. Write each spoken idea down as it is given and move on.
• Work for Quantity Alex Osborn stated that "Quantity breeds quality." People must experience a "brain drain" (get all the common responses out of the way) before the innovative, creative ideas can surface; therefore, the more ideas, the more likely they are to be quality ideas.
• Hitchhiking Welcome Hitchhiking occurs when one member's idea produces a similar idea or an enhanced idea in another member. All ideas should be recorded.
• Freewheeling Encouraged Outrageous, humorous, and seemingly unimportant ideas should be recorded. It is not uncommon for the most off-the-wall idea to be the best.

Activity 2: Practicing Creativity with the Class

Step 1:  Cultivate the following creative thinking processes described by Paul Torrance and discussed in "The Search for Satori and Creativity" (1979):

• Fluency the production of a great number of ideas.
• Flexibility the production of ideas or products that show a variety of possibilities or realms of thought.
• Originality the production of ideas that are unique or unusual.
• Elaboration the production of ideas that display intensive detail or enrichment.

For practice in elaboration, have pairs or small groups of students choose a particular idea from the brainstorming list of invention ideas and add the flourishes and details that would develop the idea more fully.

Allow the students to share their innovative and  inventive ideas .

Step 2:  Once your students have become familiar with the rules of brainstorming and the creative thinking processes, Bob Eberle's  Scamper  technique for brainstorming could be introduced.

• S ubstitute What else instead? Who else instead? Other ingredients? Other material? Other power? Another place?
• C ombine How about a blend, an alloy, an ensemble? Combine purposes? Combine appeals?
• A dapt What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past offer parallel? What could I copy?
• M inify Order, form, shape? What to add? More time?
• M agnify Greater frequency? Higher? Longer? Thicker?
• P ut to other uses New ways to use as is? Other uses I modified? Other places to use? Other people, to reach?
• E liminate What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Understate?
• R everse Interchange components? Another pattern?
• R earrange another layout? Another sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside-down? Reverse roles?

Step 3:  Bring in any object or use objects around the classroom to do the following exercise. Ask the students to list many new uses for a familiar object by using the Scamper technique with regard to the object. You could use a paper plate, to begin with, and see how many new things the students will discover. Make sure to follow the rules for brainstorming in Activity 1.

Step 4:  Using literature, ask your students to create a new ending to a story, change a character or situation within a story, or create a new beginning for the story that would result in the same ending.

Step 5:  Put a list of objects on the chalkboard. Ask your students to combine them in different ways to create a new product.

Let the students make their own list of objects. Once they combine several of them, ask them to illustrate the new product and explain why it might be useful.

Activity 3: Practicing Inventive Thinking with the Class

Before your students begin to find their own problems and create unique inventions or innovations to solve them, you can assist them by taking them through some of the steps as a group.

Finding the Problem

Let the class list problems in their own classroom that need solving. Use the "brainstorming" technique from Activity 1. Perhaps your students never have a pencil ready, as it is either missing or broken when it is time to do an assignment (a great brainstorming project would be to solve that problem). Select one problem for the class to solve using the following steps:

• Find several problems.
• Select one to work on.
• Analyze the situation.
• Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem.

List the possibilities. Be sure to allow even the silliest possible solution, as creative thinking must have a positive, accepting environment in order to flourish.

Finding a Solution

• Select one or more possible solutions to work on. You may want to divide into groups if the class elects to work on several of the ideas.
• Improve and refine the idea(s).
• Share the class or individual solution(s)/invention(s) for solving the class problem.

Solving a "class" problem and creating a "class" invention will help students learn the process and make it easier for them to work on their own invention projects.

Activity 4: Developing an Invention Idea

Now that your students have had an introduction to the inventive process, it is time for them to find a problem and create their own invention to solve it.

Step One:  Begin by asking your students to conduct a survey. Tell them to interview everyone that they can think of to find out what problems need solutions. What kind of invention, tool, game, device, or idea would be helpful at home, work, or during leisure time? (You can use an Invention Idea Survey)

Step Two:  Ask the students to list the problems that need to be solved.

Step Three:  comes the decision-making process. Using the list of problems, ask the students to think about which problems would be possible for them to work on. They can do this by listing the pros and cons for each possibility. Predict the outcome or possible solution(s) for each problem. Make a decision by selecting one or two problems that provide the best options for an inventive solution. (Duplicate the Planning and Decision-Making Framework)

Step Four:  Begin an  Inventor's Log  or Journal. A record of your ideas and work will help you develop your invention and protect it when completed. Use Activity Form - Young Inventor's Log to help students understand what can be included on every page.

General Rules For Authentic Journal Keeping

• Using a  bound notebook , make notes each day about the things you do and learn while working on your invention.
• Record your idea and how you got it.
• Write about problems you have and how you solve them.
• Write in ink and do not erase.
• Add sketches and drawings to make things clear.
• List all parts, sources, and costs of materials.
• Sign and date all entries at the time they are made and have them witnessed.

Step Five:  To illustrate why record-keeping is important, read the following story about Daniel Drawbaugh who said that he invented the telephone, but didn't have one single paper or record to prove it.

Long before  Alexander Graham Bell  filed a patent application in 1875, Daniel Drawbaugh claimed to have invented the telephone. But since he had no journal or record, the  Supreme Court  rejected his claims by four votes to three. Alexander Graham Bell had excellent records and was awarded the patent for the telephone.

Activity 5: Brainstorming for Creative Solutions

Now that the students have one or two problems to work on, they must take the same steps that they did in solving the class problem in Activity Three. These steps could be listed on the chalkboard or a chart.

• Analyze the problem(s). Select one to work on.
• Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem. List all of the possibilities. Be non-judgmental. (See Brainstorming in Activity 1 and SCAMPER in Activity 2.)
• Select one or more possible solutions to work on.
• Improve and refine your ideas.

Now that your students have some exciting possibilities for their invention projects, they will need to use their critical thinking skills to narrow down the possible solutions. They can do this by asking themselves the questions in the next activity about their inventive idea.

Activity 6: Practicing the Critical Parts of Inventive Thinking

• Is my idea practical?
• Can it be made easily?
• Is it as simple as possible?
• Is it safe?
• Will it cost too much to make or use?
• Is my idea really new?
• Will it withstand use, or will it break easily?
• Is my idea similar to something else?
• Will people really use my invention? (Survey your classmates or the people in your neighborhood to document the need or usefulness of your idea - adapt the invention idea survey.)

Activity 7: Completing the Invention

When students have an idea that meets most of the above qualifications in Activity 6, they need to plan how they are going to complete their project. The following planning technique will save them a great deal of time and effort:

• Identify the problem and a possible solution. Give your invention a name.
• List the materials needed to illustrate your invention and to make a model of it. You will need paper, pencil, and crayons or markers to draw your invention. You might use cardboard, paper, clay, wood, plastic, yarn, paper clips, and so forth to make a model. You might also want to use an art book or a book on model-making from your school library.
• List, in order, the steps for completing your invention.
• Think of the possible problems that might occur. How would you solve them?
• Complete your invention. Ask your parents and teacher to help with the model.

In Summary What - describe the problem. Materials - list the materials needed. Steps - list the steps to complete your invention. Problems - predict the problems that could occur.

Activity 8: Naming the Invention

An invention can be named in one of the following ways:

• Using the inventor's  name: Levi Strauss  = LEVI'S® jeansLouis Braille = Alphabet System
• Using the components or ingredients of the invention: Root Beer Peanut Butter
• With initials or acronyms: IBM ® S.C.U.B.A.®
• Using word  combinations (notice repeated  consonant sounds  and rhyming words):KIT KAT ® HULA HOOP  ® PUDDING POPS ® CAP'N CRUNCH ®
• Using the product's function: SUPERSEAL ® DUSTBUSTER ® vacuum cleaner hairbrush earmuffs 

Activity Nine: Optional Marketing Activities

Students can be very fluent when it comes to listing ingenious names of products out on the market. Solicit their suggestions and have them explain what makes each name effective. Each student should generate names for his/her own invention.

Developing a Slogan or Jingle Have the students define the terms "slogan" and "jingle." Discuss the purpose of having a slogan. Sample slogans and jingles:

• Things go better with Coke.
• COKE IS IT! ®
• TRIX ARE FOR KIDS ®
• OH THANK HEAVEN FOR 7-ELEVEN ®
• TWOALLBEEFPATTIES...
• GE: WE BRING GOOD THINGS TO LIFE! ®

Your students will be able to recall many  slogans  and jingles! When a slogan is named, discuss the reasons for its effectiveness. Allow time for thought in which the students can create jingles for their inventions.

Creating an Advertisement For a crash course in advertising, discuss the visual effect created by a television commercial, magazine, or newspaper advertisement. Collect magazine or newspaper ads that are eye-catching--some of the ads might be dominated by words and others by pictures that "say it all." Students might enjoy exploring newspapers and magazines for outstanding advertisements. Have students create magazine ads to promote their inventions. (For more advanced students, further lessons on advertising techniques would be appropriate at this point.)

Recording a Radio Promo A radio promo could be the icing on a student's advertising campaign! A promo might include facts about the usefulness of the invention, a clever jingle or song, sound effects, humor... the possibilities are endless. Students may choose to tape record their promos for use during the Invention Convention.

Advertising Activity Collect 5 - 6 objects and give them new uses. For instance, a toy hoop could be a waist-reducer, and some strange looking kitchen gadget might be a new type of mosquito catcher. Use your imagination! Search everywhere--from the tools in the garage to the kitchen drawer--for fun objects. Divide the class into small groups, and give each group one of the objects to work with. The group is to give the object a catchy name, write a slogan, draw an ad, and record a radio promo. Stand back and watch the creative juices flow. Variation: Collect magazine ads and have the students create new advertising campaigns using a different marketing angle.

Activity Ten: Parent Involvement

Few, if any, projects are successful unless the child is encouraged by the parents and other caring adults. Once the children have developed their own, original ideas, they should discuss them with their parents. Together, they can work to make the child's idea come to life by making a model. Although the making of a model is not necessary, it makes the project more interesting and adds another dimension to the project. You can involve parents by simply sending a letter home to explain the project and let them know how they may participate. One of your parents may have invented something that they can share with the class. 

Activity Eleven: Young Inventors' Day

Plan a Young Inventors' Day so that your students can be recognized for their  inventive thinking . This day should provide opportunities for the children to display their inventions and tell the story of how they got their idea and how it works. They can share with other students, their parents, and others.

When a child successfully completes a task, it is important that (s)he be recognized for the effort. All children who participate in the Inventive Thinking Lesson Plans are winners.

We have prepared a certificate that can be copied and given to all children who participate and use their inventive thinking skills to create an invention or innovation.

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Lesson Plan

July 13, 2023, 10:46 a.m.

Lesson plan: Who is an inventor, anyways?

For a Google version of this lesson plan, click here . (Note: you will need to make a copy of the document to edit it).

In this lesson, students will learn about what it means to be an inventor and think creatively about improving something they are passionate about. First, students will watch a short video about a teen inventor who used creative thinking to improve the experience of others. Then students will draw connections between the young inventor and their own passions and interests.

• Students will learn about inventive thinking and problem-solving.
• Students will identify personal interests that could lead to creative problem-solving that helps others.
• Students will practice the processes that lead people to creative inventions.

Science, CTE, and humanities classes

Grade Levels

Grades 6-12

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period

Supplemental Links

• Google doc version of the lesson
• Teacher presentation
• Warm-up handout
• Discussion questions handout
• Interview handout

Introduction

Did you ever see a cool new invention and think, “I wish I’d thought of that?” Great inventions can come from the simplest ideas, and a lot of the time those ideas come from ordinary people thinking hard about what they’re most passionate about.

Teacher preparation for the lesson:

• Adjust teacher presentation as needed to fit your classroom needs
• Warm-up classroom questions (1 classroom set) printed and posted around the classroom
• Main activity student discussion questions (½ sheet per student)
• Main activity student interview worksheet (1 sheet per student)

Essential question : How can your problem-solving skills help you be inventive in an area that you're passionate about?

• Internet connection for teacher presentation
• Post-its, notecards, or paper and pen
• One or two sets of warm-up questions printed and posted around the room
• Student discussion questions worksheet for video (½ sheet per student)
• Student interview worksheet for main activity (1 per student)
• (Optional) Have students bring in one photo, image or object that represents a cause or activity they care deeply about. It could be a hobby or interest, or represent a problem they are working to fix in the community. They could also draw the object or if available, print a copy of it at school. ( Note: Ask students not to bring in anything of value that they would regret being lost or damaged )

Warm-up activity (10 minutes)

• First, students will identify a challenge or passion that could lead them to creative problem-solving. Ask students to answer the following questions on a Post-it or notecard and post them next to the questions around the room ( here are the questions in a printable document ):
• What is a hobby, sport or interest of yours? What’s something that makes the hobby or interest more difficult to do than you would like?
• What’s something annoying that you have to deal with on your way to school each morning?
• What’s a challenge in your community that you’ve noticed, either for you and your friends or other people?

Note: answers can be very short (one word) and students shouldn’t think too long about their responses. Don’t hesitate to get up and move! If your class is large print two sets of the same three questions above and divide the class in half to post and share their responses more efficiently.

• Popcorn around the room and have some participants share their favorite answers to the three prompts with the class. Students can also stick their favorite answers on a shared bulletin board and discuss them.

Main Activity (30 minutes)

• (10 min) Watch the inventor video and discussion questions

Watch the following news story about Dasia Taylor, a 17-year-old inventor of color-changing sutures and answer the discussion questions below. Note: Feel free to choose a different example of an inventor and the invention process that best fits the class/learning goals. Here are a few alternatives.

Have students answer the following discussion questions as they watch this clip ( printable version here ) :

• Who is Dasia Taylor, and what is her background?
• What problem is Taylor’s invention trying to solve?
• What interest or passion motivated Taylor to think up her invention?
• What skills do you think Taylor has that helped her develop her invention that you also share?
• (20 min) Student interviews

Have students work in pairs to conduct 8-minute interviews about their topic of interest. The interviewer should take notes on the following questions and can add in their own ( printable version here ). After 8 minutes, they will trade places and share notes. If set-up permits, students can also use cell phones to record and share interviews to be shared.

Debrief (10 minutes)

• Students reflect on their answers with their interviewer’s notes in hand and then write a summary paragraph (differentiate this debrief by having students record a response instead of writing) explaining their idea for improving the experience they described as well as explaining what help or materials they might need to complete their invention.
• Popcorn around the room and have students share their ideas noting possible next steps.

Extension activities

• PBS NewsHour Classroom has developed a series of lessons to get your students started working through the invention process. Other lessons in the series include problem identification , what an inventor does , pitching your invention and patenting your invention .
• Consider having students vote on one of the ideas presented at the end of this lesson (or multiple ideas to work on in small groups), and then prepare to have students design and build a prototype of the idea in the next lesson of our series.
• You can also use the end of this lesson to segue into one of our 27 invention lessons based on current events that may be most relevant to your class and curriculum.
• If students want to record interviews, share this list of 7 tips for conducting an interview.
• If there is time to make this lesson cover two class periods or go longer than 50 minutes, consider having students research inventors who are working in the space of the topic they care about. Some great examples are in the list below. If you are finding you’re a little stuck, create a mind map as a class using mind mapping .
• Here you will find a comprehensive list of invention education resources that support the work you are doing in the classroom.

Common Core

Common Core: English Language Arts

RI.4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text

SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations

SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information

SL.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence

SL.5: Express information and enhance understanding of presentations

L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words

Common Core History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RH.4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text

RH.7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats

WHST.8: Gather relevant information and integrate the information Common Core Math 

MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

• Engineering and Design High School

HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge

HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem

• Engineering and Design Middle School

MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem 

MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions

MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences

*Note: Depending on what invention the students are working on, other NGSS will apply. You can follow our links for a highlighted PDF of the standards that could be applied for your specific classroom: Middle School NGSS and High School NGSS .

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3)

NCSS C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards

D4.2.3-5 : Communicating conclusions and taking informed action

D4.2.6-8 : Communicating conclusions and taking informed action

D4.2.9-12 : Communicating conclusions and taking informed action

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Gr. 10 T3 W2 LESSONS

This document contains all the FET (Gr 10 - 12)  TERM 3:  WEEK 2 LESSONS for grade 10 to assist teachers, learners and parents with curriculum delivery during COVID-19 and school disruption.

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Mission Training: Creative Problem-Solving

Build your mission strategy skills. Use the design process to develop a creative solution to a problem.

• This is a hybrid learning lesson. You don't need a LEGO ® Education SPIKE™ Prime Set, LEGO bricks, or software to teach this lesson.
• In this lesson, your students will follow the engineering design process to build and test a solution to a design challenge.
• This lesson challenges students to explore mission strategy and robot attachment design. It can be used to prepare them to compete in robotics competitions.

You can teach this lesson:

• After the Training Camp 2: Playing with Objects lesson to support the concepts of pushing, pulling, delivering, and rescuing an object.
• After the The Guided Mission lesson to further explore how the robot can interact with objects.
• At anytime during the unit to build mission strategy, robot design, and teamwork skills.
• Use the visual Lesson Presentation, which is provided under Additional Resources, to pace your lesson and guide your students through each of the 5 Es.

Engineering Design Concepts

• Prototype : A sample model built to test an idea.
• Test and evaluate : A process of measuring how well things work. You test a prototype and evaluate how well it performed.
• Iteration : Repeating a process in order to move closer to the desired result. Some iterative repetitions can involve creating a revised version of something.

( 10 Minutes )

Facilitate a quick discussion about problem-solving. • Through this discussion, you and your students will develop a shared definition of creative problem-solving strategies, and define the criteria for solving the design challenge.

Display the Engage page of the Lesson Presentation. • This page shows a picture of a knot that needs to be untied.

Ask questions like these:

• What’s the problem here? (This question helps students define the problem. Sample response: There’s a knot that needs to be untied.)
• What are some ways you could solve this problem? (This question helps lead students toward brainstorming solutions to the problem. Sample response: Loosen it up, find the ends, and untangle it.)
• What would you try first? (This question helps lead students toward thinking about their plan for solving the problem and defining the specifics of their first prototype.)
• What if that didn’t work? What would you try next? (This question helps lead students toward thinking about how they'll evaluate their prototype, make discoveries, and make a plan to repeat the iterative engineering design process.)
• Explain that problem-solving is all about trying out different ideas to solve a problem and that this is called iteration.

Hybrid Learning Tips for the Engage Phase

Synchronous

• Facilitate a whole-class virtual discussion during your scheduled lesson time. Keep your talking to a minimum. Encourage your students to answer or pose questions of their own. Try using an online polling tool or chat function to get everyone participating.

Asynchronous

• Display the Engage page of the Lesson Presentation and choose whether your students should respond directly to you individually or collectively on a class discussion board. Online discussion boards are a great way to encourage peer-to-peer engagement without requiring all students to be present at the same time.

( 15 Minutes )

Explain to your students that they'll be working independently to build a solution to a design challenge.

Display the first Explore page of the Lesson Presentation.

• This page shows four design challenges. These challenges resemble common obstacles found in robotics competition missions.
• You can present all four challenges for your students to choose from or present one challenge at a time across several class sessions.
• Ask your students to brainstorm ideas for solving the problem. Facilitate a short sharing session.

Design Challenges Following is a summary of the four design challenges in this lesson.

• Challenge A : Deliver something to someone (Sample solution: Pushing or pulling the object. If your students are stuck for ideas, suggest delivering a glass of water.)
• Challenge B : Start a device (Sample solution: Pressing the object. Let your students choose the device they'll be starting.)
• Challenge C : Rescue an object (Sample solution: Grabbing, pulling, or pushing the object. Suggest any object that will be fun to rescue.)
• Challenge D : Flip a coin (Sample solution: Flipping the object. If a coin isn't available, substitute any flat object that can be flipped.)

Display the second Explore page of the Lesson Presentation. This page shows the steps your students will go through to complete the design challenge:

• Step 1 - Identify : Choose a design challenge.
• Step 2 - Brainstorm: Think of ways to solve the challenge using the materials you have.
• Step 3 - Create : Build your design. This will be a "first draft" prototype.
• Step 4 - Iterate : Evaluate and improve your solution.
• Step 5 - Communicate : Share what worked well, what you discovered about your prototype, and how you've used this information to make improvements.

Display the third Explore page of the Lesson Presentation.

• This page shows some recycled materials your students can use to solve the design challenge.

Facilitate a discussion about how your students could use recycled materials in their solutions. Ask questions like these:

• What kinds of materials do you see here?
• What materials do you have access to?
• How will you use materials to help you solve the design challenge?

Refer back to the second Explore page of the Lesson Presentation.

• Encourage your students to follow this process.
• Give your students time to create and iterate to get a viable solution.
• Remind your students that they're making prototypes and that it’s OK if their solution doesn’t work the first time. Explain that new discoveries will emerge during the iteration process.

Hybrid Learning Tips for the Explore Phase Make this a social time. Students enjoy working as a community.

• If your students are participating online, they can work together in one meeting room with one student sharing their prototype with the whole class. Alternatively, have them work in small groups in breakout rooms and then share their prototypes with a partner or within their groups.
• With family help, encourage your students to create a designated workspace for at-home activities. A well-lit, flat, clean surface that's free of clutter makes an optimal working surface. Please keep in mind that every student’s home situation will be different.
• Once your students have completed or made a meaningful attempt at the design challenge, have them reflect on their experiences.

Display the Explain page of the Lesson Presentation.

• This page provides conversation prompts that match questions students may encounter during the judging session at a robotics competition.

Ask your students to share some examples of:

• How they planned their work (This prompt can help students explain how they identified the problem and defined design criteria.)
• A creative solution to the problem (This prompt can help students explain their creativity and innovative mindset.)
• A discovery they made during the iteration process (This prompt can help students explain discovery and innovation, which are core values of robotics competitions.)
• An improvement they've made to their prototype (This prompt can help students explain their iteration process.)

Remind your students to use eye contact and a friendly tone of voice, and to focus on specific examples when sharing their ideas.

Hybrid Learning Tips for the Explain Phase

• If your students are participating online, review the Explain page of the Lesson Presentation and have them share in small groups in breakout rooms.
• Visit the breakout rooms and check for student understanding.
• Answer your students’ questions and directly address misconceptions to develop a deeper understanding of the concept at hand.
• Encourage your students to reflect on the feedback they've received by sharing back with the whole group or by posting a comment in the group chat.

( 5 Minutes )

Display the Elaborate page of the Lesson Presentation, which shows some inspiration for how students can document their work.

• Ask your students to document their work by making videos or a poster, or by sharing pages of their engineering notebooks.
• This documentation process will prepare your students for creating their research or design projects for a robotics competition.

Hybrid Learning Tips for the Elaborate Phase Provide opportunities for your students to display their work and see what others have done.

• Host a scheduled online sharing session in which your students share their work.
• Set up a virtual gallery walk where your students can share their work. Encourage them to post their work and check out their peers' work.

• Invite each student to share an example of something they iterated on or a creative solution they discovered.

Ask your students to self-evaluate their performance. Use the suggestions below, or invent your own self-evaluation activity.

• Hold up one hand if you could use some help with describing strategies, iterations, and creative solutions for solving a design challenge.
• Hold up two hands if you can describe strategies, iterations, and creative solutions for solving a design challenge.
• Wave your hands if you can teach others how to describe strategies, iterations, and creative solutions for solving a design challenge.

Hybrid Learning Tips for the Evaluate Phase You have many options for assessment— a written assignment, a live or recorded oral presentation, or a drawing that demonstrates your students' understanding.

• Facilitate a whole-class virtual discussion during your scheduled lesson time.
• Have your students reflect on their work by posting a written assignment, an oral presentation, or a drawing that demonstrates their understanding.

Teacher Support

Students will:

• Define design criteria in order to solve a problem
• Prototype, test, and evaluate a solution to a problem
• Describe problem-solving strategies, iterations, and innovative solutions
• Lesson Presentation (see Additional Resources)
• Recycled materials (see examples in the Lesson Presentation)
• Paper (2 pieces per student)
• Writing/drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers)

Creative Problem-Solving with Ezra Jack Keats

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Each day of this lesson, students listen as the teacher reads a different picture book by Ezra Jack Keats. Following the story, class discussion focuses on the problem that the main character faces and the related solution that the character chooses. An interactive bulletin board in the classroom allows students to create their own solutions to various problems that they face personally. After each read-aloud and discussion, students compare the different stories and plots using a story mapping graphic organizer. As a culminating project, students choose their own characters, define a problem and a solution appropriate for their characters, and then write their own problem-solving stories.

Featured Resources

Problem and Solution Organizer : Students can use this simple graphic organizer to note the problems and solutions characters face.

Problem Solution handout : This graphic organizer can help students plan their own problem-solution story.

From Theory to Practice

Researchers such as Dolores Durkin (1961), Margaret Clark (1976), Regie Routman (1988; 1991), and Kathy Short (1995) have found evidence that children who are immersed in rich, authentic literary experiences become highly engaged in literature and develop literary awareness. Their studies revealed that positive and meaningful experiences with books and written language play a critical role in the development of literacy skills. Other researchers have found that students acquired reading and thinking strategies in literature-based programs that included teacher-led comprehension instruction (Block, 1993; Baumann, 1997; and Goldenberg, 1992/1993). Through the exploration of picture books that feature problem-solving themes, this lesson highlights a familiar structure in works of literature, one which bridges directly to critical thinking strategies students can tap in their real-world experiences.

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

Materials and Technology

A Letter to Amy , The Trip , Pet Show , The Goggles , and Jennie's Hat , all by Ezra Jack Keats

• Problem Solution handout
• Problem and Solution Organizer
• Problem and Solution Interactive Bulletin Board diagram

Preparation

• Gather the Ezra Jack Keats titles listed ( A Letter to Amy , The Trip , Pet Show , The Goggles , and Jennie's Hat ) and a variety of Keats' other books ; obtain the movie The Snowy Day and More Ezra Jack Keats Stories .
• Create the Problem and Solution Bulletin Board in your classroom. Write problems on paper and attach envelopes below each problem labeled "solutions." Attach another envelope with blank paper that students may fill out and put in each solution envelope. Problems you write might include an argument with a friend, having trouble with schoolwork, and other problems with which students can easily identify. See the Bulletin Board Diagram for a sample layout.
• Review this list of Read-Aloud Do's and Don'ts for pointers before starting the unit.
• Print out enough copies of the Problem and Solution Organizer and Problem Solution handout for your students.
• Gather construction paper, crayons, markers, and colored pencils, chart paper, and writing paper.
• Test the Story Mapping interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the Technical Support page .

Student Objectives

Students will

• participate in class discussions about predictions and story elements such as characters, problems, and solutions.
• participate in class discussions comparing and contrasting books.
• add solutions to the problem and solution bulletin board.
• read in groups and complete story maps together.
• compose a story with a problem and solution.

Session One: <em>A Letter to Amy</em>

• Review A Letter to Amy yourself before the session begins. In the story, Peter wants to invite Amy to his party, but she is a girl. His solution is to write her a letter.
• Share some background on the overall project by introducing Keats and his writing. Keats is not only a good writer, but also a wonderful artist. His books are beautiful to look at. He also has characters that are in many of his books. Ask students to look for details that demonstrate how creative the characters are in each story.
• What do you see on the cover?
• What do you think this story is about?
• What characters are in the story?
• What do you think will happen next?
• Why is Peter writing a letter?
• What happens when he mails it?
• How does Peter feel at his party?
• What do you think Peter wishes for?
• Introduce the concepts of problem and solution. Explain that most stories have a problem that a character faces. The exciting part of many stories is the way that the character explores options and decides what to do to fix the problem. This is called the solution.
• Ask students to describe the problem and solution that Peter faces in A Letter to Amy .
• Make a Story Map Organizer together on chart paper, listing the title, characters, problem, and solution.
• Ask students to brainstorm other options that Peter could have considered and to discuss how they would solve his problem. Encourage students to compare the choice Peter made to other options.

Session Two: <em>The Trip</em>

• Review The Trip yourself before the session begins. In the story, Louie's family has moved and he misses his friends. His solution is to create his old neighborhood in a shoe box and visit his friends with his imagination.
• Review the book A Letter to Amy , and discuss the Story Map Organizer the class created for the story.
• Picture-walk The Trip . Have students look at the illustrations and compare them to those in A Letter to Amy . Invite students to make predictions about the problem that is explored in the book, based on the pictures.
• What is Louie's problem?
• What is his solution?
• How are the problems similar?
• How are they different?
• What other solutions might you have tried?
• Next, introduce the Problem and Solution Bulletin Board .
• Model how to go to the bulletin board and pick a problem to solve. Show students how to get blank paper and write a possible solution.
• Encourage students to brainstorm possible solutions to one of the problem, and use this conversation as a springboard to discussing how there is more than one way to solve a problem.
• Explain that students may write solutions and add them to the bulletin board in their free time.
• Invite students to create and add their own problems to add to students' ownership of the bulletin board.

Session Three: <em>Pet Show</em>

• Review Pet Show yourself before the session begins. In the story, Archie can't find his cat for the Pet Show, so he brings a germ to the Pet Show.
• Review the Story Map Organizers created for A Letter to Amy and The Trip . Discuss the problems and solutions in these stories.
• Picture-walk Pet Show . Ask students how the illustrations in Pet Show are different from the previous two books.
• Invite students to predict the problem that will be explained in this book.
• Who are the characters?
• Do you recognize any of them?
• What is Archie's problem?
• What would you bring if you couldn't find your pet?
• What other solution might Archie have tried?
• Have students draw what they would bring to the Pet Show on construction paper.
• While students are working on their pictures, share a few solutions students have written from the bulletin board.

Session Four: <em>The Goggles</em>

• Review The Goggles yourself before the session begins. In the story, Archie and Peter are being picked on by older kids. To solve the problem, Archie and Peter trick the older kids and get away.
• Review the Story Map Organizers created for A Letter to Amy , The Trip , and Pet Show . Discuss the problems and solutions in these stories.
• Do you like the illustrations? Why or why not?
• What do you predict the problem might be in this book?
• What is Archie and Peter's problem?
• What is their solution?
• Discuss what students could do if a bully picked on them.
• Make a word web of the solutions.
• Have students write a paragraph about a time when they were picked on or bullied and to explain how they solved the problem. Invite volunteers to share their stories with the class.
• Share a few more solutions students have written from the bulletin board.

Session Five: <em>Jennie's Hat</em>

• Review Jennie's Hat yourself before the session begins. In the story, Jennie's aunt sends her a hat but it is very plain. Jennie's friends help her solve the problem by making the hat unique.
• Review the Story Map Organizers created for A Letter to Amy , The Trip , Pet Show , and The Goggles . Discuss the problems and solutions in these stories.
• What can you tell about the story from the illustrations?
• What do you think the problem may be in this book?
• What is Jennie's problem?
• What is her solution?
• Create a story map for Jennie's Hat using the Story Map interactive as a class. Since students will use this tool on their own in the next session, discuss the way that the tool works as well as the information that you are adding in response to the questions it asks.
• Compare the Story Map Organizers the class made for Jennie's Hat to those made for A Letter to Amy , The Trip , Pet Show , and The Goggles . Ask students to describe how the books' characters are alike and different.

Session Six: Other Ezra Jack Keats Books

• Share the other Ezra Jack Keats books with students. Some favorites include Peter's Chair , Whistle for Willie , The Snowy Day , Apt. 3 , Dreams , Louie , Louie's Search , and Hi, Cat! These are books that have a problem and solution, but vary in reading levels. Preview and decide which books are best for your class.
• Have students pick a book they'd like to read.
• Arrange students in groups of three or four based upon their choices.
• Have groups of students read their selected books and complete a Story Map Organizer as a group. If you prefer, students can create story maps using the Story Map interactive.
• Have students share their finished story maps with the class. Encourage students to make comparisons to the other Keats books that the class has read.

Sessions Seven and Eight: Write Your Own

• Brainstorm a possible problem and solution with the class, or choose one from the bulletin board.
• Model how to create a story using this problem and solution. You can use Jack Ezra Keats' characters or make up names for story characters.
• Write this information on a story map and explain that this is an outline for a story you could write.
• Model how to add details and create a short story.
• Invite students to come up with characters and a problem and solution. Then, as a class, write a story map and then a short story.
• Pass out the Problem Solution handout, and ask students to create their own story maps by writing the problem and solution. Ask students to draw pictures depicting the problem and solution. Students can also use the ReadWriteThink Story Map interactive.
• If students need more support to get started, write examples of problems and solutions on the board for them to choose among.
• Have students write their stories on paper and add illustrations.
• Add the books to the class library after students have had the chance to share their stories with one another.
• Write a letter to the class explaining a problem you have. As a class, write a response explaining a solution that may work. Alternately, students can write their own letters using the ReadWriteThink Letter Generator . You might try this activity after reading A Letter to Amy .
• In The Trip , Louie makes a whole neighborhood out of paper cut in the shapes of buildings. The class can create a neighborhood mural. Each student can cut a different color of construction paper into a building or shape. Attach the students' paper to a large piece of paper to create a whole neighborhood.
• Draw a map showing Archie and Peter's escape from the bullies in The Goggles .
• Act out problems and solutions from the bulletin board.
• After reading the books, show students the movie The Snowy Day and More Ezra Jack Keats Stories , which includes The Snowy Day , Whistle for Willie , Peter's Chair , and Pet Show .
• The ReadWriteThink calendar entry for Ezra Jack Keats' Birthday offers additional resources for studying the author.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Monitor student participation in classroom discussions. Are students able to make predictions about the story during the picture walks? How well do students understand the problem and solution presented in each story?
• Monitor student participation on the Problem and Solution Bulletin Board . Does each student make a contribution to the bulletin board? Do students offer reasonable solutions for given problems?
• Monitor student understanding of problem and solution during completion of story maps in groups. How well do students work in groups to complete a problem/solution story map? Do students offer meaningful contributions to their group work? Do they understand the problems and solutions depicted in their groups’ selected stories? Do students contribute as their groups present their story maps?
• Monitor student understanding of problem and solution during the writing of own story maps and stories. Are students able to plan and write a story with an appropriate solution to a problem?
• Calendar Activities
• Student Interactives

Students read and discuss an award-winning book before writing their own story that demonstrates compassion.

The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

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