This week’s provocation that, at face value, may seem a little more abstract, but that has a wide range of applications. You might be beginning a unit about inventors, or perhaps one on algebra, or maybe even some creative writing. Whatever the case, there is power in beginning a unit in a way that is a little less obvious, and a little more mysterious. The intrigue not only helps to hook our students’ interest, but it provokes deeper questions. This in turn leads them to broader concepts that tend to carry more relevance, meaning, and universality (at least, more than the compartmentalized memorize-and-forget content they might otherwise prioritize).
So with this introduction, I share two resources on thinking outside the box!
#1: “Unexpected Outcome” Video series by Daihei Shibata
https://vimeo.com/207244733
For a compilation of additional videos and photos, visit The Kid Should See This.
#2: “1+1=5” Picture Book by David LaRochelle
My 7 year old was absolutely delighted with all the possibilities, and loved predicting them based on the pictures before turning the page.
Provocation Questions:
- What does it mean to “think outside the box?”
- What does “thinking outside the box” have to do with perspective?
- How does thinking about the world in unexpected ways help us as learners?
- What is the value of perspective to our communities?
- What is our responsibility to think outside the box?
- What are ways “outside the box” thinking has helped the world change and grow?
featured image: DeathToTheStockPhoto