HOT Skills Challenge #1: ORIGINALITY (1.3) & ELABORATION (1.4)

 We’re embracing 

ORIGINALITY and ELABORATION, 
 as our third and fourth skills.  
Let's first warm up with more practice on skills one and two -

FLUENCY and FLEXIBILTY!

Our new HOT Skills Challenge 1.3 and 1.4 of ORIGINALITY and ELABORATION come after the first two HOT Skills, that were introduced on this blog:

1) FLUENCY

2) FLEXIBILITY.

If you have not followed the plan for introducing/practicing HOT Skills 1.1 & 1.2, it’s important that you do that before continuing with these activities.  1.1 and 1.2 are discussed below, before introducing 1.3 and 1.4.  If you need more understanding of 1.1 and 1.2, please go to my previous blog post for more detail.  

HOT Skills Challenge 1.3 and 1.4:

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:  Using CREATIVE THINKING skills can help a person think and write something that is original and detailed.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  How do I prepare for and write something that's original and detailed?

GOAL:  I can prepare for and write an original and elaborated sentence, paragraph, letter, story, essay, or report. 
 

HOT Skills Challenge 1.1 -  FLUENCY

a.  FLUENCY LIST OPTIONS - choose one to assign to your class:  (NOTE:  The options listed below can be hooked to your state standards in reading, writing, grammar, and math - in addition to social studies).

•  i. Write a FLUENCY LIST of all the states/countries that you’ve been to. 
• ii. Write a FLUENCY LIST of all the places you’ve ever been to.
• iii. Write a FLUENCY LIST of all the places you’ve been to locally. 
• iv.  NOTE 1:  Write a FLUENCY LIST that more closely connects with something you are or have been studying. 
• v. NOTE 2:  If students are too young to do this, on their own, they can dictate to you their FLUENCY of ideas while you write a class FLUENCY list on board.  

b.  FLUENCY DIRECTIONS FOR YOUR LEARNERS:   "The word FLUENCY means 'having many ideas'.     Today, I want you to write a FLUENCY LIST of __________________.  You are to write your own list, without numbering or counting the list.  I will give you _____________ minutes/hours to complete your list." 

 NOTE:  Emphasize that the focus should be 

on generating thought, not counting to interrupt the Creativity. 

 .

c. TIMER:  Set a timer for 10, 15, or 20 minutes, depending on what you are asking your learners to list.

or, use timer on SMARTboard via a website like:

 http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

 It's important to know that under the pressure of a time limit, 

FLUENCY of thought often increases.

 d.  COUNTING / NUMBERING:    

Once time is up, have students number their list of items and write the number for the total FLUENCY generated at the top of the page.  (If doing it as a whole group, class can count the ideas, in unison).

e.  OPTIONAL SHARING:   Sharing with a partner, group, or whole class is optional.  Once a FLUENCY list is generated, you’ll want to move on to increasing FLUENCY lists via FLEXIBILITY. 

 

 HOT Skills Challenge 1.2 -  FLEXIBILITY

 Collecting the FLUENCY lists and waiting until the next day or week to introduce how to expand FLUENCY with FLEXIBILITY is certainly workable.

6)        


           
      a.  FLEXIBILITY DIRECTIONS :  

 

   

  
i.  "I DO":  The teacher models how to divide the class FLUENCY list into categories, via a graphic organizer - like a web (FSM - Figural thinking)  



Examples of categories - (CAP - Analytical thinking):

• 1) If listing states/countries where you've been, categories might include, but not be limited to: northern states, southern states, western states, eastern states, "Midwestern states", countries in the southern hemisphere, and countries in the northern hemisphere.
  

• 2) If listing "all the places you've ever been", categories might include those categories listed in (1) and/or categories like on the water, in the mountains, in town, in the country, in my home, in my school, etc.  

• 3) If listing places around town or nearby,  categories might include, but not be limited to:  homes, schools, churches, stores, theatres, parks, gyms/recreation places, hospitals/clinics, offices, rooms, vehicles/transportation, roads...  (some of the most creative kids may even include places within their own homes). 

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 ii.  "WE DO":  Once you, the teacher, have drawn out a web   (on the SMARTboard or dry erase board), each student can share one "idea" from his/her list to add to your sample web.  (If you have done it as a class, you can begin transferring the FLUENCY list of ideas into their different categories on the FLEXIBILITY web.

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 iii. "YOU DO":  This step happens if your learners have made their individual FLEUENCY lists.  Each learner will design his/her own web,with the different categories the teacher has introduced-using his/her individual FLUENCY LIST.   The number of categories, of course, will be determined by the fluency list itself.  

• NOTE:  Timing of FLEXIBILITY during "YOU DO" can be done in a block of time (with you setting a timer), but usually it is given as extra seat work to be completed throughout the day or at centers.

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b.  ADDING CATEGORIES - (CAP - Analytical thinking):     Each child will determine his/her own additional categories needed. Once FLUENCY LIST is embedded in FLEXIBILITY organizer, each learner can begin adding a FLUENCY of "more ideas" in each category.  Each learner writes new FLUENCY total of "ideas" and also the number of categories generated at the top of the chart/web.

c.  Additional ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS - (CAP - Practical thinking):  Students are reminded to ask themselves, "What have I learned from these FLUENCY / FLEXIBILITY activities today, that I can apply to future learning/thinking activities?"  Answers may include, but not be restricted to the following:   

•  When I am working on a FLUENCY of ideas and get stuck, I can look at the different categories that I already have.  Then, I can come up with more ideas in each category.  Once I do that, I can decide if there are more categories that I can add.
• I am learning the being FLEXIBLE can increase my FLUENCY of ideas!

 

  HOT Skills Challenge 1.3 -  ORIGINALITY

 

a.  Give each learner some time to determine what his/her most original idea(s) is/are.  In fact, by sharing individual FLEXIBILITY webs with classmates, additional perspectives will be gained.

b. Have learners choose one ORIGINAL idea to write/tell about:

• in 3-5 sentences
• during accountable talk time 
• in paragraph(s) 
• in a letter 
• in an essay 
• in a report

c.  You may want to record students' choices of their ORIGINAL ideas.  

HOT Skills Challenge 1.4 - ELABORATION

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a.  So, your students are ready to talk or write about their ORIGINAL ideas!  Encourage ELABORATION of each idea to include the details that come from asking  6-8 questions:
 

• 6 question starters: 

• 1. Who?  

• 2. What? 

• 3. Where? 

• 4. When? 

• 5. Why? 

• 6. How?

• Additional question starters:  What if?  Why not?

 
b. Practicing ELABORATION works well:
 during "accountable talk".  When learners turn and talk with a friend, they can roll dice to determine the questions they will ask each other or that will guide their detailed explanations of what they read.    during whole group discussions, when teacher uses SMARTboard to roll dice to determine the type of question class will "turn and talk" about:

• http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/maths/dice/index.htm

 c. When ready to write something with ELABORATION:  Each learner takes his/her most original idea(s) and ELABORATES on it with one of the following writing assignments:

• Option 1:  Take one of your ORIGINAL ideas and write a minimum of 3 sentences about it, by answering the 6 "dice questions".
• Option 2:  Do either Option 1 or 3 and add to it by answering the questions:  "What if?" and "Why not?"
• Option 3:  Take 2 or 3 of your original ideas and write 3-5 paragraphs about them.  Be sure to answer the "6 dice questions" for each of your ORIGINAL ideas.  Also, compare and contrast your ideas in the final paragraph.

      d. CLOSURE/ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:   

•  There are many ideas that can be recalled when pushing with FLUENCY and FLEXIBILITY.
• My ideas/experiences might be very ORIGINAL, unique, and interesting to others.
• By using the skill of ELABORATION, I can paint a picture with words that will help others connect more vividly with what I am thinking.

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Example of P. Sikes' own ELABORATION, after following steps of FLUENCY, FLEXIBILITY, and ORIGINALITY:

     I have lived in many places, over my lifetime, including the country of France.  My family and I were living in Nancy, France, during the decade after World War II, because my dad was part of the United States military.  They were helping with the reconstruction of Europe, after the war.  I remember feeling so sad, when I rode the school bus (with my nose pressed against the window), as we passed miles and miles of bombed buildings. As a first grader, attending a French school, I already understood how important it was to help those in need and was thankful we could make a difference in their lives - even if it meant traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to do so. 

• Who?  my family and I
• What? traveled to help with the reconstruction of Europe
• Where?  Nancy, France / Atlantic Ocean
• When?  the 1950's
• Why?  because the United States military was helping France to rebuild

• How did I feel?  sad and thankful
• How were we making a difference?  by helping to rebuild France

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Teachers across our country are realizing that adopting this paradigm, that has often just been a focus in Gifted/Talented programs, is an awesome way to engage students.   Moving from FLUENCY of thought to asking questions is an amazing way to engage students in not only CREATIVE THINKING, but INQUIRY. 

This blogger captures some food for thought about the process:
http://gtignite.com/creative-thinking-tools-gifted-students/

Please contact me, if you would like me to model one or more "FFOE" lessons in your Gibbs' classroom.  

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