exciting strategies for creating

the 21st century classroom

Tony Ryan
A HeadFirst Publication
P. O. Box 5057
West End Queensland
AUSTRALIA 4101

Copyright © Tony Ryan 1992, 1996

First published in Australia in 1992

1st Printing: March 1992

2nd Printing: June 1996

This book is copyright.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research, private study, criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process
without written permission from the publishers.

Exemption is granted to the purchaser of this book to photocopy a single copy of the
300 Activity Cards for their own classroom. Any further photocopying will result in the
spontaneous combustion of this entire book within five seconds. You also will be breaking
the law, both legally and morally.

National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Ryan, Tony.
Mindlinks : exciting strategies for creating the 21st
century classroom.

{Rev. ed.}.
Bibliography.
ISBN 0 646 28407 X.

1. Activity programs in education. 2. Problem solving in

children. 3. Classroom environment. I. Title.

371.3078

Typesetting by Cheryll Beaumont

Cover Design by Marni Taylor

T
o great teachers everywhere
who know that they can make a difference
 An Updated Comment

Welcome to the updated version of the highly successful Mindlinks, first

published four years ago. It has been a fascinating lesson for me to re-
write that earlier text, because it has encouraged me to reflect upon the
changes in my thinking over that period. And I assure you, there have
been many changes.

However, in spite of my many new thoughts on the learning process, the

writing of this book has reminded me of the importance of retaining a
practical perspective in teaching. Although educational theory is vital,
and creates the necessary foundation for quality learning, I have again
realized that one needs to do something tangible about putting that theory
into practice.

Thus, although this book has been updated, it still retains the essential
simplicity of the first volume. It remains user-friendly, and eminently
practical. I hope that it serves you well as you work towards creating
quality classrooms for the 21st century.

Tony Ryan
 CONTENTS

Page N°

Introduction␣ ................................................................................................................................ 1
The BAD News:
• The Overload Of Teaching
• Looking For The Quick-Fix
The GOOD News:
• Seeking Best-Quality Practices
• The Marvels Of Technology
• Becoming Learners-For-Life
• The Social And The Mental Dimensions
• The Quality Of The Teacher

Section 1: THE SOCIAL: Learning From The Heart␣ ................................................................ 5

THE CARING:
• The Misuse of Abuse
• The Power of the Compliment
• Ten Ideas for Student Self-esteem
• Five Ideas for Teacher Self-esteem
• Five Ideas for Admin Self-esteem
THE COOPERATIVE:
• Creating Self-responsible Behaviour
• The Competition Of Evaluation
• Competition From Within
• The Sporting World
• Synergy In The 21st Century
• Ten Strategies for Developing Cooperative Learning

Section 2: THE MENTAL: Learning Through The Mind␣ ........................................................ 20

• The Most Astounding Entity In The Universe
• Prodigious Human Potential
• Brain, Mind And Intelligence
• Frameworks For Thinking
– Bloom’s Taxonomy
– Three-Storey Intellect
– Six Hats
– Multiple Intelligences
– Critical And Creative Thinking
• Encouraging Metacognition
• ‘Thinking About Thinking’ Cards
• Ten Strategies for Developing Thinking
Contents (cont’d)

Page N°

Section 3: MINDLINKS␣ ............................................................................................................ 35

• Combining the SOCIAL and the MENTAL
• Ten Examples of the MINDLINKS Structure

Section 4: Thematic Activity Cards␣ ......................................................................................... 38

• Activity Cards for 50 different subjects and themes:
Advertising Easter Monsters
Antarctica Environment Music
Australia Excursions Old Age
Birthdays Fairy Tales Pirates
Books Families Politics
Camping Farming Road Safety
Christmas Food [Under the] Sea
China Goldrush Era Senses
Cities Grammar Shopping
Colours Health [The Annual] Show
Computers Houses [Outer] Space
Communications Industry Sport
[School] Concerts Insects Transport
Community Affairs Knights Tourism
Dinosaurs Law and Order Valentine’s Day
Drugs Leisure War
Early Explorers Money Weather

Appendix: Thinking About Thinking Cards ........................................................................... 90

Resources␣ ................................................................................................................................. 91

Order Form␣ ............................................................................................................................... 92

About the Author␣ ...................................................................................................................... 96

Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
INTRODUCTION
n old farmer once lived with his only son near
a small village in rural China. They were very
poor, and an old horse was their only
valuable possession. Late one night, the horse ran
away, which was devastating.
The next day, all of the neighbours ran over,
lamenting this misfortune, and crying “What bad
news!” But the old man merely said “Perhaps it is.
Perhaps it isn’t.”
Soon after, their horse returned, and was leading an
entire herd of wild horses. When they all trotted
inside the corral, the son ran out and shut the gate,
and the two of them were rich beyond belief. When
the neighbours came over, they all said “What good
news!” And the old man replied, “Perhaps it is.
Perhaps it isn’t.”
Later on, the young son mounted one of the wild
horses, but was thrown off, breaking his leg. And
again the neighbours hurried over. “What bad news!”
they lamented. “Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn’t,” said
the old man.
A few days later, the Chinese army stormed through
the village, conscripting young men for the war up
north against the infidels. It was well-known that any
men who went to this war rarely returned alive. But
the young son couldn’t go, because he had broken
his leg.
In the 21st Century educational world, there will be
some GOOD news and some BAD news. Paradoxically,
we also may find some Good in the Bad, and vice versa.
Let’s start with the BAD.
The BAD News
The Overload Of Teaching
The daily dilemmas faced by educators can feel
overwhelming. One of the most remarkable things
about schools world-wide is that so many teachers
are still encouraging children to achieve at a high
standard, in spite of near-insurmountable hurdles
standing in their way.
The problems in education – whether they be the
constant pressures to include more in curriculum,
the behaviour of students, or the boredom that can
so easily overwhelm educators – are compounded
by the constant changes that are being made to
present lifestyles. As it moves into the 21st century,
the education ‘system’ is struggling to maintain pace
with a civilization that is being swept along at the
speed of a rocket.
Teachers are becoming increasingly isolated by the
disparity between schools and the outside world, and
yet are still expected to produce some sort of magical
solution to the massive social problems that are
created by all of this change. They are expected to
solve a mounting list of challenges, ranging from
youth unemployment to family breakdowns.
With such a huge range of issues bearing down, it is
easy to become overwhelmed by a sense of futility,
and lose a sense of purpose or direction with the
profession. There is just too much to do. As
educators become so flooded with the many daily
tasks that confront them, teaching sometimes
becomes a matter of survival. As soon as one task is
more or less completed, there is always another to
take its place. In the end, they are praying for each
day just to come to a close.
Looking For The Quick-Fix
As teachers continue to lose this sense of direction,
they are subjected to people who look for quick-fix
solutions to deep-seated problems. This, in fact, is a
natural reaction. Everyone would like to find an easy
answer for problems that have been nagging for too
long, but the reality usually is another matter.
1

Bandaid solutions rarely work. They do no more than
cover problems, in the hope that they will go away.
To really improve on an untenable situation, it is
necessary to go much deeper, to the source of the
concern. In the educational world, this is not an easy
matter. There are just too many variables and
influences that make it difficult to find any ‘easy
answers’. Even solutions that initially appear as
direct and simple can be difficult to implement.
Many people in the community, including parents and
politicians, feel that they have a stake in education,
and valuable contributions to make. In the face of
rapid social change and the resulting confusion that
this brings, these people quite rightly call for a sense
of stability in education to protect against those
many changes. The ‘back to basics’ lobby, based on
the so-called 3Rs, suits these purposes very well.
Community insistence upon the 3Rs should be
accorded a great deal of respect. It is fuelled by a
need for a sense of stability at a time of great change.
Both parents and teachers are to be commended for
wanting that stability. Additionally, the skills of the
3Rs are vital, and cannot be neglected.
But the education system will need to look even
deeper for this sense of stability. There are now so
many areas that need to be covered in any school
curriculum that it is becoming impossible to cope
with them all. The notion of ‘information overload’
is very apparent to anyone involved in the teaching
profession. There is a need for a solid core that can
adequately prepare students for the 21st Century.
The GOOD News
Seeking Best Quality Practice
The good news is that many dedicated people already
are searching for ways to create lasting change in
education. There are numerous wonderful programs
in operation, being implemented by committed
educators who are determined to make a difference
with their practice. They persistently are seeking the
solid core that will create a foundation for long-term
best quality practice.
Many believe that this core will be discovered within
two generic concepts, namely, the OLD and the NEW.
The NEW is the phenomenal technology that is
sweeping the planet, and changing forever the mode
of delivery of educational services. Given the
constant advance of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)
systems, the type of schooling operating in just a
few decades from now would be extremely difficult
to predict.
2
Mindlinks
The OLD is the reconnection with the human
qualities of heart, mind and spirit. They are the
unchanging characteristics of humanity, the ones
that should always be nurtured and treasured in our
learning environments. In a modern world that is
searching desperately for meaning and purpose,
these inner qualities are assuming greater
importance than ever before.
So, in terms of the good news, I’d briefly like to focus
on both the OLD and the NEW. Firstly, the NEW.
The Marvels Of Technology
A quick look into the computer crystal ball can reveal
some fascinating possibilities for 21st century
education. Even five-year-olds already travel with
the greatest of ease along the information
superhighway. Virtual reality, CD Rom and
holographic faxes will play an increasingly important
role in daily learning experiences. The world’s first
CyberSchool cannot be too far away. Such an
institution would place less emphasis upon the
learner’s physical location, and a greater importance
upon electronic communication.
Technology will change the way we think about the
learning process itself. Perhaps there is a chance that
even our thinking will be done for us by some
biological-electronic entity. Computers have
overtaken many of the analytical thinking functions
that we formerly entrusted to our brains less than
twenty years ago. This process is hardly going to slow
down. We may not even bother to develop particular
skills when those skills may be undertaken much
more effectively by a robot.
By the turn of the century, hand-held computers will
be able to transcribe our verbal instructions into
written form. For blind people, a special instrument
already exists that can be passed across the pages
of a book, to vocalize the words - thus virtually
reading the book for them. Calculators can perform
at a much faster pace than hand computation. The
marvels of advanced technology will continue to
supplant many functions that we once considered
as sacred to humans. ‘Virtual reality’, in which we
can participate in a full range of tactile experiences
generated by computer, has the potential to replace
many industries, such as tourism.
Allied with this will be the need for a significant
restructuring in the way that we think about
employment. Those who consider schooling as a
preparation for future careers may need to analyse
these implications very carefully. The occupations
waiting for today’s students in the 21st century will
be those that computers are not capable of doing.
These future occupations are going to involve a
strong creative and personal component.
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
Becoming Learners For Life
At some point, however, we will begin to realize that
we are losing the true ‘essence’ of what it really
means to be human. Why sit in front of a computer
to do your shopping when you could be browsing
through a shopping centre, enjoying the sights,
sounds, and smells, as well as the indirect contact
with other people? I believe that there eventually will
be a return to more personal values, in which a much
greater emphasis will be placed upon two special
dimensions of human existence.
These two dimensions will allow us to re-discover
our role as life-long learners. In regard to classroom
practice, they are:
• The Social - developing cooperative behaviours
based on teamwork and trust
• The Mental - promoting the optimum utilisation
of our brain
The Social and Mental dimensions have always
formed a part of our psyche. They are unchanging.
For us to realign ourselves with our natural learning
state, we will need to recreate conditions that best
support these two dimensions. Every human being
begins life in this natural learning state. We are born
to learn, and should remain as Learners For Life.
The Classroom of the 21st Century will become one
in which children will develop these life-long
learning skills. The purpose of Mindlinks is to offer
some of these necessary skills through the Social
and Mental framework.
The Social And The Mental Dimensions
Consider the Social and Mental dimensions in terms
of a house under construction. They represent the
foundations of learning, while the knowledge base
of the 3Rs could depict the finishing touches such as
the walls, the roof and interior fittings. The solid
foundation is needed to support the massive number
of fittings. What you choose for a foundation will
determine the quality of the learning environment in
your school.
The Social is the Heart of learning, and the Mental is
the Mind of learning. The actual words sometimes
conjure up images of classrooms floating on love,
compassion, and lots of ephemeral time-wasting
activities. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Although love and compassion very well may be
present, the heart and the mind focus on learning
effectiveness, and are based upon principles that
have been tried and tested for many years
throughout the world.
In this book, the Social dimension has been divided
into two sections, namely, the Caring, and the
Cooperative. The Caring component relates to the
development of self-esteem in both students and
teachers. When self-confidence is high, you feel more
capable of undertaking your commitments in life. It
also is important that you attempt to not only
develop your own confidence, but the confidence of
others around you.
The concept of actively Cooperating in schools lies
at the core of human potential. Many hands make
light work. The whole is greater than the sum of the
parts. When we work with other people, each of our
efforts is enhanced. One of us is never as smart as
all of us. When we learn together, we benefit from
the knowledge and skills of others.
Within the Mental component lies the untapped
potential of our brains. There is little doubt that we
are presently underutilising our abilities. It
sometimes is maintained that we only use 5-10% of
our brains, but what really happens is that we are
using our entire brain in a very ineffective manner.
The activities presented in the section on the Mental
dimension have been designed to promote innovative
and creative thinking processes.
The Quality of the Teacher
If you wish to create an innovative learning climate,
then you should lead by example. Teachers must
rolemodel their own love of learning, and seek to
‘walk their talk’. Every teacher should be a learner.
Please never say that you know everything,
because at that point, you will no longer be a
learner. In teaching, best-quality learning is not just
something that you DO. It is something you ARE. It
is who you are, that will determine the learning
quality in your classroom.
Thus, I have presented these many activities
throughout Mindlinks in the hope that they will serve
as a starting point for personal as well as professional
development. While the strategies themselves are
intended for classroom use, the philosophy that
underpins these approaches should be applied in the
lives of the teachers themselves.
The quality of a classroom environment will be
determined by the personal qualities of the teacher.
No amount of money spent on resources will suffice
if teachers do not have their hearts and their minds
on the task at hand. Professional and personal
development of teachers should be the highest
priority in any school. To principals everywhere, I
say, look after your teachers, and their classrooms
will look after themselves.
3
 Mindlinks

This book has been divided into four easily

accessible sections. The first two sections deal with
the Social and the Mental dimensions, while the
third section relates to the concept of Mindlinks,
which provide a tangible link between the social
and mental strategies. The last section offers a host
of photocopiable activity cards that are an example
of the type of activities proposed in the Mental
dimension (Section 2).

4
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
SECTION 1
Overview:
The SOCIAL has been approached from two
perspectives:
• The CARING culture necessary for building effective
relationships
• The COOPERATIVE culture that empowers us to
create synergy with our collective efforts
The Caring Culture
The Misuse of Abuse
Back at the turn of the 20th century, the local people
in a small rural community used to tell a story about
one of the original settlers who lived on a nearby
sheep station. Apparently, the old man had
developed an unusual technique for felling any trees
that were too large to be cut down with his axe. Early
each morning, he would walk over to the tree, and
start yelling at it.
After subjecting the tree to a tirade of abuse for five
minutes, he then would just walk away. Apparently,
the trick was to do this every morning for a month,
and at the end of that time, the tree would crash to
the ground. Why? Because all of the yelling would
have broken the ‘spirit’ of the tree, thus causing it to
give up and die......
A silly story, you might say. Perhaps. But I have seen
parents and teachers do just the same thing to
children, and although these children may not die,
there is little doubt that their spirit is affected
significantly. There can be any number of excuses
given for the use of this verbal abuse. The child may
have seriously misbehaved, or the teacher/parent
may have had a tiring day. However, the
consequences need to be considered. Contrary to
popular opinion, you will not feel better after you
have yelled, and in any case, it can cause the child
to become bitter and disillusioned, and seek to repeat
the offence at a later date.
In a survey conducted by Harold Wells and Jack
Canfield a number of years ago, 100 researchers were
placed in 100 different classrooms for a single day,
and were asked to simply tally the number of positive
THE SOCIAL:
Learning from the Heart
and negative comments made by the teachers. At the
end of the day, the 100 scores were totalled, and
divided by 100. The end result? Positive: 70 and
Negative: 460.
The Power of the Compliment
We all know that we feel better when a compliment is
extended to us. The afterglow can follow us around
for hours. Negative statements just don’t work.
Criticism rarely encourages us to respond with an
improved effort. When was the last time that you
reacted to a negative comment that was directed at
you by saying: “ Yes, you’re absolutely right, and I will
immediately try to improve the way that I do this”?
Negativity also can promote the dangers of the self-
fulfilling prophecy. Children who are reminded
constantly of their inadequacies invariably will live
down to those expectations. If a principal persistently
derides teachers for their inabilities, they generally
will perform according to that belief. Negativity is a
backward step.
Counter the criticism by developing the art of the
compliment. How effective are you at both giving and
receiving compliments? Would you be able to sit in
front of your peers, and accept compliments from
them? Consider also your ability to hand out genuine
compliments. When is the last time that you praised
a colleague for their efforts?
Many people can struggle with the giving and
receiving of compliments, and this often can be
traced to a low level of self-esteem. When you are
insecure within yourself, it is exceedingly difficult
to expose your feelings by praising others. You
even may be suspicious of those who have offered
praise to you. What, you think, are they going to
ask you to do for them, now that they’ve given you
a compliment?
In the next few lines, I have provided a number of
proposals for the development of a Caring culture in
a school environment. Naturally, these lists only
scratch the surface. I would be delighted if you were
able to extend on the ideas. There are a range of
specific proposals for three groups, ie students,
teachers and administrators.
5

Students
1. Invite students to give a compliment to someone
else before leaving at the end of a lesson. I ask
students to raise their hand, and to share the
compliment with the rest of the class eg “Jamie
always gives me a hand if I’m in trouble.” Once a
student has given a compliment, they then can
leave the room.
2. Conduct a five-minute session each day in which
special efforts are acknowledged. Ask the students
to comment on something that they felt was
noteworthy in some way. Perhaps one student
could be placed at the front, and the others then
asked to give compliments to that person.
3. Place a message board on the classroom wall,
and ask for positive comments to be written up
whenever possible.
4. Appoint an observer to record the number of
positive and negative comments made in a
specific period, such as 30 minutes. Keep a score
for the group, rather than for specific individuals.
Discuss the results, and consider strategies for
improving the positive score even further.
5. Place the students in a circle, or in some form of
‘conga’ line. Play ‘Pass the Compliment’, where a
compliment is whispered all of the way down the
line until it reaches the recipient at the other end.
6. Initiate a ‘Kid of the Week’ program, in which every
child, without exception, becomes the centre of
attention for a full week during the year. Place the
names of all students in a box, and draw out one
name each Monday. That student then becomes
the ‘Kid of the Week’, and is accorded all types of
special privileges eg everyone has to try and
compliment them; always first in line; and so on.
7. Design a Reflection Card that requires students
to analyse their own behaviour for the lesson in
a simplistic format. Ask them to rate themselves
on just 2 or 3 questions eg Did I help others?;
Was it my best effort? This form of inner reflection
can be a very powerful way of indirectly
encouraging someone to do their best.
8. Set one-day challenges, in which only positive
comments can be made for the whole day.
Initially, it may need to be for a shorter amount
of time, such as one lesson.
9. Develop a greater degree of self-awareness in the
students. Encourage them to close their eyes,
relax, and to visualize themselves treating other
people in a courteous manner.
6
Mindlinks
10. Promote the concept of community work, and the
general caring for others. Openly develop the use
of a peer assistance scheme, or a ‘Buddy’ system
in the everyday work of the classroom.
Teachers
1. Media releases should accompany any good
efforts made by classroom teachers. Such efforts
could include any special lunchtime activities,
community assistance programs or quality
classroom initiatives. The media outlets could
include the school newsletter, the local
newspaper, or any of the teacher publications
issued by Education Departments.
2. Establish a bulletin board on an open wall in the
staff room, to be used for any messages,
newspaper articles or photographs that would
compliment any of the teachers on staff.
Derogatory photographs are not allowed.
3. Develop a procedure that ensures a warm
welcome for all teachers upon arrival at school.
Perhaps someone could be paid to stand at the
front driveway, and meet the teachers with
comments such as “Great to see you, I hope you
have a top day.” (Before you start laughing at this
idea, think carefully about its virtues. The first
five minutes often can make or break the rest of
your day).
4. On the daily or weekly parade, students are
usually praised for their efforts. Perhaps the
teachers should also be given similar
acknowledgement for their achievements. Staff
members often display a high level of talent in
activities outside the school setting, yet few
colleagues end up hearing about it.
5. A conscious effort should be made by all staff
members to make positive comments about
other teachers in the presence of people such as
the principal or parents. This develops a strong
climate of trust between all of the members of
the school community.
Administrators
1. Ensure that the school receives some praise in
the local media. Principals tend to bask in the
reflected glory, believing that they somehow
must be responsible for these noteworthy efforts
in their school.
2. Teachers consistently should remember to send
students to the administration team for good
efforts, rather than just their bad ones. If they
only ever deal with the poor behaviour, the
principals and deputy-principals may begin to
think that their life revolves around all of the
negative behaviour in the school.
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
3. Any positive efforts on the part of the
administration team should be acknowledged by
staff members. This can become difficult,
especially when some elements in our society will
brand you as the proverbial ‘crawler’. Just
remember: you can’t expect to receive
compliments, unless you are prepared to give
them as well.
4. The administration team should be invited to any
presentations or special activities, so that they
can share in the positive achievements taking
place throughout the school. The ‘caught in the
office’ syndrome needs to be broken whenever
possible.
5. Complaining achieves little. Complaints to the
administration team always should be
accompanied by a proposal for solving the
problem.
The Cooperative Culture
Creating Self-Responsible Behaviours
When flocks of birds fly in V-formation, they can
cover 71% greater distance than if each bird flies
alone. The only problem is that the bird at the front
is doing more of the work. This can be
compared to some parents,
teachers, and other
leaders who end up
doing everything.
However, nature has devised an ingenious solution
to this dilemma. The birds simply rotate the leader
role every ten minutes or so, and they all share the
load during the day’s flight. Each feels responsible
for the team, because without their individual
contribution, the flock would suffer.
This anecdote has a number of interesting
implications for educational communities. An
insistence on maintaining the lead role usually
ensures that at least two major problems will need
to be faced. They are that:
1. The ‘leader’, such as a principal with their staff,
or a teacher with their class, will eventually break
down from the overload of the extra
responsibility; and
2. Little self-responsibility will be developed in the
‘followers’.
These two problems can become a tightrope around
the school community. It is possible to end up with a
group of educators who are suffering considerable
stress, and with classrooms full of students who are
not the least bit interested in any self-responsible
behaviours.
I have found invariably that the most positive schools
are those in which a strong degree of trust is evident
in the principal-staff and teacher-student
relationships. Such trust enables us to place our faith
in other people, and to give them tasks that we
normally would undertake ourselves. We then ease
the burden on ourselves, and develop a greater
degree of self-responsibility in others.
“But I can’t trust them to do it properly,” some people
say. “I would rather do it myself, and know that it
has been done correctly.” This may actually be the
case in the short term, but the long term view
exposes a different perspective. If you continue to
do something for someone else, how can they ever
learn to do it for themselves?
We always should look for ways of encouraging
others to accomplish various tasks, and to help them
feel important while they are doing so. Showing one
student how to set up the classroom computer may
take some time, but in the long run, your own
effectiveness will be greatly enhanced by not having
to do it yourself.
The Competition of Evaluation
This sense of trust can be considerably shaken by
our evaluation system. While being an entirely
necessary component of the educational structure,
objective assessment has the capacity to create a
climate of distrust and negative competition between
students. Developing a situation where some must
fail for others to achieve is hardly conducive to a
trusting and co-operative environment.
There are two general types of competition, and one
of these should be avoided whenever possible. I am
referring to external competition, in which we
become obsessed with the win/lose mentality, to the
extent that we even end up hoping that other people
do not perform to their potential. With the state of
the youth unemployment market, it is
understandable why teenagers would feel this way.
But any obsession with external competition can lead
to our undoing. While it initially appears to be the
most effective way of encouraging students to fulfil
their potential, a deeper analysis can reveal some
disquieting consequences. The significant
underachievement exhibited by many students can
be partly attributed to this environment, as can the
tension and distrust that sometimes breeds in such
a climate.
7

Competition From Within
Yes, I hear you say, but how else can it be done? In
part, the answer lies in the second type of
competition, which could be referred to as internal
competition. In this case, students would be
encouraged to compete not against others, but
against themselves. The aim would be to try and do
better today than they had done yesterday.
Internal competitors focus on themselves, and try
to improve from within, instead of becoming
obsessed by beating others. The ironic point is that
internally focused people often achieve at a higher
level than the externals, because they are constantly
seeking improvement. The externals can become
blinded by the desire for the short term win, at the
expense of long term quality improvement.
The internal competitors also are happy for others
to do well, in part because they are not competing
against those people. In fact, the good efforts of
others often can boost their own efforts. When
surrounded by excellence, most people will achieve
to a higher level.
The Sporting World
The world of sport offers an intriguing perspective
on high achievers in a competitive environment. In
team sports in particular, the game is played on a
win/win basis by the team members. Although they
certainly would like to defeat the opposition, they
will only do so if they cooperate as a team. Because
of this, there is a much more positive attitude to the
high achiever. After all, if one brilliant team member
scores a goal, the entire team shares in that glory.
I often wonder about the team members who openly
congratulate the person who scores the brilliant goal
in basketball, yet can be more reticent about
applauding the top scorer in a maths test. Is it
because the maths test pits individuals against each
other, whereas the team sport encourages them to
work together?
In a further comparison with sport, the social skills
needed for a cooperative classroom will be just as
important as the throwing and catching skills needed
for a sport such as baseball. Effective listening and
positive reinforcement can be practised just as
diligently as the physical skills used on the sports
field. Just playing the game will not be enough.
8
Mindlinks
Synergy in the 21st Century
There is a vital Big Picture that underlies the
development of these cooperative behaviours in
classrooms world-wide. The complexity of the 21st
century world will require humanity to work together
as never before. No longer can we rely upon the
rugged independence of doing everything ourselves.
There is just too much to do. Future time
management structures will be based upon the
synergy of accomplishing tasks with others. Rather
than completing our work alone, we will try often to
find others who can offer assistance.
Although this interdependence already is evident in
many parts of the world, it must be fostered further
at every opportunity. One of the most important
places will be within every single classroom on the
planet. The future is most assuredly created today,
with every interaction during every classroom
learning experience. Instilling such values in today’s
children may ensure that a global community of
learners can learn together in the 21st century.
It is my contention that humanity has been created
as a collaborative species. Look at the community
reaction to natural disasters. Whether they be
storms, earthquakes, fires or floods, people come
from everywhere to offer assistance. Complete
strangers open up their hearts and their wallets to
help the less fortunate. The only pity is that it takes
a tragedy to draw people together. I believe that the
best thing for the 21st century world would be the
threat of a devastating meteorite, as long as, of
course, it didn’t actually wipe us out. Our collective
response would be to temporarily forego our
differences, and work together in defeating the
common threat.
So much more can be accomplished when we work
together. When Sir Edmund Hilary reached the peak
of Mt Everest in 1953, he was accompanied by a local
sherpa, Tensing Norgay. Upon returning to the base
camp after the successful climb, Norgay was
approached by an insistent reporter who kept asking:
“But you have to tell me. Who really got to the top
first?” And the little guide merely turned and replied:
“No one gets to the top by themselves.”
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

Structures for Cooperation

In the day-to-day interactions of the classroom, it
is difficult to remind ourselves of this Big Picture.
Yet this concept of collaboration will be the
foundation stone for learning in the third
millennium. The activities at the end of this section
give some indication of the way in which a
cooperative culture can practically be enhanced in
the classroom environment. However, they will only
work in a climate of mutual understanding and
supportive trust, on the part of the teacher as well
as the students.

Although they are listed as ten separate entities, it

is possible to blend them together in many different
ways. Keep in mind that cooperative learning of this
nature requires some form of structure, so that
children have clear expectations of the roles
assigned to them. Each of the following activities
provide such a structure.

9

COOPERATION ONE:
Pairing
In pairing, students interact with a partner to
complete their work requirements. This strategy
sometimes appears so obvious that its full potential
often is neglected. It is an excellent introductory
structure for a teacher who has displayed some
initial interest in co-operative learning
arrangements. The skills gained during this activity
can be used in many other activities associated with
learning in a team situation.
To introduce the basic pairing arrangement:
1. Ask students to form into pairs.
2. Outline a particular task to be completed by each
pair of students.
If there is an ‘extra’ student left over after the pairs
have been organized, try the following options:
a. The teacher can become the partner (but be
careful; the ‘last’ child may have difficulty
socializing with other children, and may simply
prefer to work with the teacher);
b. Form one 3-way group, and ask them to share the
activities.
10
Mindlinks
Variations
1. Pair-Check (Spencer Kagan):
a. Students divide into pairs.
b. Each student is given a problem to complete.
c. When they finish, they take turns to check their
partner’s answer, and then praise their partner
for their efforts. Roles are then reversed.
2. Think-Pair-Share (Spencer Kagan):
a. Divide the students into pairs.
b. The class is asked a question by the teacher.
c. Each person silently thinks about the possible
answer for at least five seconds (this amount
of time can vary widely).
d. Partners turn to each other, and discuss
possible answers.
e. The teacher then asks for one pair to share
their answer with the class.
3. Moving Circles:
a. Form two concentric circles, with half of the
students in the outside circle, and half on the
inside.
b. Create pairs by linking an inside person with
an outside person.
(N.B. It becomes an easy matter to constantly
reform the pairs; the outside circle merely needs
to be moved one place to the left. In fact, this
strategy has been used in activities such as bush-
dancing for many years.)
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
COOPERATION 2:
Role Teams
A structure needs to be established when students
are asked to work in teams. Many ‘groupwork’
lessons in the past have failed because the
individuals were given no guidelines on ways in
which they could contribute.
The purpose of working together should be clear for
the team as a whole, but it also needs to be clear for
each team member. They need to understand what
‘role’ they are going to play in the functioning of the
team. If these ‘roles’ are expressly clarified, there is
then less possibility of a team member not working
with the team. It is also less likely that someone will
dominate and try to assume all roles.
A considerable number of ‘roles’ can be undertaken
in this strategy. Some of the more workable ones
include:
a. Reader: Who reads out any material that is handed
to the group
b. Recorder: Who writes down any notes that are
needed by the group
c. Encourager: Who constantly encourages team
members to produce productive and positive
work
d. Observer: Who monitors the processes
undertaken by the group, and records these
observations on a monitor checklist
e. Materials handler: Who collects and returns any
material used by the group
f. Summariser: Who clarifies and draws together the
ideas expressed by the team.
Being given responsibility for one role leads to:
1. the student gaining a much better understanding
of the role’s purpose and potential;
2. the development of the skills required for the role;
and
3. the necessity to concentrate on that role. It can
be difficult to effectively function in more than
one role at a time.
To establish ‘Role Teams’:
1. Train the students in the different roles.
‘Adventures in Thinking’ , by Joan Dalton, has
some excellent training strategies. Do not expect
students to relate naturally to the roles. Allow for
extensive practice before this strategy can be
effectively implemented.
2. Divide the students into teams of four (which
often seems to be the most effective number).
3. Explain the roles that are going to be undertaken
and appoint members in each team to their
particular role. Initially, this appointing could be
undertaken by the teacher. At a later stage, the
roles could be negotiated by the team.
4. Present the task to each team, and encourage each
member to actively undertake their role.
Variations
1. Sporting teams already make use of roles during
competition. Players are assigned various
positions, and are expected to assume the role of
that position for the entire game. However, other
roles could also be added, such as a ‘Team
Encourager’. This person would not actually
encourage players, but would continually remind
others to do so. This is a subtle but very definite
difference.
2. In activities such as brainstorming, there is often
a set of rules for effectively implementing the
activity. Assign each of the rules to a team
member, who is then responsible for the
implementation of that rule within the team.
For example, in brainstorming, the roles would
be:
a. to encourage as many ideas as possible;
b. to ensure that no judgement is allowed;
c. to encourage silly ideas; and
d. to encourage team members to ‘piggyback’ on
each other’s ideas.
Each member must then concentrate on their role
while the activity is being conducted.
11

COOPERATION 3:
124
This structure (Diagram 1) is an excellent example
of the synergy unleashed through co-operative
activity. It encourages the individuals in a team to
each fully contribute towards the final product.
To implement this strategy:
1. Each class member is asked to work separately
on a particular activity eg to write down as many
adjectives as possible that could be used to
describe ‘people’ (allow between 1-2 mins for this
stage).
2. Students are then required to find a partner, and
to form a combined list of their adjectives
(Another 1-2 mins).
3. The pairings then are asked to join together to
form a team of four, and to collate both of their
lists into a single final list.
The four students have then formed a collective total
of their knowledge on the adjectives that could be
used to describe ‘people’. They have moved from 1,
to 2, to 4. The basic format described above can be
undertaken in less than five minutes. However, it can
also serve as the structure for an entire lesson lasting
more than one hour.
If there is an ‘extra’ student, ask them to link with a
pair, and create a team of 3 in the second stage. These
three can then compile their three different lists, and
move on later to form a final team of five.
Diagram 1
12
Mindlinks
Variations
1. Complete a 124 by combining concepts rather
than a mere list of ideas. This particular version
encourages some innovative thinking and often
leads to some hilarious results.
As an example of this variation:
a. Ask each individual to outline a business
venture that they would like to undertake.
Allow a few minutes for clarification and
recording of ideas.
b. When the pairings have been formed, the two
business ideas must then be combined into a
single business idea. This new business must
contain elements of both previous ideas.
c. Then form into teams of four, and again
combine the ideas from both pairs into a single
new business.
Other possibilities for this variation could include:
• ideas for fund-raising
• ideas for beautifying an ugly old building
• ideas for developing self-esteem in students
2. Instead of using the 124 format, extend it slightly
by introducing a 136. Thus, in Stage 2, the
members would form into two groups each
containing three members, while the final stage
would involve the entire six team members
collating their ideas.
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

COOPERATION 4:
Hot Potato
This strategy (Diagram 2) involves the use of a ‘round
robin’ format in developing and sharing information
within a group. Hot Potato encourages team
members to pass their work onto other people in
their group.
To introduce this structure:
1. Divide into teams containing an equal number of
members, if possible.
2. Ask each of the teams to sit in a circle, so that
sheets of paper can be easily passed from one
person to the next.
3. Provide each team member with a sheet of paper
for recording their ideas.
4. Assign a particular task to all teams eg develop a
list of proposals for beautifying the school
grounds.
5. Each team member then records as many ideas
as possible in a set time eg two minutes.
6. On the appointed signal eg a ringing bell, they pass
their sheet to the next person.
Variations
1. Instead of allowing one piece of paper for each
team member, give a single sheet to the entire
team. The first person then writes an idea onto
the sheet, and passes it onto the next person, who
does the same. This then continues all of the way
around the group.
2. Ideas can also be rotated between different teams
rather than the individuals in each team. To
establish this rotation:
a. Appoint a recorder for each team, who is
responsible for writing down all of the ideas
given by their team.
b. Each team can then brainstorm ideas on a
particular topic eg how to get frisbees down
from the roof. This can be undertaken in a set
period of time, perhaps three minutes.
c. At the end of this time, each team rotates their
ideas onto the next team. After reading out the
ideas on that sheet, the team then attempts to
add some further ideas.

7. That person then reads the ideas in front of them,

and proceeds to add some more ideas to that
sheet, again within two minutes.

This process of passing the ‘Hot Potato’ continues

until each team member ends up with their original
sheet. All students should be reminded that once an
idea has been recorded, or an idea has been read on
another sheet, it cannot be written down a second
time. No repeats are allowed. Although groups of four
or five students tend to work best, this structure is
capable of working with virtually any group size.

Diagram 2

13
 Mindlinks

COOPERATION 5:
Telephone
This strategy (Diagram 3) takes advantage of a
learning process that would be very familiar to
teachers within their own teaching role. Namely, you
will tend to remember information more carefully if
you have to teach it to someone else at a later stage.
In ‘Telephone’, students are required to transmit
information to other team members to ensure their
team’s success.
To implement the ‘Telephone’:
1. Divide into teams of four or five members.
2. Ask each team to appoint one of their members
to the role of ‘teacher’.
3. Provide the other students in each group in the
room with a specific activity eg to complete some
earlier work, and withdraw the ‘teachers’ to one
corner of the room, where the proceedings cannot
be heard by the others.
4. Teach a specific lesson to the ‘teachers’, perhaps
the rules for playing a new game.
Variations
1. Reverse the situation, and change the ‘teacher’
role to a ‘learner’ role. To implement this variation:
a. Each team chooses one of their members to
take the ‘learner’ role.
b. The students playing this role then leave the
room, where they complete a set activity while
their teammates are being taught something,
such as the rules for a new game.
c. When the ‘learners’ return, the rest of their
team is required to teach them the rules.
2. Divide the class into pairs, with each pair having
an A and a B. Teach something to the A’s, and then
ask them to pass it on to the B’s.
3. As a further variation on this, give half of the
information on a set topic to the A’s, and the other
half to the B’s. Ask them to learn their information,
and to then teach it to their partner.

5. The ‘teachers’ then return to their teams, where

they are required to teach the rules of the game
to the rest of their team.

6. The game can then be played, to determine the

effectiveness of the ‘teaching’ that has taken
place.

This structure can be employed in a wide variety of

ways, such as the teaching of basic information or
rules, or perhaps the introduction of a new measuring
technique in mathematics or science. It is often said
that the person who is talking is the one who is
learning the most. The ‘Telephone’ strategy merely
takes advantage of this truism. We tend to listen more
carefully when we know that we have to pass
something on.

Diagram 3

14
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

COOPERATION 6:
Numbered Heads
I first saw this strategy (Diagram 4) on a T.V. game
show, in which it was used as a light-hearted way of
ensuring that all contestants received a turn. Spencer
Kagan has formalized it for the classroom, referring
to it as Numbered Heads. It provides the teacher with
an opportunity to directly engage a large number of
students at the one time.
To implement this activity:
1. Divide the class into teams of four members.
2. Assign the numbers 1,2,3 and 4 to the members
of each team. If there are extra students, then
create teams of five, and ask two students to share
the ‘4’ role.
3. The teacher then directs a question to all of the
teams, eg “ What is the chemical formula for
water? “
Variations
Establish the Numbered Heads structure within each
team by following this procedure:
1. Each team appoints a ‘teacher’ who is responsible
for directing the questions to other members of
the team.
2. The ‘teacher’ then facilitates the process within
their team by:
• asking the question
• allowing time for the team to discuss the
question
• calling upon one of the team members to
provide the answer.

4. Each team discusses the question, and attempts

to reach consensus on the answer.

5. The teacher then calls out a number between 1

and 4, such as 3, and all 3’s then raise their hand
to provide their team’s answer.

6. After receiving the correct answer, the teacher

moves on to other questions. The four numbers
are chosen at random during usage of this
strategy.

The self-esteem of students who sometimes struggle

with their work is boosted immeasurably by
Numbered Heads. Instead of being constantly
embarrassed by their lack of knowledge, these
students will frequently be able to place their hand
in the air and give the correct answer.
Diagram 4
The dilemma of under-achieving high ability
students can be partly resolved with this strategy.
Just as the brilliant tryscorer in a sports team is
lauded by the team members, so too the student
who manages to provide many of the answers for
their ‘academic’ team.

15

COOPERATION 7:
Triads
Many students and adults can initially find it difficult
to work within a team of three members. A number
of disadvantages can quickly arise, including:
1. Two of the team members may align themselves
against the third;
2. Individual students may see this activity as an
opportunity for a rest, and let the other two do
all of the work.
However, mastery of the Triad strategy generally
eliminates these difficulties, and can contribute to
an excellent grasp of co-operative learning in a
classroom.
To introduce the Triads:
1. Divide into teams of three members.
2. Appoint one team member as the ‘observer’. This
person will take no active part in the designated
activity.
Diagram 5
16
Mindlinks
3. Outline a specific task for the remaining two
members, such as, to develop a plan for organising
the school dance.
4. While the two members work on the plan, the
observer monitors their interactions.
5. When the task is finished, the observer provides
feedback to the two team members. Only positive
feedback should be offered.
Triads can serve as an excellent introduction to the
observer role. Team positions later can be rotated,
so that all three students eventually can take part as
the observer.
Variation
The two interacting team members could also be
encouraged to reflect on their own efforts. A brief
checklist (Diagram 5) can be provided by the
teacher for this purpose. It is worthwhile negotiating
the checklist points with the children before the
activity. The illustration offers a possible set of
reflective points.
Reflection Sheet
The Activity:
I added ideas
I encouraged others
I listened to others
Something I’ll work on next time:
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
COOPERATION 8:
Crossover
The Crossover strategy (Diagram 6) provides for an
effective germination and sharing of ideas between
an entire class of students. Within a short period of
time, each student will have interacted with many of
the other students in the class.
To establish this strategy:
1. Divide the students into teams of three, and
number them from 1 to 3. These can be known as
the ‘starting’ teams.
2. Name the teams in alphabetical order, from A
onwards, around the room. Ensure that the No.2’s
know where to find the team on either side of their
own letter. If they are in the ‘C’ team, they should
know where to find the ‘B’ and ‘D’ teams.
3. Set the discussion topic or activity, such as ‘ How
to advertise a new brand of breakfast cereal ’.
4. The ‘starting’ teams then discuss the topic, and
attempt to develop a list of ideas.
5. After a set period of time, perhaps two mins., the
students rotate in the following pattern ie
No.1’s move to the team on the left eg from team
H to team G
No.2’s remain in the same place
No.3’s move to the team on the right eg from team
B to team C
6. New teams of three have then been formed. These
members again discuss the topic, and attempt to
create further ideas. They are also able to
contribute ideas from their previous discussions.
Diagram 6
7. On each occasion, the ideas can be recorded by
the No.2s. The rotations then can be continued
as often as required.
This strategy should be moved at a rapid pace. It
very quickly can develop an excellent fertilization of
ideas around the full class. The only concern will be
a mix-up with students who are unsure of the position
of their next team. However, the stationary No.2’s
will soon become confident of moving their former
partners on to the next group. ‘Extra’ students can
be asked to share a position with another person,
which means that two people may be sharing the
No.2 role in one of the teams.
Variation
Establish some circles in an open area that is
uncluttered by desks. Then set up the following
patterns:
a. Form three concentric circles, with the No.1’s in
the outer, the No.2’s in the middle, and the No.3’s
within the inner circle.
b. Form the ‘starting’ teams by aligning groups of
three from the different circles.
c. Rotation to the next groups is then accomplished
by:
a. moving the No.1’s to the left;
b. leaving the No.2’s in the same place; and
c. moving the No.3’s to the right.
17
 Mindlinks

COOPERATION 9 :
Three Step Interview
The Three-Step Interview (Diagram 7) develops a
comprehensive interaction between all of the
members in each team. There are three separate
discussions, or interviews, within the structure.
To establish this strategy:
1. Divide into teams of four, numbering the members
from 1 to 4.
2. Introduce a discussion topic such as “ Should
students have to wear a school uniform?”
3. The three steps then are introduced, with perhaps
2-3 minutes being allocated to each step. The
steps are:
Variations
Instead of asking for a full group discussion in Step
3, merely create a third interview ie
Nos. 1 and 4 interview each other
Nos. 2 and 3 interview each other
In this way, each person will have interacted
individually with all other team members. Three Step
Interview can also be undertaken with larger groups
of even numbers, although the pairing then will
become progressively more complicated.

Step 1: Nos. 1 and 2 interview each other.

Nos. 3 and 4 interview each other.

Step 2: Nos. 1 and 3 interview each other.

Nos. 2 and 4 interview each other.

Step 3: The 4 members then discuss the topic,

and attempt to reach a consensus.

Team members should be asked to take notes while

listening to the viewpoints of their ‘partner’ at the
time. They then can refer to these notes during Step
3. A variety of interview techniques, such as the Who/
What/When/Where/Why/How questions, can be
incorporated into this strategy.

Extra students can be asked to share a number within

a group. For example, if they share the ‘2’ role, they
both will have to interview the other person eg the
‘3’, when they are required to do so.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Diagram 7

18
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
COOPERATION 10:
Jigsaw
The Jigsaw strategy encourages the development of
specific skills within individual team members.
Originally developed by Eliot Aronson, it is perhaps
one of the most effective cooperative strategies for
promoting responsibility within each of the students
in the team. A considerable variety of Jigsaw
structures have been developed in classrooms
throughout the world. To implement the version that
is known as Basic Jigsaw:
1. Break into teams of four, and number the
members from 1 to 4.
2. Present a mini-project to each team, such as ‘a
study of the local community’.
3. Assign specific tasks to each member, such as:
No.1: Collect all available brochures from the
local council.
No.2: Research any information available in the
school library.
No.3: Construct a large map of the local area.
No.4: Compile a list of goods and services
available in the local area.
4. Each of the members then is required to complete
their specific task.
5. The team reforms, and the students share their
information with each other. This information
then can be collated, and the project can be
completed.
The most difficult aspect of this strategy will involve
the formulation of the specific tasks. It sometimes
can also be worthwhile to assign tasks to the students
according to the level of difficulty, and the interests
of the different students. Extra students could be
asked to share a role with someone else in a team.
This means that there could be two No.1’s in the
team, who could work together on the particular task.
Diagram 8
Variations
One of the most effective variations is known as
Expert Jigsaw (Diagram 8), and it employs the use
of Home Teams and Expert Teams. To implement
this structure:
1. Form students into Home Teams of four members,
and number them from 1 to 4.
2. Introduce the project or activity to the Home
Teams eg ‘Design a future home’.
3. The specific functions of the Expert Teams are
then outlined in the following fashion:
Expert Team 1: Basic design layout of the future
home.
Expert Team 2: The furniture.
Expert Team 3: The entertainment facilities.
Expert Team 4: The food preparation process.
4. The Home Teams are then reformed into Expert
Teams, which means that all of the Home Team
No.1’s move to Expert Team No.1, Home Team
No.2’s into Expert Team No.2, and so on.
5. The Expert Teams then research their specialized
area, and develop a range of ideas.
6. Expert Teams then split up, and all members
return to their original Home Team. At this stage,
there then will be an ‘expert’ on each of the areas,
such as ‘furniture’, within each of the Home
Teams.
7. By pooling their collective knowledge, the team
members then can undertake their original task
in a professional manner.
Home Teams Expert Teams Home Teams
19

SECTION 2
The Most Astounding Entity
in the Universe
During a potentially life-threatening accident, the
human brain often appears to speed up its responses.
The adrenalin surge provided by the experience
transforms awareness of time. Although the accident
itself may only last for one or two seconds, the person
involved will claim later that it lasted for minutes, or
even hours. The scientific term for this is A.M.P., or
Accelerated Mental Process.
I have met at least eight people who have
experienced this process. Two of these people also
encountered the graphic and eerie phenomenon of
seeing their whole lives flash in front of them.
Countless thousands of incidents passed through
their mind in just a few seconds. They both described
this situation as being the most exhilarating
experience in their lives. Such instances as this
should compel us to wonder about the capacities of
our intellects.
The human brain is the single most astounding entity
in our known universe. We have discovered more
about its functioning in the past two decades than in
all of previous human civilization. Yet some scientists
believe that we still have only scratched the surface
in unleashing the potential that resides within. An
analysis of the prodigious talents of many people
around the planet today supports this belief.
Prodigious Human Potential
Many religious elders can recite vast tracts of their
texts from memory. Within a meditative state, Islamic
elders can chant the entire Koran over a period of
two days. A study of the Savant Syndrome reveals
many such amazing capacities. Viewers of the movie
‘Rainman’, which is based upon a real-life character,
witnessed a remarkable demonstration with
statistics, in which Ray, who is a mathematical
savant, could memorize vast amounts of trivial
information. Present-day memory experts can meet
many hundreds of people at a social function, and
then repeat every single name at a later time.
20
Mindlinks
THE MENTAL:
Learning Through the Mind
The 21st Century will be an exciting time in learning
institutions. The blankets that suppress our mental
capacities will slowly but surely be lifted to reveal
what we have always suspected - that an inner wealth
is waiting to be unleashed. There are two general
ways in which this will be done. The first will be
through our technology, in the form of (I.A.)
Intellectual Augmentation. Procedures such as Smart
Drugs and brain implants will accentuate the natural
functioning of the brain.
The second will be a slow and steady process, in
which we collectively will delve deeper into human
consciousness by consistently exercising our
intelligence. For those who make the effort, they will
be rewarded with an enhanced awareness of both
their inner and outer worlds. In fact, the most
exciting discoveries of the 21st Century will not be
in the external world, with new technology and
advanced instrumentation. They will be the ones that
we make within our minds, as we rediscover the very
soul of our beings.
Brain, Mind and Intelligence
To further an understanding of Thinking, we should
look at three words that often are involved in a
discussion on our intellectual capacities. They are:
• Brain – which refers to the pink physical matter
residing within our cranium. It is a remarkable
organ, consisting of countless nerve fibres and
neurons that require 20% of all oxygen that enters
the body.
• Mind – the entity, or perhaps the process, through
which our thoughts originate. These thoughts
create our own reality, and thus significantly
influence our physical and mental well-being.
• Intelligence – a way of knowing, or a way of
learning. Intelligence is a channel that enters the
human body, heart, mind and spirit, and allows
us to make sense of our world. We each have the
capacity to utilize at least nineteen different
intelligences, although there are seven main ones
that have been documented by Howard Gardner
and others.
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
Frameworks for Thinking
As we seek to develop the intellectual capacities of
our students, we often focus on a specific framework
that will help us to better understand how thinking
takes place. For your benefit, I have briefly outlined
some of these frameworks below. If you would like
to investigate them further, then please refer to the
suggested texts that are listed nearby.
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
In 1962, Benjamin Bloom proposed that there were
six thinking processes that could be arranged in a
hierarchical order of complexity. This planning
framework has withstood the test of time. Here is an
example of the type of questions that you could ask
within each of these six levels:
• Knowledge:
– What happened after...?
– How many...?
– Find the meaning of...?
• Comprehension:
– What do you think could have happened
next...?
– What was the main idea...?
– Who do you think...?
• Application:
– Do you know of another instance where...?
– Which factors would you change if...?
– Can you group by characteristics such as...?
• Analysis:
– What do you see as other possible outcomes?
– How was this similar to...?
– What were some of the motives of...?
• Synthesis:
– Can you design a... to...?
– What would happen if...?
– Can you develop a proposal which would...?
• Evaluation:
– Judge the value of...
– What changes to ... would you recommend?
– Do you believe...?
Three-Storey Intellect:
The Three-Storey Intellect is a simplified version of
Bloom’s Taxonomy. Instead of six levels, it has been
condensed into three. I sometimes refer to it as G.P.A.
thinking, with the letters representing the levels of
Gather/Process/Apply. This particular version can be
found in ‘Blueprints For Thinking In The Co-operative
Classroom’ (Bellanca and Fogerty), although similar
approaches are evident in many quality thinking
programs. The three levels are:
• Gathering - before you can do something with
information, you need to gather it. In classroom
activities, you might include strategies that
involve counting, describing, recalling, naming
and matching.
• Processing – after you have gathered the material,
you then need to understand it better. So you pull
it apart, and put it back together in different ways.
You process it by analysing, inferring, sorting,
reasoning, contrasting and solving.
• Applying – once you have gathered, and then
understood the information, you then put it into
practice by applying it to a real-life situation. This
is accomplished by speculating, predicting,
judging, imagining and evaluating.
Six Hats:
Edward de Bono’s highly creative concept can be
applied in infant classrooms and executive
boardrooms alike. de Bono has chosen six colours
that represent six thinking functions, and then
aligned them with the metaphor of wearing hats. His
contention is that we should explicitly signal the type
of thinking that we require from the children, and
that this best can be done by ‘wearing’ the hats at
nominated times. There are four specific books (each
entitled ‘Six Thinking Hats For Schools’) that outline
an excellent range of activities. Book 1 is for Years 1
to 3, Book 2 for Years 4 to 6, Book 3 for Years 7 to 9,
and Book 4 for Years 10 to 12. The six hats, and their
functions, are:
• Green Hat – the colour of grass and fertile growing
plants; represents ideas growing out of the head;
creativity; different ideas; what are some ways to
solve our problem?
• Yellow Hat – bright sunlight; the good points; Why
is this worth doing?; Why will it work?; How will
it best help us?
• Black Hat – dark stormclouds; the bad points;
What’s wrong with the idea?; Why won’t it work?;
What are the problems associated with it?
21

• Red Hat – the colour of blood and emotions;
feelings and hunches; How do we feel about this
idea right now?
• White Hat – the colour of paper; information;
questions; what information do we need to
collect?; what information do we already have?
• Blue Hat – the colour of the overarching sky;
thinking about thinking; organizing our thinking;
What have we done so far?; What do we do next?
Multiple Intelligences:
We do not have a single intelligence. We have many,
and each can help us to better understand our
learning. The seven main intelligences (Diagram 9),
as proposed by Howard Gardner, are the:
Intrapersonal Verbal-
linguistic
Logical-
Interpersonal mathematical
Musical- Visual-spatial
rhythmic
Body-
Kinesthetic
Diagram 9
If you were explaining these to your students, you
might be better off using the word ‘Smart’ instead of
‘Intelligence’, and also referring to the simplified
terms in the next column. Following is a brief
description of how to put each one into practice.
Some of these ideas have been adapted from Thomas
Armstrong’s ‘Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom’
(an excellent resource book).
22
Mindlinks
Word Smart (Verbal-linguistic):
Read about it, write about it, talk about it, listen
to it.
You need: books, tapes, writing tools, paper, diaries,
dialogue, debate, stories.
Number Smart (Logical-mathematical):
Put it in line, number it, place it in neat boxes.
You need: logical puzzles, problem-solving, things to
explore and think about, science materials.
Picture Smart (Visual-spatial):
See it, draw it, visualize it, colour it, mind-map it.
You need: Illustrated books, art, Lego, videos, mazes,
movies.
Body Smart (Body-kinesthetic):
Build it, act it out, touch it, get a “gut feeling” of it.
You need: movement, things to build, role play,
drama, tactile experiences, hands-on learning.
Music Smart (Musical-rhythmic):
Sing it, rap it, listen to it.
You need: Musical instruments, sing-along time,
background music, rhythms and melodies.
People Smart (Interpersonal):
Teach it to a friend, learn it in a small group.
You need: Group games, co-operative learning
strategies, friends, clubs, peer tutoring.
Self Smart (Intrapersonal):
Analyse it, think about it, connect it to your own
life.
You need: Self-paced projects, choices, setting goals,
meditating, quiet time.
Now here is an example of how to place these
Smarts into direct classroom context for all
students. If you were learning how to spell the word
‘rhythm’, you could try to:
Word – repeatedly chant the word ‘rhythm’, followed
by the individual letters
Number – analyse the structures and patterns of the
letters in the word eg the positions of letters that are
higher (‘h’ and ‘t’) and the ones that are lower (‘y’)
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
Picture – take a mental photograph of the word, and
then close your eyes and ‘see’ the letters
Body – construct the word with letters from a game
of Scrabble
Music – sing the letters of the word ‘rhythm’ to the
tune of ‘Happy Birthday’
(R-H-Y-T-H-M, R-H-Y-T-H-M,.....)
People – learn it with a partner, and then test each
other
Self – think about your favourite way of learning how
to spell
Critical and Creative Thinking
For many years, the teaching of thinking has focused
upon the development of both its critical and creative
components. Both are necessary if we wish to best
exercise our intellects. The metaphor of left brain/
right brain thinking has certainly featured strongly
with this framework, with the left relating to the
critical and analytical perspective, and the right to
the creative and innovative. However, as with all
partnerships in life, each requires the other. The
critical can be stimulated into action by connecting
with the flexible ‘right brain’, while your creative
thoughts are more likely to spring into action when
they connect with the logical ‘left brain’.
For the purposes of the activities in this book, I have
focused to some degree upon the Creative
component. The ten strategies at the end of this
chapter emphasize innovative thinking. The 300
Activity Cards at the end of this book also have been
designed to unleash the ‘right brain’. My reason for
doing so is quite direct. Creativity generally is not
encouraged as often as critical thinking, perhaps
because it is seen more as play, as ‘head in the clouds’
stuff, than as a serious form of learning. Yet there
are several vital reasons for emphasising innovative
and creative thinking within the regular classroom.
They include that:
1. Creative thinking can be exciting and enjoyable,
thus creating a positive attitude towards the
learning process;
2. The stimulation of creativity in learning heightens
the emotional link with that learning. This
emotional involvement boosts the effectiveness
of our memory systems; and
3. Developing our creative potential can strengthen
our ability to cope with change. If there is one thing
that we can guarantee into the 21st century, it will
be the exponential rate of change that will affect
the world. When our thinking is open-ended and
accepting of new ideas, we become much more
capable of adapting to changing circumstances.
There are specific skills that can be developed within
each of the critical and creative thinking fields. Based
upon the ideas in Joan Dalton’s ‘Adventures In
Thinking’, they include:
The Critical.
Planning – clearly organize a strategy for achieving a
set outcome
Forecasting – predict future events
Communication – more effectively express your
thoughts and ideas to others
Decision-making – develop a process for making
effective decisions
Evaluation – determine the worth of a particular
proposal
The Creative.
Fluency – to generate lots of different ideas
Flexibility – to develop a variety of options for a
specific problem
Originality – to create new and unique ideas
Elaboration – to add extra options to a proposal
Curiosity – to be inquisitive, and to ask Who? What?
When? Where? Why? How?
Complexity – to seek different alternatives
Encouraging Metacognition
Effective teaching involves developing the above
frameworks to fit into your own classroom practice.
What works for you may not work for others.
However, whatever you choose to implement in your
own practice, try to take the teaching of Thinking
much further, and openly explain the framework to
your students. Don’t just build the framework into
your lessons. Fully explain its function, and also why
you are using it. Reach the point where any one of
your students could clearly explain the framework
to a visitor in your room.
23

This helps the children to develop metacognitive
processing in their learning activities. The term
‘metacognition’ means that we actually think about
our thinking. Children should be made aware of their
thinking as often as possible. Questions such as the
following can accomplish this:
But how did you actually work that out?
Why do you think that is so?
How else could this have been done?
When did that occur to you?
What made you change your mind?
What do you think about that?
I sometimes undertake an activity that I refer to as
ThinkTalk, in which I ask students to ‘think’ of some
particular words on a given signal. In their minds,
they sub-vocalize the words at a normal talking
speed. ThinkTalking encourages children to become
aware of their thinking. I point out that I do not want
to see their lips moving, or to hear anyone verbalizing
the words. The instruction could be:
‘When I click my fingers, I want you all to think
the following words .... Our classroom looks
beautiful. Ready, (click).’
Teachers also can model their own thinking in front
of their students. When faced with a maths problem,
the solution process could be verbalized, so that the
class is aware of the thinking being used by the
teacher. For example:
“Let me see. Now if I start by placing that group
of numbers over here, I can calculate the
amount left over there...”
‘Thinking About Thinking’ Cards
As a form of cognitive analysis, I have provided a set
of reflection cards known as ‘Thinking About
Thinking’ cards (Diagram 10). The aim of these cards
is to encourage students to consider the thinking that
they applied to a particular task. Analysing your
performance in sport can lead to an improvement in
your next game, and it is possible for this to happen
also with the thinking process.
Diagram 10
Thinking About Thinking Card
24
Mindlinks
A skill can be developed much more rapidly by
analysing your efforts before, during and after the
activity. Otherwise, you can become a form of
‘cracked record’, where you keep going around and
falling into the same groove, time after time.
When introducing the ‘Thinking About Thinking’
cards to students, a number of points should be taken
into account:
1. They should only be used when the activity has
involved higher thinking processes, such as
synthesis or evaluation.
2. Teachers should refrain from looking at the
completed cards. Students will tend to be more
honest if they know that the cards are for their
benefit only.
3. Overuse will diminish their effectiveness. Students
should not use them more than once per day.
Naturally, the three questions on the card also could
be used separately in many other circumstances.
This would be determined by the learning
environment that had been created by the teacher.
A full set of the ‘Thinking About Thinking’ cards has
been provided in the Appendix.
On the following pages, there are ten special
strategies for enhancing innovative thinking.
The Activity:
Do you remember it?
Could you teach it to
someone else?
Do you know why
you should use it?
When I could use it another time:
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

THINKING 1:
The ‘BAR’ Strategy
Description Variations
The BAR strategy refers to an acronym of three The BAR Key can be applied to stories as well as
words: objects eg
B — Bigger B – Bigger; rewrite the story so that one character
A — Add or event becomes more important (or bigger).

R — Replace A – Add another event / character / ending /

introduction.
It is a simple and effective way of redesigning R – Replace one character / event / ending /
products found in everyday life. To implement the introduction with another.
activity, draw an object that you would like to
redesign, and then apply the three steps one at a time
ie make one part of the object Bigger, then Add a
new part, and finally Replace one part with another. Examples within Subject Areas
I first derived this stepladder approach from a
technique known as SCAMPER, introduced to the 1. Language:
world by R.F. Eberle in 1972. Rewrite some well-known short story (eg
Goldilocks) using the BAR Key:
B – make baby bear the most important
The General Example character
A – add an accident to the story.
Draw a standard television, and then work through
the three steps one at a time (See Diagram 11). Here’s R – replace Goldilocks with a salesperson.
one series of possibilities:
2. Music:
Bigger: Make all of the controls much bigger, so that
people with poor eyesight will be able to BAR a well-known song eg
see them more clearly. B – extend the chorus

Add: Add a small popcorn machine to the side A – add an extra verse.
of the television, and activate it with a R – replace one verse with another.
special button on the TV remote control
unit. 3. Physical Education:
Replace: Replace the legs on the TV set with some BAR the rules of baseball:
robot legs, and design them so that they B – allow one particular shot to be worth an
can be voice-activated. You then can tell the extra run.
TV to move to different parts of the house. A – add an extra way of getting batters out.
R – replace the basic ‘diamond’ shape of the
You have then ‘barred’ bases with another shape.
a television.
4. General Science:
BAR a thermometer:
B – make some part larger.
A – add an innovative new section.
R – replace one part with something else.

Diagram 11

25
 Mindlinks

THINKING 2:
The Matrix Strategy
Description
This strategy develops innovative and interesting
products by combining two unrelated objects in
some way. To commence, draw a simple matrix (see
Diagram 12), and choose your particular topic or
subject area, such as ‘space’. Down the left hand side,
list the names of objects commonly associated with
‘space’, while along the top, name some totally
random objects not normally associated with that
topic. The side list could include: spacesuits, moon
buggies and asteroids, while the top list could
include: socks, sticky tape and lamingtons. The
purpose is then to create new products by combining
the concepts of each ‘pair’ of words in the matrix.
Variations
1. The following combinations can also develop
some interesting ideas. They are listed in terms
of ‘left side’ and ‘top side’.
a) Occupations / occupations : create some
entirely new careers by combining single
occupations from each side eg zookeepers and
rock stars.
b) People / places: draw up an association
between certain people and some chosen
places eg Picasso and the Antarctic.
c) People / objects: write a short story that links
particular people and some chosen objects eg
the US president and a boomerang.

2. Combine different practices into new ones eg

A General Example Left side: running for the bus
doing homework
Chemistry – create some new products for scientists watching TV
in a chemical laboratory.
Top side: doing some exercise
getting dressed
cleaning your teeth

telephone saucepan 3. With younger students, place pictures instead of

words down the side and along the top. When they
create the new ‘combination’ product, it can then
bunsen burner

Include a small dial on
the burner for setting the
required temperature; the
dial will then ring when
the temperature is reached.
Place a tiny speaker on
the test tube that emits
test tube
Have a portable burner be drawn in the necessary space.
attached to a saucepan,
to be used for cooking
small meals at inconvenient
locations. Examples within Subject Areas
1. Social Studies (in a study of South-east Asia):
Seal a temperature- Left side: straw hats, sampans, chopsticks.
sensitive liquid in some

an ‘engaged’ signal when tiny test tubes, and

a volatile mixture is
about to explode.
place them in the saucepan’s
contents. They will change
colour when the desired
temperature is reached.
Top side: frisbees, desk lamps, pins.
2. Language:
Describe an activity that a combination of these
characters would be likely to undertake.
Left side: Red Riding Hood, Cinderella.
Top side: Rumblestiltskin, the witch from Snow
White.

3. Mathematics:
Design some new measuring devices.
Left side: a ruler, a set of scales.
Top side: a calculator, a spinning top.
26
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

THINKING 3:
The What If Strategy
Description Examples within Subject Areas
The What If strategy encourages students to consider 1. Mathematics:
the consequences of various actions. Contemplating
a wide range of possibilities and canvassing different What if the number 1 did not exist?
opportunities develops a broad perspective in What if there were no right angles in the world?
problem-solving. This strategy uses the ‘What if ’
words to stimulate a large bank of interesting 2. Language:
outcomes. To implement the strategy, work out a
What if the chief character in the book was a
‘what if ’ statement, such as ‘What if every person in
criminal instead of a law-abiding person?
the world was given one million dollars?’ Then ask
for some responses. What if books didn’t exist?
What if there were only twenty letters in the
‘What if’ statements can be either frivolous or
alphabet?
serious. The former would involve ones such as
‘What if animals could talk?’, while the latter might
3. Science:
include ‘What if a full economic recession hit our
country?’ What if the Earth stopped spinning?
What if all whales became extinct?
What if electricity had not been invented?
A General Example
4. Social Studies:
Social Studies: What if there was only one world government?
What if immigration was stopped? What if there were no schools?
What if robots could eventually undertake all
1. The population would increase at a lower rate.
jobs?
2. The flow of foreign capital into the country would
diminish.

3. Less ethnic takeaway food services would be

provided.

4. Less letters would be sent from overseas, and

some post office workers might lose their jobs.

5. Airlines offering international services would find

it more difficult to make a profit.

27
 Mindlinks

THINKING 4:
The Picture Strategy
Description
The Picture strategy is a simple technique for
developing the visual capacities of the brain, yet can
still be directly aligned with everyday schoolwork.
It can be applied when:
i) developing ideas for story-writing; and
ii) attempting to extend visual imagination.
To introduce the technique, draw a random image,
and ask the students to name something that the
image could possibly represent. The effectiveness
of this activity lies in its simplicity.
Variations
1. Use a personal analogy eg imagine that you are
actually a raindrop, and describe how you feel.
2. Develop visual analogies for particular objects.
When introducing this activity, commence with
the words “ Give another image for...”
For example, give another image for a slow-
moving river:
a. honey oozing along the table
b. a slow-motion video of a waterfall.

Many inventive people often use visualization. Some other activities might include:
Einstein’s imaginary ride on a glass elevator through Give another image for
space led to the theory of relativity. Picasso was able – a huge crowd of people
to reconstruct a rusty old bike into a sculpture of a – icebergs floating in the water
bull, by using the bike seat as the bull’s head, and – leaves floating in the breeze.
the handlebars as the horns. Highly visual people
are capable of interpreting things in many different
ways.
Specific Examples

A General Example
1. Science (Outer Space):
In a lesson on environmental issues, students may
be asked to provide interpretations of this picture
(Diagram 13).

2. Phys. Ed.:

3. Language
(in reference to a particular story):
Diagram 13

Some possibilities:
1. Raindrops in the parched desert sand.

2. Globules of oil floating in the ocean.

3. A swarm of unusual round bees.

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Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

THINKING 5:
The Evaluation Strategy
Description Variations
This strategy is applied when a proposal needs to List viewpoints from the perspectives of two
be evaluated. It is implemented by listing points for opposing sides in an issue eg the clearing of forests
and against a particular suggestion. This clarification for paper manufacturing (environmentalists and
procedure can lead to an immediate and effective forestry workers).
solution for the proposal. Procrastination often
results when thinking becomes too complicated , yet
this strategy allows a more direct approach to the
analysis of a problem. A more balanced viewpoint Specific Examples
can also defuse arguments. Students should be
encouraged to examine both sides of an issue before 1. Mathematics:
finalizing their decision. Give 3 good points and 3 bad points for using
calculators.
The evaluation technique has probably been used
for thousands of years, but it was first recorded in
2. Home Economics:
print by Benjamin Franklin. One of Edward de Bono’s
CoRT strategies, called PMI (Plus/Minus/Interesting) Give 3 good points and 3 bad points for adding
is another excellent variation on the concept. extra sugar to a recipe.

3. Science:
A General Example Give 3 good points and 3 bad points for doubling
the number of trees to be planted in the school
grounds.
Political Studies:
Apply the Evaluation strategy to a proposal for 4. Music:
increasing the number of politicians elected in our Give 3 good points and 3 bad points for adding a
country. piano accompaniment to your own musical
arrangement.

GOOD BAD

1. They would be more accessible 1. The electorate would be very

to their constituents. unhappy with the proposal.

2. Important laws could be passed 2. The increased wages bill would

through parliament more quickly. be a burden on the taxpayers.

3. All official ceremonies would 3. If the process was left un-

always be certain of having a checked, there would eventually
politician in attendance. be more politicians than electors.

29
 Mindlinks

THINKING 6:
The Design Strategy
Description
Many students derive great enjoyment from
redesigning and improving a wide range of objects.
This strategy encourages them to develop their
innovative thinking, and to place it within a practical
perspective. It is implemented by starting with a
chosen product or practice, and then setting out to
improve upon its present design.
Variations
1. Several other key words can also stimulate the
production of new ideas, such as:
INVENT – a new lawnmower
– a personal flying transport device
CREATE – an entirely new concept in books
– a pet that fleas would not like

The enthusiasm for designing new products has
always provided the drive for people to improve their
standard of living. Students need to be given the
opportunity to participate in this design phase. The
most innovative nations in the world today devote
enormous time and money towards their R. and D.
(Research and Development) programmes.
2. When you are working on a new design, set out a
number of criteria that need to be fulfilled eg
Design a new telephone that:
a. can float in the air;
b. can dial by using verbal instructions; and
c. can fit into a wall.

3. Try to undertake a set activity without using the

equipment that is normally provided for the
A General Example activity eg
Design a special shower for your pet dog. Mow a lawn without using a lawnmower
Weigh a gold nugget without using a set of scales.
1. Attach a series of straps to the bathtub, so that
the dog will be unable to move. 4. Set up some construction challenges for the
students to undertake eg
2. Connect an old garden hose to the tap, and glue
it around the edge of the tub. Construct: An entirely new concept in
mousetraps
3. Drill some small holes at small intervals around Materials: A teatowel; 10 straws; 10 rubber bands
the hose.

4. Hang some shampoo from a piece of string over

the dog’s back. Examples within Subject Areas
5. Connect the straps to the dog, drip some
shampoo onto its back, and turn on the tap. 1. Language:
Design an entirely new technique for recording
information on paper.

2. Mathematics:
Design a different way of doing long division sums.

3. Art:
Design a new concept in paint brushes.

4. Phys. Ed.:
Design an improved football.

30
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
THINKING 7:
The Prediction Strategy
Description
This strategy places the use of crystal balls in a more
formal perspective. Students are asked to develop
predictions pertaining to either products or practices
at some future stage. Attempting to predict the future
can diminish the uncertainties that are too often held
by children. The journey is always easier if you know
where you are going.
A General Example
Science and Technology:
Predict the power source of the family car in 20 years
from now.
1. A combination of electric/petrol/nuclear fusion,
with the driver determining the choice before the
start of the journey.
2. Superstrength rubber bands which are wound up
with a vintage car crank mechanism.
3. Satellite electromagnetic directional devices,
drawing a car along a course which has been
predetermined by the vehicle’s onboard
computer.
Variations
1. Construct a ‘future timeline’ ie draw a line and
evenly mark off the next 10 years. Now write some
predictions beside each of the marks, for instance,
the presents that you expect to receive for
Christmas in each of those years.
Examples within Subject Areas
1. Language:
Predict the method that will be used to write
messages in 50 years from now eg voice
projection; robot pens.
2. Chemistry:
Predict the most advanced possibilities with
medication in the next 50 years.
3. Current Affairs:
Draw a map of the world.
Now predict where the borders between countries
will be situated, and the ‘ownership’ of those
countries, in 50 years from now.
4. Physics:
Predict the date for the first discovery of the anti-
gravity machine.
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 Mindlinks

THINKING 8:
The Different Uses Strategy
Description Variations
To implement the Different Uses strategy, 1. Develop an action plan for recycling a
choose an item that is associated with your particular object eg telephone directories.
area of study in some way. Now develop a list
of alternative and unusual uses for this
particular item. Examples within Subject Areas
To state that most materials only have a single
use can be very restrictive on innovative
1. Mathematics:
thinking. The list of alternative uses for many
products can become quite extensive. The Give at least ten different uses for broken
concept of recycling is directly relevant to this calculators.
activity. To seriously consider the different
possible uses for items such as used telephone
directories could unearth some very valuable 2. History:
ideas.
Give at least ten different uses for a
beautifully preserved Egyptian mummy.

A General Example
3. Science:
Give some different uses for a clown’s red plastic
nose: Give at least ten different uses for a
magnifying glass.
1. Place them in a strawberry patch to give a
false impression of the number of
strawberries growing there.
2. Use them as face masks for mice when they
undertake a cheese factory robbery.

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Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

THINKING 9:
The Disadvantages Strategy
Description The Attributes The Improvements
a. The handle Replace with a button that will
The Disadvantages strategy is divided into two
automatically open the door.
distinct stages. In the first, you are required to list
b. The shelves Develop a series of flexible interlocking
the disadvantages of a particular object, such as an units that can be easily moulded into the
umbrella. The second stage then involves the shape of the food or the packages.
development of ideas that would improve upon each c. The door Replace with a solid transparent plastic
of the disadvantages that you have just listed. cover so that people can admire, but not
eat the food. This cover could be
The effectiveness of this technique lies in two areas: attached to a time-delay lock, so that it
a. it forces you to consciously think of the could only be removed at meal
disadvantages of an item, rather than just vaguely preparation times.
stating that you ‘don’t like it’; and
b. you are also required to think of some solutions 2. Apply this Key to a ‘practice’ rather than a
for the disadvantages, which we sometimes try ‘product’ eg list some disadvantages and
to avoid. improvements for ‘washing the dishes every
night’:
We often accept the inadequacies of many things in
our lives, without really considering how they can Disadvantages Improvements
be improved. This strategy can lead to a surprising a. There are too many Ask everyone to rinse their
number of improvements in both products and plates to wash. plates and reuse them,
practices. rather than getting a clean
one out of the cupboard
each time.
b. The water is too hot. Use plastic gloves.
A General Example c. My favourite T.V. Wash the dishes at an
program is on at the earlier time.
List disadvantages of, and improvements to, an same time.
envelope (in a study on communications):

Disadvantages
1. The adhesive tastes awful
if you have to lick it.
2. Writing the address on
the front takes too long.
3. They are often difficult
to open.
Variations
1. List several attributes of an object, and then think
of some way of improving each of the attributes
eg for a refrigerator:
Improvements
Inject a honey resin into the
adhesive.
‘Barcode’ the envelopes so
that they can be computer
delivered.
Place paper zips on each
envelope.
Examples within Subject Areas
1. English:
List some of the normal disadvantages of short
stories, then work out some improvements for
each. When writing any short stories, keep these
improvements in mind.
2. Mathematics:
Give five disadvantages of, and improvements to,
learning number facts.
3. Science:
List five disadvantages of the Space Shuttle.
Now work out an improvement for each of these
disadvantages.
4. Social Studies:
Give five disadvantages of the city’s present
rubbish disposal system. Now work out an
improvement for each of the disadvantages.

33
 Mindlinks

THINKING 10:
The Forced Relationships Strategy
Description
This strategy attempts to solve problems by making
use of unusual or ridiculous objects. Instead of
rescuing a cat from a tree by using a ladder, you would
try to develop a solution by using an object such as
a toothbrush.
Clearly outline the problem, and then provide a list
of items that would not normally be used to solve
that type of problem. If the problem involved a giant
shark that was about to attack you, you would have
to use items such as mousetraps, bananas and old
socks, rather than spears, nets and liferafts.
This form of problem-solving was first introduced to
the business world in Alex Osborn’s ‘Applied
Imagination”. Edward de Bono has also developed a
similar concept that is referred to as the ‘random
word’ technique.
Younger students are comfortable with the use of
only one object to solve the problem. Older afour
items.
A General Example
Rescue your cat from a tall tree by using:
a packet of Minties
a toothbrush
a sewing machine
Disconnect all of the toothbrush bristles, and sew
them together into a net by using the sewing
machine. Then chew the Minties until they are sticky,
and attach to your hands and feet. Climb the tree,
and throw the net over the cat.
Variations
1. Place two boxes of cards ie Box A and Box B, in
the corner of the room.
For Box A, construct a set of problem cards, where
each card outlines a distinct problem eg your cat
is stuck in the tree.
For Box B, each card will contain the name of an
object eg a tennis ball.
The two boxes can then be used in a wide variety
of situations:
a. When students finish their work early, they
walk over to the boxes, and withdraw one card
from each. They are then required to solve the
chosen problem with the chosen object.
b. The teacher can decide on a short story topic
by asking someone to draw a card from each
box, and then assigning the problem to the
entire class.
2. Name three unrelated objects, and then try to
determine a use for them if they were used together.
For example, try to use a paper clip, a computer
disk and a curtain for a particular purpose.
Examples within Subject Areas
1. Current Affairs:
Stop drinkdrivers by using:
yo-yos
a hair dryer
a set of shoelaces
2. Science:
Clean up a local creek by using:
a blanket
a chair
a packet of balloons

3. English:
Rewrite a chapter where the heroes have had to
solve a problem. Use the following items to give
your interpretation of how the problem should
have been solved:
a torch
a toothpick
a walking stick
34
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

SECTION 3 MINDLINKS
Combining the Social and the Mental

In the previous two sections, the Social and the
Mental components have been proposed, along with
a number of suggestions for their implementation. It
is possible to adopt those suggestions on an
individual basis, but I now would like to suggest an
educational structure that encourages their
implementation in a cohesive manner. I refer to this
concept as Mindlinking. Mindlinking is undertaken
by combining thinking and cooperative strategies in
a caring and empathic learning environment.
To provide a starting point for the Mindlinking, I have
included a matrix (Diagram 14) that combines the
activities outlined in Section 1 (Cooperation) and
Section 2 (Thinking). Thus, there are at least three
options for implementing these activities in the
classroom:
1. The cooperative activities only;
2. The thinking activities only;
3. Mindlinking.
As an example, the Prediction thinking strategy could
be undertaken in a full class lesson. This would be
the first option, to adopt higher level thinking when
possible. The second option could be to separately
introduce the cooperative strategies to the students,
by perhaps conducting a spelling lesson with the
Numbered Heads strategy. The third option, however,
would endeavour to combine both strategies, and
to integrate this into the particular lesson plan.
Let us suppose, for instance, that you were
undertaking a study of food production. To introduce
a Mindlink to this lesson eg by combining the
Numbered Heads and the Prediction strategies, the
following steps could be used:
1. Divide the students into groups of four, and
number them from 1 to 4.
2. Based on their present knowledge of local food
production, ask each group to predict how fast
food will be prepared and sold in one hundred
years from now.
3. The teacher then calls a number, such as 3, and
all of the No. 3’s in the room raise their hand to
give their team answer.

THE MINDLINKS MATRIX

Disadvantages
Different Uses

Relationships

The Thinking
Strategies
Evaluation

Prediction
Picture
What If

Forced
Design
Matrix

The Cooperative
BAR

Strategies

Pairing

Role teams

124

Hot Potato

Telephone

Numbered Heads

Triads

Crossover

3-Step Interview

Jigsaw
Diagram 14
35

In essence, this is Mindlinking. It simply is
combining the thinking and the cooperative
strategies to form an effective basis for the
classroom lesson. As can be seen from the Matrix,
there are one hundred different possibilities created
with the strategies that I have provided. However,
the combinations virtually are infinite. The lines on
the ends of the matrix illustrate that any number of
thinking and cooperative strategies could be added
to the diagram.
Whatever the lesson content, the effectiveness of the
learning can be enhanced by the combination of the
social and the mental components. The rest of this
chapter contains ten examples of the way in which
the Mindlinks could be implemented in a classroom.
BAR / Crossover:
1. Divide into teams of 3, and allocate the numbers
1, 2 and 3 to the members in each team.
2. Name the teams in alphabetical progression ie A,
B, C, etc.
3. As an example, each team then is required to BAR
a skipping rope.
4. After it is completed, the first rotation then
takes place ie No.1’s move to the left
No.2’s stay in the same place
No.3’s move to the right.
5. The newly formed groups then add ideas to the
design that is in front of the No.2’s. This is
accomplished by again working through the
BAR Key.
6. The rotations then continue every two minutes.
Matrix / Hot Potato:
1. Divide into teams containing 4-6 people. All
teams should have the same number of members
if possible.
2. Provide a Matrix sheet for each team member.
The Down side could include: shoes, rubber
bands, kites, stopwatches.
The Top side could include: chewing gum, false
teeth, cups, pillows.
The names of these objects could be placed on
the Matrix sheets before the activity starts.
3. Each team member can then fill in one of the
spaces in front of them.
36
Mindlinks
4. After rotating the sheets, each person must read
the ideas on the sheet in front of them, and then
fill in another space.
5. This process continues until all of the spaces are
completed.
NB. Once an idea has been written, it cannot be
repeated on another sheet.
What If / Role Teams:
1. Divide into teams of four members.
2. Assign the roles of:
Recorder/Reporter – to write down and then
present the ideas
Encourager – to encourage members to contribute
ideas
Checker – to restate any confusing ideas
Summariser – to outline the final ideas
3. Compile a list of ideas for:
What if paper did not exist?
4. The activity is then undertaken, with each
member attempting to fulfil their role.
Picture / Pairing:
1. Divide into pairs.
2. The teacher then draws a
Picture Key where it can
be viewed by all students.
3. Within each pair, the students then must take
turns at giving possible answers. They continue
to alternate on ideas until one of them cannot
think of another response.
Evaluation / 3 Step Interview:
1. Divide into teams of four, and number the
members from 1 to 4.
2. All teams are then presented with the proposal:
Children should not have to go to school.
3. Nos. 1 and 2 pair off; Nos. 3 and 4 pair off; each
pair discusses the proposal, and lists as many
good and bad points as possible.
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
4. Then Nos. 1 and 3 pair off; Nos. 2 and 4 pair off;
each pair discusses the proposal, comparing
notes and adding further ideas.
5. All four team members then discuss their ideas,
and continue to develop more ideas for their list.
Design / Jigsaw:
1. Divide into groups of four, and number the
members from 1 to 4. These initial teams can be
known as the Home Teams.
2. The Home Teams are asked to design a classroom
rubbish bin that will actually encourage people
to use it.
3. Before undertaking this, the Home Teams
separate into Expert Teams, with all No.1’s moving
to the No.1 Expert Team, the No.2’s moving to the
No.2 Expert Team, and so on.
4. Each Expert Team then can address the following
questions:
Team 1: The possible locations for the bin in the
room.
Team 2: Possible shapes for the bin.
Team 3: Special features on or in the bin.
Team 4: Techniques for highlighting the bin’s
location.
These Expert Teams will need at least ten minutes
to brainstorm their ideas.
5. All members then reform into their Home Teams,
and complete their design for a new classroom
rubbish bin.
Prediction / Numbered Heads
1. Divide into teams of four (and number off from 1
to 4).
2. Teams then are asked to predict the most powerful
nation in the world in 100 years from now.
3. The teacher then calls out a number, such as 2,
and all of the No.2’s are required to share their
team’s prediction to the class.
Different Uses / 124
1. Divide into teams of four.
2. Each team is required to list as many uses as
possible for old tractor tyres.
3. To commence, ask each team member to write
down as many ideas as they can in one minute.
4. They then pair off with another team member, and
create a combined list of ideas.
5. The pairs then join into the full team, and develop
a final list of ideas.
Disadvantages / Triads
1. Divide into teams of three.
2. Appoint an observer for each team, and provide
them with a monitor sheet.
3. The remaining two team members then develop
a list of disadvantages and improvements for
school desks.
4. The observer records their interactions on the
monitor sheet, and feeds back at the end of their
discussion.
Forced Relationships / Telephone
1. Divide into teams containing four members.
2. Each team then appoints a ‘learner’, who is
required to move to another activity provided by
the teacher.
3. Teams are given a problem, such as ‘too many
cars are used daily by commuters’. They then are
supplied with a set of items that must be used to
solve the problem in some way eg a beach ball
and a mobile telephone.
4. Each team brainstorms a solution, and the
‘learners’ then return to their teams, where the
solution is explained to them.
5. The ‘learners’ then can describe their team’s
solution to the class.
37
 Mindlinks

SECTION 4 THEMATIC ACTIVITY CARDS

Welcome to a smorgasbord of three hundred

thematic activity cards. Teachers should feel free
to implement these activities in any way that they
wish. My hope is that they will relieve them of some
of the monotony that can too easily strike in their
profession. I also hope that the cards can stimulate
the learning process for the children in their care.
We are all born to learn, and that magic, that
insatiable curiosity, should remain with us
throughout our lives.

38
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING 1 ADVERTISING 2

What if television stations

were not allowed to Design a magazine
screen advertisements? advertisement for selling
Name 10 different pencils to teachers.
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ADVERTISING 3 ADVERTISING 4

Give 5 common points between Develop a new type of

an ad for cigarettes and advertising display board that
an ad for new cars. could be placed on bus roofs.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ADVERTISING 5 ADVERTISING 6

How could you guarantee that

How will takeaway food everyone in a large city would
be advertised in 50 find out about a new torch that
years from now? has just been marketed?

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

© Tony Ryan 39
 Mindlinks

ANTARCTICA

ANTARCTICA 1 ANTARCTICA 2

Provide 3 good points and 3 Develop a new product by

bad points for conducting full- combining the concepts
scale mining in the Antarctic. of skis and pencils.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ANTARCTICA 3 ANTARCTICA 4
You have fallen down a
deep chasm in the ice.
What will an explorer’s
How could you get back
tent look like in 100
to the surface by using:
years from now?
• a pair of scissors
• 20 pairs of gloves
• a sleeping bag

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ANTARCTICA 5 ANTARCTICA 6

Name 3 unusual ways of You need to measure the

preventing boredom while outside air temperature, yet
spending 3 months in the you do not have a thermometer.
base camp by yourself. Work out a different way of
taking the measurement.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

40 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA 1 AUSTRALIA 2

Redesign a Hills Hoist clothes

line so that it will spin How would you weigh Uluru?
around in the breeze. Design a special strategy.
You may need to add
some extra features.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

AUSTRALIA 3 AUSTRALIA 4

Design a futuristic ‘swag’ for

Give 3 good points and 3 bad a swagman that includes:
points for Australia having • a laptop computer
such a hot Christmas. • a ‘Made In Taiwan’ teatowel
• a toy koala

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

AUSTRALIA 5 AUSTRALIA 6

Over 500 kangaroos are hopping Redesign a boomerang so

through one of Sydney’s that it could be used
main shopping centres. as a toothbrush.
Give 3 entertaining
explanations for this.

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© Tony Ryan 41

BIRTHDAYS
BIRTHDAYS 1
Name 5 presents that you
could not possibly give a
teenager for their birthday.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
BIRTHDAYS 3
Your birthday could be
determined by names,
and not by dates
(eg all Dougs could have their
birthday celebrations on March 15th).
Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for this proposal.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
BIRTHDAYS 5
How will children celebrate
their birthdays in 100
years from now?
Mindlinks Activity Cards
42
Mindlinks
BIRTHDAYS 2
Candles start too many fires.
Design a new type of candle
that would be safe enough
for young children to use.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
BIRTHDAYS 4
Draw a ‘future timeline’, and
mark on your next 10 birthdays.
Now write down the present
that you think you are most
likely to receive on each
of those birthdays.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
BIRTHDAYS 6
Brainstorm at least 10
completely different ways
of blowing up a balloon.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

BOOKS

BOOKS 1 BOOKS 2
Name 10 things that this picture
could represent in regard to
stories that you have read. Name at least 20 famous books
that you have never read.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

BOOKS 3 BOOKS 4

Design a new type of book People should read books

in which the front cover instead of watching T.V.
could provide a preview Give 3 good points and 3 bad
video of the story. points for this proposal.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

BOOKS 5 BOOKS 6

You have found a secret

Will we still be reading books
treasure map wedged into the
in 100 years from now?
pages of an old library book.
Predict the technique that will
Write down 3 unusual
be used to acquire information.
explanations for the
origin of this map.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

© Tony Ryan 43
 Mindlinks

CAMPING

CAMPING 1 CAMPING 2

Write down 5 disadvantages

of camping tents. Redesign a flyswatter so that
Now work out an improvement it could be used on leeches.
for each of these disadvantages.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CAMPING 3 CAMPING 4

Create a new product for

Find at least 10 different camping by combining the
uses for very smelly socks. concepts of backpacks
and sleeping bags.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CAMPING 5 CAMPING 6

In the morning, you wake up How will camping be undertaken

to find that all of your food in 100 years from now?
supplies have disappeared. Brainstorm the most popular
Give at least 3 entertaining venues, and design the
explanations for this. equipment that will be used.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

44 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

CHINA
CHINA 1 CHINA 2

Predict the type of lifestyle Find 10 unusual uses

in Chinese cities in 100 for chopsticks.
years from now.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CHINA 3 CHINA 4
Name at least 10 possible
things that this picture could What if China was actually in
represent in regard to China. Brazil’s present location?
Give 10 interesting
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CHINA 5 CHINA 6

“The Olympic Games should be Design an entirely new

held in Beijing in 2012 A.D.” product by combining the
Give 3 good points and 3 bad concepts of fried rice and
points for this proposal. the Great Wall of China.

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© Tony Ryan 45

CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS 1
Redesign a plastic Christmas
tree so that it can be erected
and moved around much
more easily.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
CHRISTMAS 3
What if Santa Claus wore
a bright green suit
instead of a red one?
Give at least 10 different
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
CHRISTMAS 5
All world governments have
decided to celebrate Christmas
Day on December 10th
instead of December 25th.
Give at least 3 interesting
explanations for this.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
46
Mindlinks
CHRISTMAS 2
Create an unusual present
that combines the concept
of robot dogs and yo-yos.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
CHRISTMAS 4
Work out at least 10
different things that
this picture could
represent in regard
to Christmas.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
CHRISTMAS 6
Create and draw a version of
Santa Claus that might exist
in a faraway galaxy.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

CITIES

CITIES 1 CITIES 2

Design a mini-peoplemover Find at least 10 different uses

that could be used in for multi-story carparks.
crowded central city areas.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CITIES 3 CITIES 4

Give 5 disadvantages of the

present rubbish collection What if all cities in the world
system in your city or town. were not allowed to exceed a
Now work out an improvement population of 100 000 people?
for each of these disadvantages. Give at least 10 consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

CITIES 5 CITIES 6

Create a new product by How will city traffic be

combining the concept of controlled in 100
rubbish bins and coathangers. years from now?
Illustrate your design
(if possible).

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

© Tony Ryan 47
 Mindlinks

COLOURS

COLOURS 1 COLOURS 2
Work out a technique for
painting a large concrete What if the colour red
floor by using: did not exist?
• an old broom Give at least 10 different
• a telephone consequences.
• a curtain

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COLOURS 3 COLOURS 4

‘Traffic signs should be

painted purple’. Redesign a paint brush
Give 3 good points and 3 bad so that it can perform at
points for this proposal. least 3 different functions.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COLOURS 5 COLOURS 6

What type of instrument will Invent a machine that would be

children be using to colour able to paint the outside walls
in their pictures in 100 of huge shopping centres.
years from now?

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48 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

COMPUTERS

COMPUTERS 1 COMPUTERS 2

Name at least 10 things

Create a new type of computer
that will never be done by
by combining it with a bicycle.
a computer or some form
of artificial intelligence.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COMPUTERS 3 COMPUTERS 4
Your computer monitor has
Develop a keyboard that just displayed a secret
could be controlled by your message that says
thoughts instead of the “Help! I’m trapped in 372917".
touch of your fingers. Give 3 interesting
explanations for this.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COMPUTERS 5 COMPUTERS 6

Predict the type of computers

Brainstorm at least
that we will be using
10 unusual uses for
in 50 years from now.
obsolete computers.
Draw and caption your ideas.

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© Tony Ryan 49
 Mindlinks

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS 1 COMMUNICATIONS 2

Predict the most common form

of mobile communication Create a new method for
device that will be used delivering newspapers by
in 100 years from now. using old car tyres in some way.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COMMUNICATIONS 3 COMMUNICATIONS 4

Work out at least 10 things The number of pages in each

that a reporter and a chocolate newspaper should be halved.
bar have in common. Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for this proposal.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

COMMUNICATIONS 5 COMMUNICATIONS 6

Design a special machine What if all televisions broke

that could send messages down for one week?
from one side of the Give at least 10
playground to the other. different consequences.

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50 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

SCHOOL CONCERTS

SCHOOL CONCERTS 1 SCHOOL CONCERTS 2

123 123 123
123 123 123
123 123 123
Name at least 10 123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123 123 123
things that this 123 123 123 Find 10 different uses for the
123 123 123
123
123 123
123 123
123
123 123 123
picture could 123
123 123
123 123
123 video that will be taken of
123
123 123
123 123
123
represent in regard 123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
123
the school concert.
123 123 123
to the school concert. 123 123 123

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

SCHOOL CONCERTS 3 SCHOOL CONCERTS 4

List 5 disadvantages
of school concerts. Design a special costume
Now work out an improvement for the teachers to wear
for each of these disadvantages. on the night.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

SCHOOL CONCERTS 5 SCHOOL CONCERTS 6

Place the letters A to Z

Predict the most popular down the side of a page.
act at school concerts in For each letter, name some
100 years from now. type of act that could be
presented at the concert.

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© Tony Ryan 51

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 1
Brainstorm at least 10 unusual
ways of cheering up an old
neighbour who is very lonely.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 3
Burglars have recently been
breaking into some houses
in your neighbourhood.
Design an anti-burglar machine
that would prevent them from
entering your house.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 5
There is no room for children
to play in your local area.
Work out an innovative way of
creating some space in which
children could play games.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
52
Mindlinks
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 2
Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for having a fence
around everyone’s house.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 4
Write down every single step
that you would have to take
in organising a street party.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 6
How will your neighbourhood
look in 50 years from now?
Draw the view that you might
see from your front door.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

DINOSAURS

DINOSAURS 1 DINOSAURS 2

What if everyone had a Design a special machine for

Tyrannosaurus Rex for a pet? capturing a Brontosaurus.
Give 10 different consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

DINOSAURS 3 DINOSAURS 4
Your time machine has
landed in the middle of Work out at least 10
a group of dinosaurs. things that this
Name the 10 items of picture could
equipment that you would represent in regard
most like to have with you. to dinosaurs.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

DINOSAURS 5 DINOSAURS 6
What sort of creatures will
be roaming the Earth in
Write down 5 things that 100 million years from now?
a dinosaur bone and a Draw them (if possible), and
wristwatch have in common. explain why they may have
adapted into their present
form (if they have changed).

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© Tony Ryan 53

DRUGS
DRUGS 1
Design a new type of medicine
bottle that could not possibly
be opened by infants.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
DRUGS 3
Predict the most common
social drug (eg alcohol,
cigarettes) being used by
people in 100 years from now.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
DRUGS 5
Create an entirely new product
by combining the concepts
of a headache tablet and
a light switch.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
54
Mindlinks
DRUGS 2
What if cigarettes had
never been created?
Give 10 interesting
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
DRUGS 4
You have been offered
hard drugs at a party.
Work out an entertaining excuse
for not taking them, by using:
• a rag doll
• a cigarette butt
• a potplant
Mindlinks Activity Cards
DRUGS 6
People should be given all
necessary medication for free.
Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for this proposal.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

EARLY EXPLORERS
EARLY EXPLORERS 1 EARLY EXPLORERS 2

What if people had never

Redesign a 15th century been interested in
sailing ship so that it would exploring new worlds?
not be able to sail off the Give at least 10
edge of the Earth. far-reaching consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

EARLY EXPLORERS 3 EARLY EXPLORERS 4

Place the letters A to Z

down the side of a page. Combine an explorer’s map
For each letter, name an object and a bus ticket to create
that could have been found a new product.
on an early explorer’s ship.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

EARLY EXPLORERS 5 EARLY EXPLORERS 6

Where will people be exploring

Brainstorm at least 10 ways
in 100 years from now?
of alleviating boredom on
Name the places, and the
a long sea voyage.
methods that will be
used to get there.

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© Tony Ryan 55

EASTER
EASTER 1
Write a short story that
combines the following
objects in some way:
• a remote-controlled car
• a set of Lego building blocks
• the Easter bunny
Mindlinks Activity Cards
EASTER 3
It has been decided that
icecream should be given as an
Easter present instead of eggs.
Make up an innovative
legend for the use of
icecream as a present.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
EASTER 5
The Easter bunny has been
replaced with an elephant.
Give 3 good points and 3
bad points for this idea.
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56
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EASTER 2
Develop a technologically
advanced delivery system
that could deliver Easter
eggs throughout the entire
world in a single night.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
EASTER 4
Design an entirely new
shape for Easter eggs.
It must be able to:
a. stand up by itself
b. fit into small spaces in
the refrigerator
c. be easily wrapped in
alfoil
Mindlinks Activity Cards
EASTER 6
How could chocolate eggs
be posted in the mail?
Develop a special envelope
that would stop the eggs from
melting or being crushed.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT 1 ENVIRONMENT 2

Design at least 3 really unusual What if rubbish dumps

ways of encouraging people did not exist?
to return their glass Give at least 10
bottles for recycling. consequences of this.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ENVIRONMENT 3 ENVIRONMENT 4

How many ways could

Name 5 places in the world
we clean up city streets?
that could never be
Brainstorm at least 5
polluted by humans.
innovative ways of doing this.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ENVIRONMENT 5 ENVIRONMENT 6

Create a new type of rubbish

truck that immediately Give 3 good points and 3
recycles all of the material bad points for everyone
that is thrown into it. living in treehouses.
Draw up a plan of the
internal mechanism.

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 Mindlinks

EXCURSIONS

EXCURSIONS 1 EXCURSIONS 2

Name 10 possible
Redesign a boring factory
excursion destinations.
so that it would be an
Now rank them in their order
exciting place for your class
of interest for a Martian who
to visit on an excursion.
has just visited Earth.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

EXCURSIONS 3 EXCURSIONS 4
All of the models in the wax
museum have suddenly come Work out at least 5 things
to life while you are there. that movie tickets and
Name at least 5 things that are monkeys have in common.
likely to happen to everyone
inside the museum.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

EXCURSIONS 5 EXCURSIONS 6

Create a new excursion

destination by combining List the 5 places that you
the concepts of a science would least like to go
museum and a symphony on an excursion.
orchestra performance.

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58 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

FAIRY TALES

FAIRY TALES 1 FAIRY TALES 2

Outline an innovative plan for Name 10 fairy tales that do not

rescuing Hansel and Gretel have the ending “…and they
from the deep forest. lived happily ever after.”

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

FAIRY TALES 3 FAIRY TALES 4

What if Hans Christian

Write a present day
Anderson had decided
fairy tale that includes:
to write science fiction
• a robot
instead of fairy tales?
• a small child
Give at least 10
• an environmental issue
interesting consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

FAIRY TALES 5 FAIRY TALES 6

A golden egg has suddenly

Predict the 3 most been deposited outside
popular fairy tales your front door.
in 100 years from now. Work out 3 entertaining
explanations for this.

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FAMILIES
FAMILIES 1
List 10 enjoyable family
activities that do not
cost any money.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
FAMILIES 3
Draw a future time-line, marking
off the next 10 years.
Now write down an important
family occasion that you predict
will occur in each of those years.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
FAMILIES 5
Your parents are really
unhappy with your behaviour.
Calm them down by using:
• a set of car keys
• a telephone directory
• an empty cup of coffee
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60
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FAMILIES 2
Brainstorm at least 5 innovative
ways of telling your parents
that you love them.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
FAMILIES 4
What if brothers and sisters
never argued?
Give at least 10 interesting
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
FAMILIES 6
Work out 10 positive uses
for a family photograph
that is over 5 years old.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

FARMING

FARMING 1 FARMING 2

Create a new product by Write down 3 good points and 3

combining the concepts bad points for living in a lonely
of a plough and a pencil. farm-house all of your life.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

FARMING 3 FARMING 4

What will tractors look like

Brainstorm at least 5 innovative
in 100 years from now?
ways of planting millions of
Draw and caption
seeds in a large field.
your new design.

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FARMING 5 FARMING 6

All of the sheep have stood

Find 10 different uses for in a huge circle around
obsolete and rusted-out the shearing shed.
farm machinery. Give 3 unusual explanations
for this.

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 Mindlinks

FOOD
FOOD 1 FOOD 2

Design a new type of takeaway What if we did not have

food that combines the ideas to eat any food?
of a hamburger and a packet Give at least 10 consequences
of breakfast cereal. for our everyday lives.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

FOOD 3 FOOD 4

Work out at least 10 things

What type of food will we be
that this picture could
eating in 100 years from now?
represent in regard to food.
Name and illustrate at least
5 different types.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

FOOD 5 FOOD 6

Write an outline for a funny Invent a remote-controlled knife

TV ad that would encourage and fork, so that you would
people to eat more fruit not have to use your hands.
and vegetables.

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62 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

GOLDRUSH ERA

GOLDRUSH ERA 1 GOLDRUSH ERA 2

List 4 disadvantages of working

in a deep underground mine. Design a futuristic goldminer’s
Now work out an improvement sieve that will automatically
for each of these disadvantages. search and sift for gold deposits.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

GOLDRUSH ERA 3 GOLDRUSH ERA 4

You have been trapped in
an underground cave-in.
Develop a new type of miner’s
Send a distress signal to
shovel by adding an extra part.
the surface by using:
• a long piece of rope
• any item of clothing
• a canary
Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

GOLDRUSH ERA 5 GOLDRUSH ERA 6

Predict the most valuable Name 5 things that a set of

mineral in the world in weighing scales and a pie
100 years from now. have in common
eg they can both ‘weigh’ you down.

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GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR 1
Name 10 different adjectives
that could not possibly be used
to describe the word ‘people’.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
GRAMMAR 3
Predict 10 present day words
that will not be used in
20 years from now.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
GRAMMAR 5
Place the letters A to Z
down the side of a page.
For each letter, try to decide
upon the most important word
in the English language that
starts with each of the letters.
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64
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GRAMMAR 2
What if the alphabet only
had 20 letters instead of 26?
Give at least 10 different
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
GRAMMAR 4
All of the letter ‘A’s on
a particular page in a
book are missing.
Write down 3 entertaining
reasons for this.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
GRAMMAR 6
Brainstorm 5 unusual ways of
finding out the meaning of a
word without using a dictionary.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

HEALTH

HEALTH 1 HEALTH 2

‘People should only be

Design a new type of hospital
allowed to eat healthy food.’
bed that would be suitable
Give 3 good points and 3 bad
for school-age children.
points for this proposal.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

HEALTH 3 HEALTH 4

Write down 4 disadvantages

Find at least 10 different
of bandaids.
uses for false teeth.
Now work out an improvement
for each of these disadvantages.

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HEALTH 5 HEALTH 6

Develop a fitness routine

for your body by using: Give at least 5 common points
• empty soft drink cans between a headache tablet
• a fitness magazine and a rollercoaster.
• a stethoscope

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 Mindlinks

HOUSES

HOUSES 1 HOUSES 2

What if all houses were only

Design a futuristic window
allowed to have one bedroom?
that a burglar would not
Give 10 consequences for the
be able to climb through.
lifestyle in your own family.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

HOUSES 3
Name at least 10 things that
this picture could represent
in regard to housing.
HOUSES 4
Solar roof panels should
be placed on all new
houses to provide power
for the occupants.
Give 3 good points and
3 bad points for this idea.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

HOUSES 5 HOUSES 6

The water in your swimming

pool is too cold during winter.
Combine the concepts of lounge
Heat up the water by using:
chairs and tables to create a
• a cassette player
new style of furniture.
• some dirty washing
• a camera

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66 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY 1 INDUSTRY 2

Brainstorm at least 5
What if robots really did
interesting proposals for
replace everyone’s jobs?
improving relations between
Work out at least 10
workers and management
direct consequences.
in industry.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

INDUSTRY 3 INDUSTRY 4

Design a coffee machine that All of the workers in a factory

can move around the factory have decided to not take
and automatically dispense lunch breaks for a week.
tea and coffee. Give 3 entertaining
explanations for this.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

INDUSTRY 5 INDUSTRY 6
A huge fire has suddenly broken
Factories should only out in one corner of a factory.
operate on weekends. You need to put out the
Write down 5 blaze by using:
justifications for this idea. • an empty coffee cup
• a pair of overalls
• an old broom
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 Mindlinks

INSECTS

INSECTS 1 INSECTS 2

Redesign a fly swatter What if insects

by adding an extra part. did not exist?
Name 10 interesting
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

INSECTS 3 INSECTS 4

List 4 disadvantages A plague of ants has

of insect spray cans. swarmed into your house.
Now work out an Try to get rid of them by
improvement for each using a torch and a long
of these disadvantages. rope in some way.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

INSECTS 5 INSECTS 6

Design a special machine How will insects be controlled

for catching mosquitoes. in 100 years from now?
Illustrate and caption your idea.

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68 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

KNIGHTS
KNIGHTS 1 KNIGHTS 2

Develop a special mechanism What if knights had ridden

for getting onto a horse while motorbikes instead of horses?
wearing heavy armour. Give at least 10 interesting
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

KNIGHTS 3 KNIGHTS 4

King Arthur has suggested

that the Round Table be Brainstorm 5 innovative
cut into a square shape. ways of shielding yourself
Write down 3 good points and from the heat of a fire-
3 bad points for this proposal. breathing dragon.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

KNIGHTS 5 KNIGHTS 6
A fair damsel is in distress
on a small island in the A knight is sitting on the
middle of a lake. ground, and his armour
Rescue her by using: is covered in small dents.
• a horseshoe Give 3 entertaining
• a saddle explanations for this.
• a very sharp sword

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LAW AND ORDER
LAW AND ORDER 1
What if everyone always
obeyed the law?
Give 10 interesting
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
LAW AND ORDER 3
Predict the main technique
used for law and order
enforcement in 100
years from now.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
LAW AND ORDER 5
Write down 5 common points
between a policeman and
a computer printer.
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70
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LAW AND ORDER 2
Create 3 innovative
alternatives to the present
system of ‘trial by jury’.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
LAW AND ORDER 4
A street gang is trying to sell
drugs to a group of children.
Convince them to go away
by using a pair of old
running shoes and a
broken cassette player.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
LAW AND ORDER 6
Design a robotic policeman
for patrolling city streets.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

LEISURE

LEISURE 1 LEISURE 2

Develop a new product by What if everyone worked on

combining the concepts the weekend, and then had
of a lounge chair and 5 weekdays of leisure time?
a set of roller skates. Give 10 different consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

LEISURE 3 LEISURE 4

List 4 disadvantages of
Brainstorm at least 5
exercising in a gymnasium.
innovative ways of exercising
Now work out an improvement
your pet dog.
for each of these disadvantages.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

LEISURE 5 LEISURE 6

Predict the most common

Name 5 common points between relaxation technique in
kites and picnic baskets. 100 years from now.
Illustrate it if possible.

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 Mindlinks

MONEY

MONEY 1 MONEY 2

Name 10 things that you Combine the concepts of

cannot buy with money. credit cards and socks to
create a new product.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MONEY 3 MONEY 4

Predict the type of monetary

Design a new wallet that
system that will be used
would be burglar-proof.
by consumers in 100
years from now.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MONEY 5 MONEY 6

All of the money in the world

should be distributed evenly What is the most expensive
between everyone. single product in the
Give 3 good points and 3 bad world today?
points for this proposal.

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Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

MONSTERS

MONSTERS 1 MONSTERS 2

Place the letters A to Z

Design an innovative plan down the side of a page.
for returning an outer space For each letter, name some type
monster into deep space. of frightening creature that is
reputed to have existed at some
stage in history.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MONSTERS 3 MONSTERS 4
A real monster has gate-
crashed your costume party. All T.V. stations have decided
Force this monster to not to show any more
reveal itself by using: monster movies.
• an onion Give 3 unusual
• a ball of string explanations for this.
• a toy car

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MONSTERS 5 MONSTERS 6

Any reference to monsters

Write down 5 common should be removed from
points between monsters young children’s stories.
and necklaces. Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for this proposal.

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 Mindlinks

MUSIC

MUSIC 1 MUSIC 2

What type of special effects

Give at least 10 interesting will be used at rock concerts
uses for very loud music. in 100 years from now?
Illustrate and caption at
least 2 different types.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MUSIC 3 MUSIC 4

Your favourite band has Draw a future timeline (covering

decided to change to a 10 year sections for the next 100 years).
country music format. Now write in the type of music
Work out 3 entertaining that you believe will be popular
explanations for this. in each of those 10 year sections.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

MUSIC 5 MUSIC 6

Create a new product by

Name the most unusual
combining the concepts
possible way of publicising
of a microphone and a
a rock band concert.
pair of running shoes.

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74 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

OLD AGE

OLD AGE 1 OLD AGE 2

What if half of the population Design a special walking stick

were older than 60 years of age? that could also be converted
Give 10 interesting into a small seat.
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

OLD AGE 3 OLD AGE 4

A conman has just convinced
a frail old lady to buy an
unwanted vacuum cleaner. An effective anti-wrinkle
Encourage him to return cream should be issued
her money by using: free to all people.
• a gardening spade Give 3 good points and 3
• an old wig bad points for this idea.
• a pack of cards
Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

OLD AGE 5 OLD AGE 6

How will the community be A huge department store

likely to cater for old people is staffed entirely by
in 100 years from now? old age pensioners.
Develop a plan that would Give 3 interesting
be acceptable to all who explanations for this.
would be involved.

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© Tony Ryan 75

PIRATES
PIRATES 1
Redesign the ‘skull and
crossbones’ flag to more
suitably fit a pirate’s
modern day image.
Make at least 3
important changes.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
PIRATES 3
Treasure maps were often
placed on pieces of paper.
Name 10 other ways in which
the details of the treasure site
could have been recorded.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
PIRATES 5
Make up at least 10 unusual
uses for talking parrots.
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76
Mindlinks
PIRATES 2
How many different ways could
you discourage sharks from
hanging around a pirate’s ship?
Work out at least 5
different options.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
PIRATES 4
Invent a highly entertaining
machine for throwing
people overboard.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
PIRATES 6
One of the pirates has
accidentally fallen overboard.
Try to get him back on
deck by using:
• a raincoat
• a piece of gold
• a parrot’s feather
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

POLITICS

POLITICS 1 POLITICS 2
Design an android
politician that can: Predict the structure of your
• talk with 5 people at once country’s political system
• kiss babies in 100 years from now.
• make entertaining T.V.
appearances

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

POLITICS 3 POLITICS 4

Find 5 common points Develop an advanced

between a political speech technological form of
and a paint brush. conducting elections.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

POLITICS 5 POLITICS 6

What if we never held elections,

List 4 disadvantages of the and the same political party
present political system. was always in power?
Now work out an improvement Give at least 10 consequences
for each of these disadvantages. of this situation.

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 Mindlinks

ROAD SAFETY
ROAD SAFETY 1 ROAD SAFETY 2

Brainstorm at least 20 different Design the type of pedestrian

things or services that would crossing that will be needed
not be necessary in a city in 100 years from now.
if cars did not exist.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ROAD SAFETY 3 ROAD SAFETY 4

Write down 4 dis- Name 3 innovative ways of

advantages of bicycles. stopping cars at intersections
Now work out an improvement without using traffic lights
for each of these disadvantages. or stop signs.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

ROAD SAFETY 5 ROAD SAFETY 6

Work out at least 10

interesting things Develop a new safety device
that this picture for a bike by combining
could represent in the concepts of an alarm
regard to road clock, a yellow raincoat
safety. and a garden hose.

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78 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

UNDER THE SEA

UNDER THE SEA 1 UNDER THE SEA 2

Design a small boat that could Create a highly unusual

be packed up and placed sailing boat by adding an
into the back of a car. extra device in some way.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

UNDER THE SEA 3 UNDER THE SEA 4

How will undersea divers All fishing should be banned

propel themselves through the throughout the world
water in 100 years from now? for the next 3 years.
Draw this device or technique Give 3 good points and 3 bad
(if possible). points for this proposal.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

UNDER THE SEA 5 UNDER THE SEA 6

Develop a new concept

in surfboards by using the Every shark in the world
following items in some way: has suddenly disappeared.
balloons, flippers and Give 3 interesting
rubbish bins. explanations for this.

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© Tony Ryan 79

THE SENSES
THE SENSES 1
Name at least 10 sounds that
you know you will never hear.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
THE SENSES 3
Create a new product by
combining the concepts of
gloves and hearing aids.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
THE SENSES 5
All food should be
coloured purple.
Give 3 good points and 3
bad points for this idea.
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80
Mindlinks
THE SENSES 2
What if human beings did
not have a sense of smell?
Give at least 10 interesting
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
THE SENSES 4
What will food taste like
in 100 years from now?
Outline 5 different foods
that you think people will
be eating by then, and try
to describe their taste.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
THE SENSES 6
Place the letters A to Z
down the side of a page.
For each letter, name an object
or event that is capable of
making a loud noise.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

SHOPPING

SHOPPING 1 SHOPPING 2

Brainstorm 5 ways of
Design a machine that could
making supermarkets more
do your shopping for you.
interesting for young children.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

SHOPPING 3 SHOPPING 4
You have lost your parents while
browsing in a List 5 common points between
huge department store. a shopowner and a frisbee,
Find them again by using: eg they are both ‘flat out’
• a packet of breakfast cereal all of the time.
• a loaf of bread
• a melting iceblock

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

SHOPPING 5 SHOPPING 6

The price of all items in a

How will shopping be done
store has been doubled,
in 100 years from now?
yet there is still a long queue
Illustrate and caption your
of enthusiastic shoppers.
predicted technique.
Give 3 creative explanations
for this.

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 Mindlinks

THE ANNUAL SHOW

THE ANNUAL SHOW 1 THE ANNUAL SHOW 2

Design a special machine

Find at least 10 unusual for moving around
uses for fairy floss. the showgrounds.
It must not injure or hurt
other people in any way.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

THE ANNUAL SHOW 3 THE ANNUAL SHOW 4

The rollercoaster cannot be
stopped, and is continuing
Write down 3 disadvantages
to accelerate.
of the annual show.
You have to stop it by using:
Now work out an
• 10 hot dogs
improvement for each
• the contents of one
of these disadvantages.
showbag
• a teddy bear on a string
Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

THE ANNUAL SHOW 5 THE ANNUAL SHOW 6

Give 3 good points and 3 bad Name at least 5 things that

points for giving free entry the ferris wheel and an old
to the showgrounds. shoe have in common.

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82 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

OUTER SPACE

OUTER SPACE 1 OUTER SPACE 2

You have been ordered to

What if the Earth did
undertake a special mission
not have a moon?
to Mars by yourself.
Give at least 10
Design a new mini-rocket
interesting consequences.
for the journey.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

OUTER SPACE 3 OUTER SPACE 4

Develop a new sport for A much greater amount of

playing on the moon, by money should be spent
taking advantage of the on exploration of other
greatly reduced gravity. planets and galaxies.
Write down 3 good points and
3 bad points for this proposal.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

OUTER SPACE 5 OUTER SPACE 6

A huge extra-terrestrial
Predict the technology that globule is about to engulf
will be used to travel to other your tiny rocket.
planets in 1000 years from now. Force it to go away by using:
Illustrate and caption • a spacesuit
(if possible). • a mirror
• a bunch of bananas

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© Tony Ryan 83

SPORT
SPORT 1
What if footballs, soccer balls
and tennis balls did not exist?
Give at least 10 unusual
consequences.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
SPORT 3
Predict the most popular
sport in the world in
100 years from now.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
SPORT 5
Place the letters A to Z
down the side of a page.
For each letter, name an item
of equipment that could be
used when playing sport.
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84
Mindlinks
SPORT 2
Develop a new item of sporting
equipment by combining
a tennis racquet and a
wrist-watch in some way.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
SPORT 4
The amount of time spent
on physical education in
schools should be doubled.
Give 3 good points and 3
bad points for this idea.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
SPORT 6
Design a robotic football referee.
It should be able to:
• blow a whistle
• provide TV replays for the
players
• move quickly around the field
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

TRANSPORT

TRANSPORT 1 TRANSPORT 2

Predict the most likely form of

Give at least 5 unusual ways
private transport being used in
of encouraging people to
cities in 100 years from now.
use public transport.
Draw your design if possible.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

TRANSPORT 3 TRANSPORT 4

List 4 disadvantages
of motor vehicles. Write down at least 10 different
Now work out an improvement uses for old rubber tyres.
for each of these disadvantages.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

TRANSPORT 5 TRANSPORT 6

Name at least 10
Combine a bicycle and a
interesting things
parachute to create a new
that this picture
form of personal transport.
could represent in
regard to transport.

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© Tony Ryan 85

TOURISM
TOURISM 1
Predict the most popular
tourist destination in the
world in 100 years from now.
Give at least 3 reasons
for your answer.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
TOURISM 3
Everyone should be given one
free overseas holiday each year.
Write down 3 good points and
3 bad points for this idea.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
TOURISM 5
The family car develops a flat
tyre while on a holiday trip.
Convince someone else to
change the tyre by using:
• a tourist brochure
• a pair of swimming togs
• a boring video
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86
Mindlinks
TOURISM 2
Develop a new format in
tourist resorts by combining
a ski resort and a wax museum.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
TOURISM 4
You have decided to promote
the local rubbish dump
as a tourist attraction.
Name 5 different promotional
points that could encourage
people to visit this new
‘attraction’.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
TOURISM 6
Design an entirely new floating
toy for using in resort
swimming pools.
Mindlinks Activity Cards
© Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

VALENTINE’S DAY

VALENTINE’S DAY 1 VALENTINE’S DAY 2

Create an original Valentine’s

Find 10 different uses Day present by combining
for melting chocolates. a flower, a ribbon and a
mirror in some way.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

VALENTINE’S DAY 3 VALENTINE’S DAY 4

What if we celebrated
Predict the most likely type
Valentine’s Day every month
of Valentine’s Day present
instead of every year?
in 100 years from now.
Give at least 10 interesting
consequences.

Mindlinks Activity Cards Mindlinks Activity Cards

VALENTINE’S DAY 5 VALENTINE’S DAY 6

Develop an entirely new

form of Valentine’s Day card. Design a special machine
Its features could include for lighting candles
moving illustrations and a in a restaurant.
recorded voice message.

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WAR

WAR 1 WAR 2

Redesign a gun so that it Develop a new product by

could be used for cleaning combining the concepts
cars instead of killing people. of bullets and flowers.

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WAR 3 WAR 4
The political leader of each
country in a war should be
Brainstorm 3 innovative
placed in the front line
ways to win a war
with their soldiers.
without killing anyone.
Give 3 good points and 3 bad
points for this proposal.

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WAR 5 WAR 6

The navy has painted all of

Work out 10 creative uses its ships in a luminescent
for an old rusty army tank. yellow colour.
Write down 3 interesting
explanations for this.

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88 © Tony Ryan
Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom

WEATHER

WEATHER 1 WEATHER 2

What if the temperature

Give 4 disadvantages
always stayed the same
of an umbrella.
throughout the year?
Now work out an
Write down at least 10
improvement for each
interesting consequences.
of these disadvantages.

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WEATHER 3 WEATHER 4

Design a new thermometer Predict the type of weather

that changes shape with forecasting technology that
the different temperatures. will exist in 100 years from now.

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WEATHER 5 WEATHER 6
You are walking home when
Giant roofs should be placed a heavy fog suddenly
over cities to protect the descends on you.
inhabitants from adverse Find your way to your
weather conditions. house by using:
Give 3 good points and 3 bad • a ball of string
points for this idea. • a banana
• a briefcase
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© Tony Ryan 89
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Appendix

The Activity: The Activity:

Do you remember it? Do you remember it?
Could you teach it to Could you teach it to
someone else? someone else?
Do you know why Do you know why
you should use it? you should use it?

When I could use it another time: When I could use it another time:

The Activity: The Activity:

Do you remember it? Do you remember it?
Could you teach it to Could you teach it to
someone else? someone else?
Do you know why Do you know why
you should use it? you should use it?

When I could use it another time: When I could use it another time:

The Activity: The Activity:

Do you remember it? Do you remember it?
Could you teach it to Could you teach it to
someone else? someone else?
Do you know why Do you know why
you should use it? you should use it?

When I could use it another time: When I could use it another time:

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Exciting Strategies for Creating the 21st Century Classroom
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NOTES

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