SOS Top Ten: The 4Cs Foster Creativity

Activities that provide novel approaches to problem solving through things like music, visual representation, and discussion can spark creativity and ignite innovation by accessing various senses and skills.

We’ve selected these Top Ten SOS Instructional Strategies for 4Cs – Encouraging Creativity and Innovation because they give students multiple entries to their own creative processes. Use these strategies to encourage students to unlock their creative potential.

Think Creatively

Make It Concrete

A twist on the concept of concrete poetry, Make It Concrete requires students to identify and draw a shape that is related to the content, then fill it with factual details taken from a piece of media.

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Sketchnotes

Students often take written notes in phrases and fragments. Consider Sketchnotes’ visual versions of this shorthand. By representing their learning in sketches, students need to add a layer to their thought process, often increasing comprehension and retention.

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Fakebook

This strategy requires a deep understanding of a person, place, or object. Fakebook harnesses the appeal of social media to inspire students to create an online profile full of connections that reflect the events, people, and times of their topic.

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Puppet Pictures

Using the creative and conceptual format of a puppet show, Puppet Pictures requires students to have a solid understanding of the topic at hand. With images related to your unit, student write and narrate a puppet show.

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Sticky Back

Creativity often requires looking beyond the obvious. In Sticky Back, students gain points if they can recall and record a factual detail from a piece of media that no one else recorded, rewarding those who pay close attention to the material.

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Work Creatively with Others

Paper Slide

Would your students like a video production assignment? Connecting to content, representing key points and details, and producing a one-shot Paper Slide video will push students to synthesize any featured topic in a medium they know and love.

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Music Video

It takes clear understanding to represent content in a fresh way, such as a Music Video. With this strategy, students will use visualization and collaboration skills to create illustrations that represent song lyrics, line-by-line and frame-by-frame.

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Take a Walk

You’ve read the research: walking lets the mind wander right along with the feet, which can foster innovative thinking. Bring the research to life in your classroom by asking students to Take a Walk to share their learning.

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Implement Innovations

Take a Shot

Innovation almost always requires risk. Take a Shot encourages students to try for even more complex questions to earn greater points for their correct answers.

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IDEA Share

Contrary to popular belief, creativity can benefit from structure and feedback. IDEA Share provides a specific framework for students to provide peer-to-peer feedback in four categories: Interesting, Different, Exciting, and Advanced.

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These ten strategies will help your students connect to their creativity as they problem solve and innovate. Find more instructional strategies in our SOS Instructional Strategies Channel, and encourage students to use all their newfound skills in solution making across disciplines!

Tags: Instructional Strategies

SOS Top Ten: The 4Cs Foster Creativity

Think Creatively

Make It Concrete

Sketchnotes

Fakebook

Puppet Pictures

Sticky Back

Work Creatively with Others

Paper Slide

Music Video

Take a Walk

Implement Innovations

Take a Shot

IDEA Share

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