New Thinking Skills

Doug Paterson and Phil Wood, both ASTs, demonstrate four thinking activities which offer students specific strategies to deepen their understanding and question their own thinking processes.

Mystery is used by Doug to help his Year 9 history class get to grips with contentious issues. There's no right or wrong answer but his students know they must give an explanation for any choice they make.

Phil uses the technique of concept mapping to develop his students' geographical understanding and to encourage holistic thinking. He presents his Year 13 students with an image of the River Ganges and asks what areas of geography are in the image and how they link together.

Diamond Ranking is another activity Doug likes and he uses it to get his Year 9 class to prioritise a list of poor working conditions in the 19th century. He then builds up a physical Venn diagram with his Year 12 to explore the causes of Chartism.