Create Challenge and Develop Creativity

I have aimed to provide a range of activities that can be used to further extend students working at advanced level. All the books are available in the Newman library predominately in the Gifted and Talented section; where many more titles can be found. Please see me if you require further help or information on subject specific contacts.
Naomi Ferguson

I particularly recommend this book for subject specific information.

Many of the examples use in this document can be found in much more detail in this book.

1. Plan/Do/Review
This approach encourages independent thinking and requires the use of both
creative and critical thinking.

With able students the first and last stages are particularly important. They
should be encouraged to plan systematically and with greater rigour than
other children and to give reasons for their planning choices. During the
‘doing’ section they should be encouraged to be as independent as possible.

Learning to succeed (The Paul Hamlyn Foundation,
1993) sorts children into two groups: mastery children and helpless children.
The first group sees problems and difficulties as a challenge and strives to
overcome the. The second group gives up easily, which may be a mayor factor
in the children’s achievement. In the case of able children the second group
are potential under achievers.

The review aspect of this technique is sometimes of a perfunctory nature in
school. To the question ‘How could you improve that next time?’, the child
may write a low level response, e.g., ’Next time I will write more neatly’. What is needed, especially from the most able, is a high level analytical response.

However, they may not be able to achieve this alone and need help in
recognizing what they have learnt and how this could be used on future
occasions. Teacher time being at a premium in the classroom, it is worth
considering the role of paired evaluation and using particular pieces of work
for ample evaluations.

2. Working from difficult text
This immediately increases the level of difficulty. Able students can work on the same topic or even activity as other children, but make use of a more adult or sophisticated text. Extension tasks can be set using information extracted from the text. The advantages of using more complex text are twofold. A more complex text is likely to have more detailed information and, as it was written for an older age group, may address more complex issues, rather like reading an article in a broadsheet rather then a tabloid newspaper. Of course what constitutes a ‘difficult text’ varies according to the age and the ability of the group.

Fiction can be used to encourage students to read more challenging texts to
support work done on a class text. They may look at another book in the same
genre or in which similar plot construction is used. They may look at a pre-
twentieth century text or a less accessible twentieth century one. Perhaps the most difficult text to access is official text, be it in the form of data or local government papers. This sort of text can be used to extend the normal classroom exploration of a text into something more challenging.

History lends itself easily to the use of first-hand sources, as changes in language can make a text more difficult to comprehend; MFL can use magazines or newspapers or Science could use Journals to provide information

3. Using a range of text or information
This offers instant opportunities for a range of comparative work. With
multimedia information available it is possible to make use of books and CD-
ROMs as well as pictures and videos. Indeed Information is so freely available
that the tasks set will probably focus on extracting key information or specific
data rather than finding out as much as possible.

Able students should be helped to develop the study skills to enable them to
sift through a wide variety of material to reach conclusions. Extension tasks
may be used to develop such study skills. Setting this type of task has both
management and resource implications for schools. Effective comparisons
cannot be made without appropriate resource materials and making use of
them may involve working in the library or other spaces outside the
classroom.

Evidence of Sheffield’s industry.
Why was the geography of the peak district vital to the development of Sheffield’s steel industry? Mill stones in the Peak District

4. Book Talk
This is Aiden Chambers’ (1993) approach to encouraging useful discussion of
fiction books. Many able students are avid readers but the opportunities to
discuss their reading in depth are frequently limited. Structured division helps
to develop critical analysis and also assists children in understanding why
certain books are unappealing. This technique may yield interesting results if
applied to non-fiction, practical tasks, visual stimuli or any other teaching
resources in any subject.

Examples of book questions:

1. Basic; was there anything you liked about the book? Was there
   anything you disliked? Was there anything that puzzled you?
2. General; When you first saw the book, before you read any of it,
   what sort of book did you think it would be? If the writer asked how
   could it be improved, what would you say? Has anything that
   happened in the book happened to you? When you think about the
   book how do you feel? What is the most important part of the book
   for you?
3. Special; Which character was the most important for you? Was
   there anyone not mentioned in the story but without whom, it could
   not have happened? Think of yourself as a spectator, with whose
   eyes did you see the story?
   

5. Recording in unusual ways
The vast majority of the work students do in school is still in a written format.
There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from ease of storage and
assessment through to sheer habit. When planning extension work, it is worth
thinking about other forms of recording, as writing is disliked by many
children. Extension work which is done in addition to core work needs to be
motivating and interesting or students will resent doing it. Another point
worth mentioning is the grouping of able students who do not find writing
easy. If all extension work requires a written outcome then they will be unable
to complete it satisfactorily. Extension work should aim to develop thinking
and be less concerned with how that thinking is conveyed.

Finally, it is important that extension work does not become dislocated from
other class activity and one way to avoid this is to make use of recording
techniques which will involve, be of interest to or supplement the work of
others. Examples include presentations using OHP, tape recordings and
memos or the creation of models.

6. Role play
This is simply an easy way to require children to act in a different way or
respond to information they would not usually meet. The year 7 civil War
history project in a school which had civil war connections used first-hand
sources and then required students to write a diary for a person of the period.
This is both more interesting and more challenging than a series of lessons on
the Civil War. Able students will research to make their diary authentic and
can be encouraged to make use of the local public records office.

David Lazear
David Lazear works n multiple intelligences in an excellent source of ideas to develop recording and role play further.

7. Problem-solving and enquiry tasks
Most problem solving activities require children to engage in higher level thinking. It is a helpful short cut in extension planning to consider whether the tasks to cover the content or concepts required could be set in such a way as to involve enquiry. Even the most straight forward work can be made more interesting and challenging by presentation through enquiry.

perplexus.info :: logic puzzles, brainteasers, riddles and math tricks
Numeracy - Features - Problem solving
BBC - BBC Four - Mind Games
EDWARD DE BONO'S AUTHORISED WEBSITE - HOME PAGE lateral thinking and creative thinking training techniques

8. Choice in how to handle content
Creating opportunities for choice has many benefits. It increases motivation
and may encourage students to work longer and harder on a task. It is
particularly useful with the sort of able student who stubbornly refuses to do
anything for they cannot see a purpose, and helps to engage the daydreamer.
From a teaching point of view it is part of the strategy for able student
provision. If we are encouraging students to reflect and seek challenges in
their tasks, they are likely, when given the opportunity to choose, to select a
difficult and challenging route. This is a kind of differentiation through choice.
Many able students, especially in secondary schools, have mentioned ways in
which they would have liked to explore the concept or content. Their ideas are
often less conventional than the teacher might have planned for extension but
equally valuable and challenging.

9. Decision making
Once again this is the fast and easy way to ensure that able students are
required to think. For some able students making decisions is quite a problem
and is a skill which needs to be developed. For others it is an area of greater
expertise and they will give their opinions confidently and with clarity.

Sometimes a task can be set at a more difficult level simply by asking students to make decisions about what should be included and what should be left out.

Decision Making Techniques from Mind Tools

10. No correct answer
This is linked to decision making and requires students to make selections and
justify their choice. For some able students this is not easy. They like a clear
set of instructions and the corresponding set of ticks for the right answers.
This kind of able student, at whatever age, will seek reassurance on a regular
basis. They may ask questions such as, ‘Is this the real answer?’, as if the
teacher already has an answer but is unwilling to share it. This kind of student
needs to be encouraged to take risks.

For the majority of able students, open-ended tasks which do not have a set
answer are a joy. They will explore aspects the teacher had not thought of and
feel real satisfaction in finding a justifiable answer. Such tasks usually require
students to use their critical thinking skills as well as to make use of a wide
variety of information.

11. Give the answer, they set the question
This is a form of differentiation by outcome which can be used with all
ages. From the teaching perspective it enables the whole class or group to
work on the same task but with differing outcomes. As always with
differentiation by outcome, there is a need for the teacher to have considered
possible learning outcomes so as to support or facilitate.

It is sometimes interesting to use this technique as a final aspect of a
piece of work. After the students have worked through the task, asking them
to create a similar task for others again makes use of higher level thinking. A
simple example of this is to complete a crossword and then to create one for
others – a more difficult task.

Examples;

1. Winston Churchill
2. Erosion
3. Impressionists
4. 13
5. Past perfect tense

12. Using one text or artefact
When planning extension work it is often assumed that more resources will be needed and that students will explore additional aspects which enhance existing classroom provision. This is, of course, one form of extension planning but an equally effective form works in reverse. By limiting the use of material it forces students to consider the material in more depth and can allow students to develop a much greater understanding. Good quality books or artefacts are needed to support this type of extension planning, but many of both are freely available.

The title of this picture is “Humanity or insanity?”.
The photograph formed part of an exhibition entitled
“The tragedy of War”.
Why do you think the photographer chose this title? s

• Using a picture to stimulate thought. Why do you think the photographer has called this picture Humanity or insanity?
• Explain the meaning of "Urban Warfare"
• Explain the processes taking place in this picture.
  

13. Allowing students to do the planning
One way in which such planning can be made easier, and at the same time
encouraging greater student involvement, is by letting students do their own
planning, sharing the basic planning with the group and then asking for
suggestions for possible alternatives. Often able students will think up
ingenious ideas which may not have occurred to the teacher. Able students
often give ideas for ways in which the lesson they have just experienced could
have been improved. Their suggestions usually involve more difficult tasks
than the ones set by the teacher. If we are keen to encourage students to think, then establishing a climate where it is possible to negotiate an adaptation to the set class task is one way to facilitate this.

14. Time restricted activities
Another way to create a challenge is to restrict the amount of time available to
accomplish the task. What may be a reasonably straightforward task can
become much more difficult if limited is available. Students may need to make
decisions regarding what is possible rather than what is desirable and subsequently resolve a series of compromises. This sort of approach can lead
to the production of better work from some able students and especially
effective with disenchanted boys.

• Task; Newspaper
  The students must have their articles ready to go to press at a fixed
  time, any groups that don’t meet the deadline will not get their work
  included.
• Task; Evacuation Planet
  You must decide what your new planet must have to make it
  suitable for survival.
• Discuss as a group what you think is essential for life (10min)
  Your group has 1 minute, form receiving, paper to write down all
  they need, anything not included in the list will not exist. Remove
  the paper.
• Discuss what they have chosen.

15. Developing metacognition
Robert Fisher (1990) describes metacognitive knowledge as knowing how you
know things and the process by which you think. Metacognitive skills help us
to acquire control of our thinking. In the past 20 years this focus on
metacognition has gained a significant following in a number of different
educational arenas. Recognizing one’s own thinking process and, through
that, developing or enhancing thinking has influenced the work of educators
from nursery school to management training. This approach has considerable
advantages in helping able students to become more independent in their
learning and gaining better self-knowledge. Of all students they are the ones
who can make the most use of metacognitive information and therefore are
likely to benefit from exposure to it.

Researchers like Reuven Feverstein (1980) believe that children fail because
they do not have the appropriate tools for learning and that they can be taught
such skills in order to facilitate success. Metacognitive work may well be a case
of extension for all rather than for a nominated group, since all students can
benefit from it.

Thinking skills can be taught in two ways: Through intellectual games and
through the curriculum. The first approach, usually called ‘instrumental
enrichment’, is taught as a subject or activity. Students are introduced to the
tools through activities which require no background knowledge. The
Somerset Thinking Skills Course by Blagg et al (1988) is an example of this
approach. The second method is by drawing student’s attention to their
thinking process as part of general classroom activity, teaching them to see
themselves as learners and to recognize their strengths and weaknesses.
Instrumental enrichment has sometimes been criticized because researchers
have been unable to find evidence of students transferring their thinking skills
work into their ordinary learning.

The second approach negates the need for this bridging by setting the tasks
within the subject context. One well reported example of this is the CASE
(Cognitive Accelerated Science Education) work of Shayer and Adey (1981)
which is aimed at science and maths teaching in middle secondary level.
Robert Fisher (1987) has alaos developed this approach for use in primary
schools.

When planning extension activities it is possible to make a conscious effort to
develop metacognitive skills, encouraging students to think about the thinking
processes which they are using as well as the task to be undertaken.

16. Bloom’s higher order thinking

If pressed to identify an approach to extension planning which is particularly
useful, this would be my choice. It has a clear structure to enable planning and
is easily adapted to a wide variety of subjects. I have used this approach
extensively with both primary and secondary schools in in-service work and
found it an effective way to extend existing classroom planning. The approach
was first developed by Bloom (1956) and has been adapted for use in general
classroom planning. The approach identifies the characteristics of high and
low level thinking and can be used to focus on ways in which more high level
tasks can be included.

Bloom's Taxonomy of Thinking Skills
Bloom's Taxonomy for Art - Art Criticism - Higher Order Thinking Skills

Asking questions using Blooms taxonomy

Knowledge
Learning and remembering facts

• When did . . . ? Can you recall . . . ?
• How would you show . . . ? Can you select . . . ?
• Who were the main . . . ? Can you list three . . . ?
• Which one . . . ? Who was . . . ?
• What is . . . ? How is . . . ?
• Where is . . . ? When did _______ happen?
• How did ______ happen? How would you explain . . . ?
• Why did . . . ? How would you describe . . . ?

Comprehension
Paraphrasing or summarising what has been learnt

• How would you classify the type of . . . ?
• How would you compare . . . ? contrast . . . ?
• Will you state or interpret in your own words . . . ?
• How would you rephrase the meaning . . . ?
• What facts or ideas show . . . ?
• What is the main idea of . . . ?
• Which statements support  ?
• Can you explain what is happening /what is meant . . .?
• What can you say about . . . ?
• Which is the best answer . . . ?
• How would you summarize . . . ?

Application
Applying the acquired knowledge in another situation, solving problems using taught methods

• How would you use . . . ?
• What examples can you find to . . . ?
• How would you solve _______ using what you have learned . . . ?
• How would you organize _______ to show . . . ?
• How would you show your understanding of . . . ?

Analysis
Understanding the structure, able to perceive relationships between parts

• What are the parts or features of . . . ?
• How is _______ related to . . . ?
• Why do you think . . . ?
• What is the theme . . . ?
• What motive is there . . . ?
• How would you classify . . . ?
• How would you categorize . . . ?
• What evidence can you find . . . ?
• What is the relationship between . . . ?
• Can you make a distinction between . . . ?
• What is the function of . . . ?

Synthesis
Creating new products, asking what if…

• What changes would you make to solve . . . ?
• What would happen if . . . ?
• Can you elaborate on the reason . . . ?
• Can you propose an alternative . . . ?
• How would you adapt ________ to create a different . . . ?
• Suppose you could _______ what would you do . . . ?
• How would you test . . . ?
• Can you formulate a theory for . . . ?
• Can you predict the outcome if . . . ?
• How would you estimate the results for . . . ?
• Can you construct a model that would change . . . ?

Evaluation
Judging against a criteria, accessing the impact of..

• What is your opinion of . . . ?
• Can you assess the value or importance of . . . ?
• Would it be better if . . . ?
• Why did they (the character) choose . . . ?
• What would you cite to defend the actions . . . ?
• How could you determine . . . ?
• What choice would you have made . . . ?
• What would you select . . . ?
• How would you prioritize . . . ?
• What judgment would you make about . . . ?
• What information would you use to support the view . . . ?
• How would you compare the ideas . . . ? people . . . ? 

17. Enrichment; Renzulli’s Triad Model

Type 1 Enrichment; General exploratory activities
Introduce students to new ideas, topic and knowledge. It is an invitation to more advanced involvement.
Examples may include; trips, visiting speakers, demonstrations and so on.

Type 2 Enrichment; Group training activities
Training students to help them carry out a task such as; research, compass and map work or stamina training.

Type 3 Enrichment; individual or small group investigations of real problems
Once students have completed the activities; All about me and Myself as a learner, tutors can make informed matches between their tutees and an activity. The choice would be based on who would benefit most from this experience not who would be best at doing it. A natural leader for example may be placed in a follower role to help develop a rounded individual.

Type 3 enrichment lends itself well to the needs of able students. A programme of this type would enable students to become first hand enquirers, drawing upon the roles and skills of a practising professional.

Renzulli has identified the following five characteristics of this type of enrichment:

1. A personal frame of reference
2. A focus on advanced level knowledge
3. A focus on methodology
4. A sense of audience
5. An authentic evaluation.

There are many subject specific competitions and awards available; why not start with an established programme before developing your own. Here are a few examples;

Active Training and Education (ATE) - www.ate.org.uk
Arkwright Scholarships -  www.arkwright.org.uk
Crest Award and AstroZeneca - www.inspiringscience.co.uk
British Chess Federation - www.bcf.ndirect.co.uk
British Council - www.britishcouncil.org/cbiet
British Inventor of the Year - www.bfiy.com
British Informatics Olympiad - www.christs.cam.ac.uk/bio
British Physics Olympiads - c.isenberg@ukc.ac.uk
BSES Expeditions - bses@rgs.org
Daily Telegraph BASF Science Writers Awards - www.science-writers.co.uk
Duke of Edinburgh Awards - www.theaward.org
Euroscola - www.europarl.org.uk
Film Education - www.filmeducation.org
Global Young Leaders Conference - www.gylc.org
The Guardian Young Composer  - www.guardian.co.uk
Newsday Competition - www.newsday.co.uk
Nuffield Science Bursaries Scheme - www.nuffield.org
Open University - www.open.ac.uk
The Poetry Society - www.poetrysociety.org.uk
Space Schools UK - www.spaceschoolsuk.org
Tomorrows Achievers - www.masterclasses.co.uk
Young Engineers Clubs - www.youngeng.org.uk
Young Enterprise UK - www.young-enterprise.org.uk
Youth Sports Trust - www.youthsports.net

more link see ideas for enrichment

18. Study Skills, using DARTS
Many useful educational ideas can be successfully adapted for use with able
students. In the case of learning approaches like DARTS (directed Activities
Related to Text) the major adaptation is in the text used and in the degree of
teacher support given. DARTS was created to assist students who were having
difficulty in accessing text. It therefore works very well with able students as a
means of accessing very dense or complex text. This allows the teacher to
make use of a text which might at first seem inappropriately difficult; for
example, a primary school teacher working on the Victorians may be able to
make use of a section form Oliver Twist. Whilst some work with DARTS may
be as a class based lesson and teacher led, it is also possible to encourage able
students to adopt it as part of their general approach to learning. In this
instance they apply a DARTS technique whenever they meet a text which
proves difficult.
A summary of the DARTS approach is as follows:

Darts was devised by Lunzer et al (1984) to enable students to
‘get into’ text. Each activity requires the student to work on the
text in some way. It has been found more effective when the
students worked in pairs or in small groups than when left to
tackle text on their own.

The DARTS approach is roughly divided into two types. When
the student is required to work directly upon texts that appeared
either in textbooks or in work sheets they are called ANALYSIS
DARTS. When the student is presented with a modified text, i.e.
when the teacher has deleted words or information, it is called
RECONSTRUCTION DARTS. Both types encourage students
to think and reflect on the text.

Analysis DARTS:

• Underlining. Students are asked to underline key words in the text in
  response to teacher questions.
• Labelling. Students are asked to classify or label segments of text.
• Constructing Diagrams. Using information given in the text,
  students display this in diagrams or graphs.
• Tabular Representation. Students construct tables using text.
• Questions. Students read the text and then set questions based on it.
• Summarising. Students summarise using any of the techniques
  outlined above.

Reconstruction DARTS:

Text Completion. The students are given text in which the teacher
has deliberately omitted or deleted words or phases. The students have
to reconstruct the gaps. Students tend to read and think through the
passages with much more care that they normally would. This can be
done in a number of ways:

• Regular deletions every 8,9 or 10 words,
• Specific deletions, e.g. adjectives,
• Sentence deletion.

Diagram or table completion. Using the text for guidance the
pupils have to insert missing information.

Sequencing. Students are presented with scrambled text which has to
be reordered in order to make sense of the text.

Prediction. Students are given the text in sequence and asked to
predict what would happen next.

• Nuffield Science for Public Understanding - Directed activities related
  to text
• D.A.R.T.S - Directed Activities Related to Texts

19. Introducing technical language
The early introduction of technical language allows able students to be more
rigorous in explaining their ideas. Without the appropriate technical language
a student is often unable to explain their thinking processes, so making it
more difficult for the teacher to recognize both their current level of thinking
and also what Vygotsky (1978) calls their ‘zone of proximal development’
(ZPD).

Sometimes in educational circles there has been a reluctance to make use of
technical language for fear that it may alienate some students. At its worst this
has lead to a simplification of the reading content of all worksheets and in
some cases the simplification of language in the school prospectus. This approach can be very patronizing. Whilst there is no justification for an unnecessarily complex style, this does not mean the elimination of appropriate technical language. If a student is attempting to generalize in maths, knowing that the term for such a process is generalization allows them to explain what they are attempting to do. It may even be that introducing the technical language actually facilitates an understanding of the process.

20. Modelling experts
One effective way of creating challenge is to introduce into the classroom an
expert with skills which students may wish to emulate. This has a number of
advantages. Generally, experts are very good at explaining their subject
because they have thought about it deeply and understand it thoroughly. In
the classroom context they often talk with great enthusiasm and capture the
interest of students.

For the most able students there are additional advantages linked to that
thorough understanding. Students are able to ask questions at any level, no
matter how difficult, and expect a considered response. Indeed experts are
often highly gratified when a student asks a really insightful question, whereas
a teacher may be irritated by such a diversion from the lesson’s planned route.
Experts may be working with the class on a particular skill, e.g. poetry or
narrative writing; this skill may be developed in greater depth using an expert
and therefore may be particularly relevant for the most able.

An additional bonus in using experts lies in their ability to raise the expectations of students. Having net a real author, becoming one may seem
more attainable. Equally the scientist whose work appears in major scientific
journals may seem more human when they explain other interest. It should be
noted here that experts do not always have to come form beyond the school
community. Many parents have much to offer, as do many staff.

Some schools use experts not just because of their impact on pupils but also as
a means of staff development. Staff can model from experts, just as students
can, and the use of an expert with the class can increase the teacher’s own
understanding of that particular aspect of the subject.

Open University, ASE and SETNET are good contacts, see additional contacts.

Nuffield Science for Public Understanding - Activities

21. Philosophy
The use of philosophy in the classroom is another way to encourage students
to think critically. Perhaps the most well known exponent of this approach is
Matthew Lipman (Lipman et al.,1980) but there is now a wide range of
educationalists who are interested in this field and even a Institute for the
Advancement of Philosophy in Children at Montclair State College in New
Jersey. Karen Murris has developed the ideas of teaching philosophy using
picture books. This is an interesting technique which can be used with a wide
variety of age groups. In her book philosophy with Picture Books (1992) she
provides a structured approach to the development of philosophical thought.
She gives clear guidance on possible questions and the art of directing
philosophical discussion, as well as using examples from a variety of well
known picture books. She describes philosophy as helping children to:

• Be reflective about their own and other people’s judgements.
• Improve reasoning
• Strengthen personal judgements
• Explore subtleties.

Oxford schools which have used the Karen Murris approach have found it
useful with all their students but particularly appealing for able students. It is
often used when groups of able students are withdrawn from class to work
together.

P4C - Philosophy for Children
Children and Youth Philosophers
www.sapere.net

22. TASC
Thinking Actively in a Social Context
(Wallace and Adams 1993)

TASC provides a practical framework for the teaching of thinking and
problem-solving skills across the curriculum.

Classroom Methodology

• Group work so the students can explain, share ideas and support one
  another.
• The teacher, when leading the activity, must verbalise the thought
  processes and the stages of the problem-solving wheel that are being
  used. This provides the student with a model of the thinking skills of a
  senior learner.
• The students need to identify and verbalise the stages of the problem-
  solving wheel that are being used. This will identify and reinforce the
  skills being developed.
• The students must establish the criteria that they will use to evaluate
  the product. The whole process of their thinking and method of
  working needs to be evaluated as well. This is the metacognitive stage,
  thinking about thinking. The results of their work must be
  communicated in interesting and varied ways
• Reflecting on what they have learned is the summative process that
  aims to crystallise and transfer the thinking and subject skills.

23. Creative learning activities
I have included 2 examples from this book but you will find many more in
the GaT section of the library.

Other library resources

This book provides subject specific information and ideas.
Please ask if you require further help