20 Visible Thinking

Power Sheets
“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think”
- Margaret Mead
Why use Thinking Routines?

Thinking Routines are intentionally designed graphic organizers that enable

students to make their thinking and learning visible. They are every PYP
educator’s best friend because they encourage inquiry, promote reasoning,
focus on process, and make learning engaging. As an educator, you can use
these Thinking Routines to make learning meaningful and authentic in every
classroom context - virtual, blended, hybrid, in-person.

Thinking Routines make learning significant by

Encouraging students to make careful Allowing for deeper exploration and

observations and thoughtful interpretations understanding of concepts

Enabling students to organize their thoughts Inspiring connections between prior

in a clear and succinct manner knowledge and new learnings

Stimulating curiosity and setting the stage Provoking students to reflect on their
for inquiry learning and goals

Encouraging learners to independently research Asking meaningful questions

How to use the Thinking Routines?

“Learning is a consequence of thinking”

- Ron Ritchhart, Creating Cultures of Thinking

Thinking routines can be effectively used across every stage of the inquiry
journey, be it in transdisciplinary or single-subject unit of inquiry and through
all parts of the inquiry cycle. Whether you’re tuning in or taking action,
Thinking Routines can make learning more visible and more engaging.

Thinking Routines can be used for a range of reasons. Each routine is best
fit for a certain type of thinking so it’s best to carefully choose your tools.
You can read more about Project Zero’s Thinking Routine Toolbox here -
https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines.
Below are a few uses of Thinking Routines:

To introduce and explore To synthesize and

To dig deeper into ideas
new ideas organize ideas

3-2-1 Bridge Connect-Extend- Circle of Viewpoints

Challenge
Compass Points Claim-Support-Question
Colour, Symbol, Image
See, Think, Wonder Peel the Fruit
Headlines
Think, Puzzle, Explore Step Inside:
I Used To Think... Perceive, Know, Care
Question Starts
Now I Think…
What Makes You Say That?
Think-Pair-Share
Generate-Sort-
Creative Hunt
Elaborate-Extend
Reporter’s Notebook
Does it Fit?
Options Diamond
The Thinking Routines are an outcome of a vast array of Project Zero’s
research projects. They are developed by the different teams that work
with Harvard University’s Project Zero initiatives.

In this pack, you will find 20 versatile Thinking Routines designed as

Power Sheets that are ready-to-use in your classroom community.
These Thinking Routine templates can be easily adapted and modified
to suit your needs. Download the pack and support students in making
their thinking and learning visible.

We hope you and your students enjoy using these Thinking Routine
templates and find it meaningful to use in your classroom.

Love, laughter & learning

Team Toddle
 3-2-1 Bridge
Initial Response New Response

3 Words 3 Words

2 Questions 2 Questions

1 Metaphor/ Simile 1 Metaphor/ Simile

Bridge

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Compass Points
What do you find Worrisome about What else do you Need to know or find out
this idea? What’s the downside? about this idea?

W E

What is your Stance or opinion on the What Excites you about this idea?
idea? What should your next Step be? S
What’s the upside?
What Suggestions could you make?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 See, Think, Wonder

SEE THINK WONDER

What do you see? What do you think What does it make
about that? you wonder?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Think, Puzzle, Explore

THINK PUZZLE EXPLORE

What do you think What questions or How might you
you know about this topic? puzzles do you have? explore this topic?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Question Starts
• Brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about the topic, concept or object. Use these
question starts to help you think of interesting questions:

- Why...? - How would it be different if...?

- What are the reasons...? - Suppose that...?

- What if...? - What if we knew ...?

- What is the purpose of...? - What would change if...?

• Reflect: What new ideas do you have about the topic, concept or object that you didn’t
have before?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Think, Pair, Share

THINK PAIR SHARE

What do you think Find a partner: What is How has your
you know about this? something interesting thinking changed?
they thought?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Project Zero adapted this routine from Frank Lyman: Lyman, F. T. (1981)
 Connect, Extend, Challenge

CONNECT EXTEND CHALLENGE

How are the ideas and What new ideas did you get What challenges or puzzles
information presented that extended or broadened have come up in your mind
connected to what you your thinking in new directions? from the ideas and
already know? information presented?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Colour, Symbol, Image

COLOUR SYMBOL IMAGE

What color best What symbol best What image best
represents this? represents this? represents this?

Why did you choose this colour? Why did you choose this symbol? Why did you choose this image?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Headlines

Write a headline for this topic or issue that summarizes and captures a key
aspect that you feel is significant and important.

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 I used to think... But now I think...

• I used to think...

• Now I think...

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Generate, Sort, Elaborate, Extend

GENERATE SORT (MOST RELEVANT) ELABORATE

Make a list of your initial Sort your ideas based on how What new ideas, connections,
thoughts and ideas about connected you think they are or thoughts do you have?
the topic to the main topic

CONNECT
(LEAST RELEVANT)
Draw lines to connect
any similar ideas

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
Circle of Viewpoints

1. I am thinking of _____
(name the event/issue)
from the point of view
of _____.

3. A question or 2. I think _____

concern I have (describe the topic from
from this your viewpoint)
viewpoint is _____. because _____
(explain your reasoning)

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Claim, Support, Question

Guiding Question: What question are you trying to answer?

Our Claim: Provide an answer to the guiding question.

Evidence: Prove your claim.

Reasoning: Justify your evidence and how it supports your claim.

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Peel the Fruit

Outside the skin Connections

What do you see, observe, or notice? How does this connect to your life?

Under the skin Viewpoints

What questions or puzzles do you have? What are the different perspectives?

Building Explanations
What is this really about? Central Idea

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Step Inside: Perceive, Know, Care
Step inside these shoes:
Name: Date:

What can the person or thing perceive?

What might the person or thing know about or believe?

What might the person or thing care about?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Project Zero adapted this routine from from Art Works for Schools: A Curriculum for Teaching Thinking In and Through the Arts (2002)
 What makes you say that?

• What’s going on?

• What do you see, hear or read that makes you say that?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Project Zero adapted this routine from from Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), developed by Philip Yenowine and Abigail Housen.
 Creative Hunt

CHOOSE
Think of something
you or someone else
created.

PURPOSE PARTS SMARTS AUDIENCE

What’s the main What are the parts and What about this is Who is this made for?
purpose of this thing? their function? particularly creative?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Reporter’s Notebook
TOPIC: What’s the story, situation or dilemma?

FACTS & EVENTS: What really happened? THOUGHTS & FEELINGS: What do the characters
or participants think or feel?

WHAT DO YOU THINK: Based on the information, what do you think?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Does it fit?

Problem Choice
What problem Think about
do you want the action you
to solve? want to take
or choice you
want to make

Ideal Criteria Situation Personal

What would be the ideal What do you value when What about the situation Think about yourself
solution to the problem? solving this problem? might be challenging? actually making this
(Learner profile) (Time, resources) choice? How does it feel?

Does the choice you make Does the choice you make Does the choice you make
lead to that resolution? reflect those values? work in this situation?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Options Diamond

Compromises: How could you meet in the middle?

Gains: What could be gained Solutions: What are some of Losses: What could be lost that
from this situation? the ways you could solve you value?
your problem?

Clever Solution: Put it all together, what should you do?

This routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking Routines developed by Project Zero, a research center at Harvard Graduate School of Education