TITLE: The Use of "Substitution" As A Creative Thinking
Tool
AUTHOR: Miriam Furst, Kellond, Tucson, AZ
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 1-6, creative thinking
OVERVIEW: The following is part of a six week unit designed
to teach the seven creative thinking techniques represented
by the acronym, "SCAMPER."
SCAMPER provides students with a mini "toolbox" of
techniques to use in virtually any situation requiring the
production of creative ideas.
The unit begins with a brief discussion of the value of
creative thinking. This is followed by a visualization in
which students create their own "thinking place." In their
thinking place is a box which they open and explore. The
first time they open the box they find one piece of red
paper with the word, "Substitute," written on it. At that
point, they "return" from their thinking place and the
substitute lesson (below) begins.
In each succeeding lesson, students return to their
thinking place, open their thinking box and find new slips
of paper with additional SCAMPER thinking techniques written
on them.
The SCAMPER technique used in this unit are:
S - substitute
C - combine
A - associate
M - magnify/minify
P - put to other uses
E - elaborate
R - rearrange
PURPOSE: The purpose of the unit is for students to realize
that creative thinking is a skill that can be learned. It
doesn't just happen "magically." Each SCAMPER technique is
taught with a "shotgun" approach - that is, students learn
to apply each technique in a wide variety of ways rather
than concentrate on one activity that exemplifies each
technique. The reason for this is to demonstrate that each
of the SCAMPER techniques is a multipurpose tool and that
the activities used to exemplify each technique are just
examples of the endless array of uses for that technique.
Even though the lesson below was designed as part of a
total unit it can be used as an independent lesson to teach
the specific creative thinking technique of substitution.
OBJECTIVES: As a result of the Substitute lesson, students
will:
1. Substitute body movements in a rhythm activity.
2. Substitute words in a familiar song.
3. Substitute words in a sentence.
4. Suggest substitutions for the chocolate center of M&M
candies.
5. Generalize from the specific activities presented in
this lesson to other applications of the Substitute
technique.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: chart with familiar song written on it
- e.g. Old MacDonald, Hush Little Baby, On Top of Old Smoky;
M&M candies, at least one for each student
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Brief discussion of the meaning of substitution, as
used in this lesson - to replace one thing with
another, while keeping the basic structure the same -
e.g. a substitute teacher replaces the regular teacher,
but the structure of the day remains basically the
same.
2. Emphasize that substitution, as a creative thinking
tool, can be used in an ENDLESS variety of ways.
3. SUBSTITUTING MOTIONS IN A RHYTHM GAME
a. Demonstrate the following 4-beat rhythm game - clap
hands once, slap both hands on thighs, snap fingers
on each hand one time.
b. Have students join in, until the whole class is
doing rhythm in unison.
c. Substitute one motion (e.g. tap head instead of
clapping hands) and have students follow along.
d. Have students take turns demonstrating ways to
substitute other body movements while keeping the
rhythm the same. Have the class follow along with
each "leader."
4. SUBSTITUTING WORDS IN A SONG
a. Show a chart of a familiar song. (e.g. Hush Little
Baby)
b. Have the students sing the song.
c. Identify rhyming pairs of words - bird-word, brass-
glass, broke-goat. Ask students to suggest other
words for the end of th sentence, "If that
mockingbird don't _____ (e.g. fly, talk, run).
d. Have them choose a rhyming word to substitute in
the next line.
e. Have students sing their new version of the song.
Continue substituting rhyming pairs in the
remaining verses.
5. Write the sentence, "Jim is a big boy." Have students
suggest substitutions for the words big and boy.
6. CREATING A NEW CANDY
a. Give each student and M&M candy. Have them take a
small bite.
b. Then have them take another bite, but this time,
ask them to imagine they are tasting something
else beside the chocolate in the center of the
candy shell. List students' chocolate
substitutions on the board (e.g. ice cream,
marshmallow, orange juice, vitamin, etc.)
Encourage wild and wacky responses.
c. Have them suggest name for their new candy.
7. Review ways the substitute technique was used in this
lesson - create a new rhythm game, new song, more
interesting sentence, new candy.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Have student work in pairs or groups
of four and brainstorm other ways the Substitution technique
might be used to generate new ideas. If they have
difficulty thinking of ideas, suggest that they mentally
review their day and think of situations in which
substitution could be used - e.g. instead of brushing their
teeth in the morning, how might they clean their teeth;
instead of arguing with their brother or sister, what
actions might be substituted; instead of a written book
report, what reporting method might be substituted; instead
of watching TV when they get home, how might they entertain
themselves, etc. Encourage multiple responses to each
situation.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org