Brainstorm
Once students are familiar with the ins and outs of their problem, they are ready to brainstorm. Encourage students to think creatively and discuss as many possible solutions as they can. During brainstorming, students shouldn’t worry about the practicalities of their ideas, which can restrict their creativity. They should write down all possible solutions.
Note
Be careful not to skip this step. Students will want to jump to building immediately after identifying the problem. Don’t let them!
- Some students need help thinking of more than one possibility. Working in groups can help stimulate their imagination. Some students will also benefit from one-on-one time with the teacher. Point out the aspects of the problem their solution addresses and prompt them to think about other aspects of the problem.
- Emphasize that brainstorming should be judgment free. Most problems have several solutions and coming up with as many ideas as possible helps students discover ideas that will work well. Students should be supportive of their classmates and use their ideas to inspire their own.
- If students have not explored and tested the materials during the first step of the design process (identify the problem), remind them of the available materials. Note: While brainstorming should be as open a creative process as possible, offering students too many material options can be overwhelming and will increase the time spent on brainstorming. Limit the materials so students can focus their creativity on using the existing materials.
