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Socratic Seminar

• Teacher notes: A structured, student-led discussion that promotes critical thinking, respectful dialogue, and deep comprehension of texts or ideas. Students sit in a circle, respond to one another’s ideas, and the teacher acts as facilitator, not leader.

• Student instructions: Prepare your ideas or responses to the question/text. Sit in a circle and discuss, building on or questioning others’ points respectfully. Only one person speaks at a time.

• This is good for: fostering critical dialogue, student-led discussion, and deeper comprehension of texts.

Fishbowl Discussion

• Teacher notes: A small group discusses a topic in the centre while others observe. After one round, groups swap roles. Great for modelling effective dialogue and reflective listening.

• Student instructions: Watch and listen as the inner circle discusses. Note key ideas or questions, then switch roles and take part in the next round.

• This is good for: Modelling discussion skills and building active listening habits.

Debate Carousel/Speed Dating Rounds

• Teacher notes: Students rotate between tables or partners, debating different prompts for a few minutes each. Quick-paced and engaging.

• Student instructions: Move to each station, read the prompt, and take a stance. Share your view, listen to others, and switch when signalled.

• This is good for: Rapid idea exchange and practicing argumentation from multiple perspectives.

Think, Pair, Share

• Teacher notes: Students think individually about a prompt, then discuss in pairs, and finally share with the class. Works well as a warm-up or reflection, and can be used with a graphic organiser or handout.

• Student instructions: Spend 2–3 minutes thinking quietly, then discuss with a partner. Share your ideas when called upon.

• This is good for: Building confidence through individual reflection and peer discussion.

Inner Circle, Outer Circle

• Teacher notes: Students form two circles facing each other. After each short discussion, the inner circle rotates to a new partner.

• Student instructions: Discuss the given prompt with your partner. When signalled, rotate and discuss the next question.

• This is good for: Structured peer discussion with multiple partners in a short time.

Reciprocal Questioning

• Teacher notes: Students write and exchange questions after reading or viewing content. The teacher can add “stem questions” like “What would happen if…?” to guide thinking.

• Student instructions: Create questions for another team or the teacher to answer. Take turns answering and discussing.

• This is good for: Developing questioning skills and reinforcing comprehension through peer interaction.

Heads Together

• Teacher notes: Students discuss a question in small groups, agree on an answer, and nominate a spokesperson to share with the class.

• Student instructions: Discuss the question with your group. Agree on one clear answer and be ready for your spokesperson to share it.

• This is good for: Promoting teamwork and shared accountability for learning.

Crossword Clues (Quick Play)

• Teacher notes: Students use unit key terms to design their own crossword puzzles for classmates to solve later.

• Student instructions: Choose at least five key terms from the unit. Write one clue for each and create your crossword using an online generator or paper grid. Submit your puzzle and answer key.

• This is good for: Reinforcing key terms and concepts through creative revision.

Consensus Building

• Teacher notes: Groups discuss and agree on a ranking, decision, or solution, explaining how they reached consensus. Encourages negotiation and shared reasoning.

• Student instructions: Work with your group to reach an agreement on the ranking or solution. Be ready to explain your reasoning and compromises made.

• This is good for: Collaborative problem-solving and negotiating differing viewpoints.

Mystery Envelopes

• Teacher notes: Students receive different clues, data, or information fragments and must collaborate to solve a mystery or problem.

• Student instructions: Share your clue with your group and work together to connect the information. Use reasoning and evidence to solve the mystery.

• This is good for: Inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and synthesizing fragmented information.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

• Teacher notes: Students investigate and solve open-ended, real-world problems. They research, design solutions, and present findings. Works best over multiple lessons.

• Student instructions: Research the given problem, brainstorm possible solutions, and present your plan, model, or proposal to the class. Reflect on what worked and what could improve.

• This is good for: Applying knowledge to authentic problems, teamwork, and critical thinking..

• Examples in different subjects:

  • Math: Plan a school playground renovation within a budget.

  • Science / Environmental Studies: Reduce pollution in a local river.

  • History / Social Studies: Solve a housing shortage in a town during a specific historical period.

  • English / Media Studies: Design a campaign to encourage reading among teenagers.

  • STEM / Engineering: Build a bridge using limited materials that can hold weight.

• Possible student activities

  • Research the problem and gather information.

  • Brainstorm and propose multiple solutions.

  • Create a written plan, poster, or digital presentation.

  • Design a prototype or model if applicable.

  • Present and justify their solution to the class or a wider audience.

  • Reflect on the effectiveness and possible improvements of their solution.

Ranking & Justifying

• Teacher notes: Provide statements, data, or evidence for students to rank by importance, strength, or relevance. They must justify their choices.

• Student instructions: Rank the items from most to least important. Explain why you placed each one where you did.

• This is good for: Developing reasoning, prioritisation, and evidence-based argument skills.

Hypothesis First

• Teacher notes: Pose a guiding question or scenario before teaching new content. Students form hypotheses based on prior knowledge and then revisit them after learning.

• Student instructions: Read the question or scenario and write your best hypothesis. After learning more, revisit and adjust your thinking.

• This is good for: Activating prior knowledge and encouraging predictive reasoning before instruction.

Gallery Walks

• Teacher notes: Documents, images, or questions are placed around the room. Students move around, review, and take notes. Can be combined with Jigsaw Groups for sharing information.

• Student instructions: Walk around the room, read each display carefully, and take notes or record key ideas. Share findings with your group if instructed.

• This is good for: Encouraging movement, peer learning, and collective idea-sharing.

Human Bar Graph

• Teacher notes: Students position themselves along a spectrum (e.g., “Strongly Agree → Strongly Disagree”) to represent opinions, then discuss their placement.

• Student instructions: Stand where you feel your opinion fits on the spectrum. Discuss with classmates near you and explain your reasoning.

• This is good for: Visualizing opinions or data and sparking discussion around perspectives.

Four Corners

• Teacher notes: Label each corner with a number, letter, or colour. Ask a multiple-choice question and have students move to the corner that represents their answer.

• Student instructions: Move to the corner that matches your answer. Be prepared to explain your choice and discuss with others in that corner.

• This is good for: Active engagement and making student thinking visible through movement.

Snowball Toss

• Teacher notes: Students write answers on paper, crumple them, toss to classmates, and respond to someone else’s answer. Can be used for review or brainstorming.

• Student instructions: Write your answer, crumple your paper, toss it to a classmate, then read and respond to the one you catch.

• This is good for: Making review fun, anonymous, and collaborative.

Sticky Note Graph

• Teacher notes: Students place sticky notes on a shared chart, continuum, or graph to represent opinions, ideas, or data.

• Student instructions: Move around and place your sticky note where your answer, opinion, or idea belongs on the chart.

• This is good for: Visualizing class opinions or data while promoting active participation.

Analyse this!

• Teacher notes: Students write a paragraph in response to a lesson or assessment criterion. The teacher highlights the strongest sentence from each student. In pairs or small groups, students analyse why the sentence is strong. Creative or well-written work can earn exemption.

• Student instructions: Read the highlighted sentence in your partner’s or group member’s paragraph. Discuss why it’s effective and what makes it strong.

• This is good for: Promoting self-reflection and learning from modelled strengths.

Two Stars and a Wish

• Teacher notes: Students review each other’s work and give two positives and one suggestion for improvement. Provides structured, constructive peer feedback.

• Student instructions: Identify two things your peer did well (“stars”) and one area they could improve (“wish”). Explain your reasoning clearly.

• This is good for: Providing structured peer feedback and encouraging constructive critique.

Peer Teaching

• Teacher notes: Students prepare a mini-lesson and teach it to their peers. Can also be done as a written exercise if students don’t end up presenting.

• Student instructions: Prepare a mini-lesson on your topic. Teach it to the class or group, or submit your lesson plan if you don’t present.

• This is good for: Reinforcing mastery and building confidence by teaching others.

3 Up, 3 Down

• Teacher notes: Provide a paragraph with good points and intentional errors (AI-generated if needed). Students identify three positives and three areas to improve. Discuss findings as a class.

• Student instructions: Read the paragraph carefully. Write down three strengths (“up”) and three issues or mistakes (“down”). Share and discuss with the class.

• This is good for: Developing critical thinking and balanced feedback skills.

Categorisation of Brain Dump

• Teacher notes: Students write one thing they learned from the previous lesson on the board. Then discuss how to categorise the information. Finally, add something new to their notebooks.

• Student instructions: Contribute one learning point to the board. Discuss as a group how to categorise the ideas. Choose one new thing you didn’t know and write it in your notebook.

• This is good for: Helping students recall prior knowledge and organise information into meaningful categories.

Direct Instruction

• Teacher notes: Introduce and present the concept (I do), guide practice together (we do), provide feedback, then allow independent practice (you do) and assess understanding.

• Student instructions: Follow the lesson steps: observe, practice with guidance, receive feedback, and apply independently.

• This is good for: Introducing new concepts clearly and scaffolding practice with feedback.

Jigsaw Groups

• Teacher notes: Students are divided into groups based on content elements. Each student becomes an “expert” on one element, then returns to teach their original group.

  • For example, there may be six content elements to learn. Students are placed into groups of 6 and then numbered 1 through 6. All students who were numbered 1 will join other 1s and will become an expert about that particular content element. At the end, students return to their original groups and teach the original group about the element.

• Student instructions: Learn your assigned concept with your expert group, then share it with your original group while others take notes.

• This is good for: Ensuring all students master one aspect of content and teach it to peers.

Rotation Stations

• Teacher notes: Students move through different learning activities, which can include online instruction, hands-on tasks, or teacher-led activities.

• Student instructions: Rotate through each station, completing the assigned activity before moving to the next.

• This is good for: Providing variety, differentiation, and multiple modes of learning in one lesson.

Flex Model (for online learning)

• Teacher notes: Students work at their own pace on online instruction in the classroom while teachers provide individual guidance as needed.

• Student instructions: Complete online tasks at your own pace. Ask the teacher for help or clarification whenever needed.

• This is good for: Allowing students to work at their own pace with targeted teacher support.

Tiered Activities

• Teacher notes: Tasks are designed at varying levels of difficulty to meet diverse student readiness. Use methods that protect dignity, such as colour-coded sheets or discreet assignment.

• Student instructions: Complete the activity provided for your level. Challenge yourself and seek support if needed.

• This is good for: Addressing diverse needs while maintaining high expectations.

Menus/Agendas

• Teacher notes: Students select tasks from a list to demonstrate learning. Options can vary in style, format, or complexity.

• Student instructions: Choose a task from the menu and complete it according to the instructions.

• This is good for: Increasing autonomy and catering to multiple learning styles.

Orbital Studies

• Teacher notes: Independent projects revolve around a central classroom theme, allowing students to explore topics in depth within curriculum boundaries.

• Student instructions: Select your project focus related to the theme and complete it independently, documenting your process and findings.

• This is good for: Self-directed exploration within curriculum boundaries.

Varied Texts

• Teacher notes: Use texts of multiple reading levels or genres on the same topic to ensure accessibility and engagement.

• Student instructions: Read the assigned text(s), noting key ideas and comparing perspectives across different genres or levels.

• This is good for: Inclusivity and accessible literacy instruction.

Infographic Creation

• Teacher notes: Students design an infographic that visually represents a concept, using images, icons, and text to summarise key ideas.

• Student instructions: Create an infographic that captures the main points of the topic or concept. Use visuals, labels, and concise text to convey your ideas clearly.

• This is good for: Creative synthesis and presenting complex information in a visual format.

One-Pager

• Teacher notes: Students summarise a text or topic visually on one page using drawings, quotes, and connections. Can be done individually, in pairs, or small groups, and across multiple lessons.

• Student instructions: Create a one-page visual summary of the topic, including key ideas, quotes, and images that help explain connections.

• This is good for: Creative summarisation and making connections between ideas, text, and visuals.

Chalk Talk

• Teacher notes: Students write everything they know about a topic on butcher’s paper without speaking for a set time (e.g., 5 minutes). Promotes reflection and equal participation.

• Student instructions: Write all your ideas and knowledge about the topic silently on the paper. Read and add to others’ contributions as needed.

• This is good for: Silent brainstorming, giving all students a voice, and promoting reflection.

Case Study Wall

• Teacher notes: Students gather articles or information related to a topic for future case studies or assessment tasks. The class discusses and evaluates sources for credibility and relevance.

• Student instructions: Find information or articles on the topic and post them on the wall. Review and discuss the credibility and relevance of each source with your classmates.

• This is good for: Building a shared bank of resources and evaluating the reliability of information.

Mini Whiteboards

• Teacher notes: Students write quick answers on mini whiteboards to provide instant whole-class feedback. Teacher can gauge understanding in real time.

• Student instructions: Write your answer on your whiteboard and hold it up when prompted. Be ready to explain your thinking if asked.

• This is good for: Instant formative assessment and whole-class participation.

Do you understand?

• Teacher notes: After explaining instructions, students share with a partner what they are expected to do. Teacher does spot checks before allowing independent work.

• Student instructions: Explain the instructions to your partner. Answer any questions or clarify your understanding before starting the activity.

• This is good for: Checking instructions are clear and ensuring student accountability before beginning work.

Non-examples

• Teacher notes: When students don’t know an answer, ask them to provide a deliberately incorrect example. Discuss as a class to clarify misconceptions and reinforce correct understanding.

• Student instructions: Suggest an incorrect answer for the question. Discuss with your group why it’s wrong and what the correct approach is.

• This is good for: Deepening understanding by clarifying misconceptions and reinforcing correct concepts.

Pass the Question

• Teacher notes: A question is written on paper and passed around. Each student adds an idea or response before returning it to the teacher or starting point.

• Student instructions: Read the question and add your idea before passing it on. Build on the previous responses where possible.

• This is good for: Generating layered responses and building on others’ ideas.

SCAMPER

• Teacher notes: SCAMPER is a creative thinking framework that helps students generate new ideas or improve existing ones. The acronym stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.

  • Guide students to apply each prompt to a product, service, or problem they are exploring. Encourage them to record at least one idea for each part of the model. For example, “What could we substitute to make this product more sustainable?” or “What could we combine to make it more efficient?”

• Student notes: Use the SCAMPER prompts below to think creatively about how you could improve or reinvent your chosen product, service, or idea. Write or sketch your responses for each letter:

  • Substitute: What could you replace or use instead?

  • Combine: What could you merge or blend to improve it?

  • Adapt: What could you adjust or borrow from another idea?

  • Modify: How could you change the design, size, shape, or function?

  • Put to another use: Can it be used in a new or different way?

  • Eliminate: What could you remove to simplify or reduce cost?

  • Reverse: What could you rearrange, do backward, or do opposite to create something new?

• This is good for: Encouraging innovation, creative problem-solving, and design thinking. It helps students move beyond their first idea and consider multiple ways to improve or reinvent a concept.

Circle of Perspectives

• Teacher notes: Develop a list of perspectives on a topic as a class. Students explore the topic from their assigned perspective using prompts like “From this perspective, I think…” and “A question I have from this perspective is…”

• Student instructions: Use your assigned perspective to answer the prompts and share your insights with your partner or group.

• This is good for: Exploring multiple viewpoints and developing critical thinking.

Around the Compass

• Teacher notes: After introducing a topic or unit, prompt students to reflect on: 

• • What do you need to know about this topic?

  • What excites you about this topic?

  • What is your current stance on this topic? How do you currently feel about this topic?

  • What do you find worrisome (what are you worried about) in relation to this topic?

• Student instructions: Respond to the questions about the topic: what you need to know, what excites you, your stance, and what worries you.

• This is good for: Activating curiosity, self-reflection, and engagement with new topics.

See, think, wonder

• Teacher notes: Present an image or stimulus and ask students: What do you see? What do you think is happening? What do you wonder about this? Follow with “What makes you say that?”

• Student instructions: Observe the image carefully. Record what you see, what you think is happening, and questions or wonderings. Justify your responses.

• This is good for: Observational skills, reasoning, and justifying thinking.

PZ's Thinking Routines Toolbox from Harvard University

• Over 100 fantastic options and resources!

• Thinking Routines invite learners of any age to be close observers, organize their ideas, to reason carefully, and to reflect on how they are making sense of things.

• Click here to access