TEACHER RESOURCE
targeted
4
adaptable
magnifying, shrinking, reversing or distorting the features of a problem or
situation to help reveal new aspects or innovative solutions
Primary
Intermediate
Middle
Senior
Imagining through
exaggeration
4
4
4
Objectives: • extend or develop unanticipated insights into a problem or situation.
• examine the effectiveness of individual and group decisions.
• generate ideas for potential solutions to a problem or situation.
Use the following ideas to introduce this strategy
Introduce
the strategy
Practise
the strategy
➤
Explain that the purpose of this lesson is to approach a problem or situation by exaggerating
its features to highlight and deepen understanding—by magnifying, shrinking, reversing, or
distorting the features of the problem. Introduce the problem or situation you want students
to explore with this strategy. For example, suggest that you want to deepen students’
understanding of the problem of littering and will then ask them to create a poster designed
to increase broader student awareness of littering at school.
If students are familiar with the problem or situation, invite them to summarize what they
know about it. If it is an unfamiliar problem, provide opportunities or resources to help
students learn more about it. For example, if the problem is littering, arrange for students
to examine the school grounds and building or, alternatively, they may survey students and
teachers about the problem of littering.
➤
Explain how exaggeration can help students examine a problem in an unusual way, by
magnifying, shrinking, reversing, or distorting the features of the problem in order to gain
insights into it and apply these to developing a possible solution. This strategy can assist
students to view a problem or situation in novel, even ridiculous ways, to reveal aspects
that they did not previously notice.
➤
Invite students to consider what the problem looks like without exaggeration and then what
it would be like if various aspects of the situation were exaggerated in four ways:
• Magnify the nature, cause, and consequences of the problem (make it much worse).
• Shrink the nature, cause, and consequences of the problem (make it much less).
➤
Review the criteria for creative idea generation with students:
• Multiple ideas or responses are generated for each type of exaggeration.
• Some ideas are realistic; others can be out of the ordinary or really unconventional.
• Ideas should be specific, fresh and unanticipated—but not irrelevant.
Imagining through exaggeration
1
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Imagining through
exaggeration
• Caricature the nature, cause, and consequences of the problem (make it seem ridiculous
by distorting different elements).
75
• Reverse the nature, cause, and consequences of the problem (instead of a problem, it
becomes a benefit).
: ________
________
________
________
________
________
Explo
ring
a pro
blem
thro
ugh
exag
Caus
es
gera
tion
Cons
eque
________
________
Natur
e of
the
situa
tion
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
_______
nces
Othe
r persp
Magn
ify
the sit
uatio
n
ective
s
tium
tion
Selec
ted wo
rds
or ph
rases
Consor
l situa
Reaso
nking
TY SH
EET
ACTI
VI
Name
Typica
75
n for
ion
Critica
l Thi
select
The
Shrin
k
the sit
uatio
n
©
Divide students into small groups and provide
each group with a copy of Exploring a problem
through exaggeration (Activity Sheet A). Guide
student groups in thinking of numerous ways
that each form of exaggeration might change
the situation. For example, they might suggest
that magnifying the littering problem might
result in people swimming through garbage.
Imag
exag ining th
gerat
rough
ion
Reve
rse
the sit
uatio
n
Caric
atu
the sit re
uatio
n
7
➤
A
TEACHER RESOURCE
Encourage students to suspend any
assumptions and judgments they may
have about the problem while they
generate multiple ideas or responses for each type of
exaggeration. Reassure them that while some ideas may be realistic,
others may seem strange or really “off the wall.” They should approach the task
with an inquiring mind open to new perspectives and ambiguities while persisting with the
generation of new ideas.
Ask students to record their ideas in the appropriate places on the activity sheet.
➤
Direct each group to choose four or five of the most promising ideas from among those they
generated. The most promising ideas are:
Imagin
ing thr
ough
exagge
ration
• purposeful and address the selected problem or situation;
• thoughtful and insightful combinations of new and existing ideas;
• helpful in revealing new insights into the problem.
Reinforce
the strategy
Imagining through
exaggeration
Instruct students to record their selected ideas and reasons in the appropriate places on the
activity sheet.
➤
Explain how the ideas they selected can be used to generate a fresh perspective and suggest a
possible solution to the problem or situation. For example, students might suggest that schools
should purchase biodegradable paper and cans or organize a poster campaign to raise awareness
about the unhealthy aspects of litter.
➤
Ask students to indicate how these ideas were unanticipated yet insightful and how they extended,
altered, or deepened their understanding of the problem or situation. Invite students to explore
how their understanding and ideas about the problem or situation may have changed with use
of this strategy.
➤
Ask each group to employ their selected ideas to develop an approach or strategy towards
creating the assigned product (in this example, to create a poster about littering). Remind
students that the ideas they recorded are only a springboard and need not show up explicitly in
the final product. To extend the use of this strategy, students can employ exaggeration on their
posters to emphasize the nature of the problem and its possible solution.
75
Imagining through exaggeration
2
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
TEACHER RESOURCE
Apply the strategy
in everyday teaching
➤
➤
Distribute copies of the Student Resource as a reminder
on how to use this strategy. Included is a sample activity
sheet that demonstrates one possible approach to
exaggerating a problem. Review each of the elements
of the guide: purpose, strategies, practice sample, and
self-assessment rubric.
Imag
exag ining th
gerat
rough
ion
At appropriate times over the ensuing weeks, ask
students to use this strategy in regular classroom
situations, including the following:
• exploring aspects of a current event or issue;
75
• evaluating possible responses to a school,
class, or personal decision;
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Assess use of
the strategy
throu
4
©
The
Critica
l Thi
nking
Consor
tium
Invite students to assess their effectiveness in using this
strategy. Encourage them to complete Assessing my ability
to imagine through exaggeration (Self-assessment rubric)
by assessing their own effectiveness at generating ideas,
selecting promising ideas, and using these to imagine
a solution.
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ssing
m
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throu y ability
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Imag
exag ining th
gerat
rough
ion
75
Imagin
ing thr
ough
exagge
ration
6
©
The
Critica
l Thi
nking
Consor
Imagining through
exaggeration
75
tium
Imagining through exaggeration
3
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
STUDENT RESOURCE
Imagining through exaggeration
magnifying, shrinking, reversing or distorting the features of a problem or situation to help
reveal new aspects or innovative solutions
Purpose
Instructions
This strategy can help me
see unanticipated aspects of
a problem or situation and
suggest possible solutions.
• Review the creative strategies you know and consider which one is most appropriate for your assigned task. Ask yourself, “Will this particular strategy help
me extend and explore my thoughts and understanding of the assigned task?”
For a sample use of the
strategy, see the next
page.
• Different types of exaggeration can help you view the problem or situation in
various ways that may reveal aspects that you did not previously notice. Ask
yourself what it would be like if various aspects of the situation were exaggerated in the following four ways:
• Review what you know about the topic and, where necessary, obtain additional
information. List the main facts or key features of the topic.
• magnify the problem (make it much worse);
• shrink the problem (make it much less);
• reverse the problem (instead of a problem, it is a benefit);
• caricature the problem (make it seem ridiculous by distorting different
elements).
• Use Exploring a problem through exaggeration (Activity Sheet A) as a guide
and think of multiple ideas or responses for each type of exaggeration. Think
of several ways that each form of exaggeration might change the situation.
Some of your ideas may be realistic but others may seem strange or really
“off the wall.” Record as many words or short phrases that come to mind on
the activity sheet.
• Choose four or five of your most promising ideas. The most promising ideas are:
• purposeful and address the selected problem or situation;
• thoughtful and insightful combination of new and existing ideas;
• helpful in revealing new insights into the problem.
• Write your most promising ideas in the space provided on the activity sheet.
Imagining through
exaggeration
• Complete Assessing my ability to imagine through exaggeration (Self-assessment rubric) to assess how well you did at generating ideas and selecting a
promising set of ideas with which to complete the assigned task.
• Use the selected set of ideas to develop an approach or strategy towards completing the task you were given.
75
Imagining through exaggeration
4
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
STUDENT RESOURCE
PLE
SAMuse
of the strategy
Explore a littering problem
through exaggeration
Nature of the
situation
Typical situation
Magnified situation
Shrunken situation
Reversed situation
Consequences
Other perspectives
People often litter
in the school and
on the school
grounds.
People being
too lazy, not
enough garbage or
recycling bins.
School grounds
are messy, with
health and safety
hazards.
Some people don’t
mind the litter.
Cannot walk
without stepping
on litter.
All the people are
only 10 cm tall.
Cannot walk, only
swim through
litter.
Pieces of paper
and cans are very
large.
Everyone is blind
so cannot see
litter.
Garbage cans suck Litter shrinks
up all the litter.
when it touches
the ground.
People are on the
ground and litter
walks around.
People throw
everything on the
ground.
People like to see Litter floats up.
what others eat
and drink so like to
see litter.
There are no
desks, tables, or
garbage cans.
Litter is in the air
around the people.
People smile when
they see litter or
litter bites people.
There are only
three pieces of
litter anywhere.
The school is
filled up with
litter and people
are outside.
Imagining through
exaggeration
75
Caricature situation
Causes
Imagining through exaggeration
5
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
STUDENT RESOURCE
Assessing my ability to imagine
through exaggeration
Excellent
Very good
Competent
Basic
Not yet able
Generating fresh, relevant ideas using the strategy
I can develop
numerous new
and unanticipated
ideas, all specific
and relevant to the
situation.
I can develop many
new and some
unanticipated ideas,
most specific and
relevant to the
situation.
I can develop many
new ideas, most
relevant to the
situation.
I can develop a few
new ideas, some of
which are specific
and relevant to the
situation.
I can select a range of
ideas, including some
that are unanticipated
and applicable to the
situation or task.
I can select some
ideas that are
applicable to the
situation or task.
Select the most promising ideas
I can select the
ideas that are the
most insightful,
unanticipated,
revealing and
applicable to the
situation or task.
I can select ideas,
most of which
are insightful,
unanticipated,
revealing and
applicable to the
situation or task.
Imagining through
exaggeration
75
Imagining through exaggeration
6
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
75
Causes
Consequences
Other perspectives
Selected words
or phrases
Exploring a problem through exaggeration
Nature of the
situation
Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Typical situation
Magnify
the situation
Shrink
the situation
Reverse
the situation
Caricature
the situation
Reason for
selection
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
7
Imagining through exaggeration
Imagining through
exaggeration
ACTIVITY SHEET A