United StatesBrainstorming for Consensus
Grade Levels: Pre-K - 2
Objectives
- Students will learn how to brainstorm.
- Students will learn how to come to a consensus.
Materials
- An ordinary object such as a box, a wooden spoon, or a cardboard tube
Procedures
- Explain that the purpose of brainstorming is to come up with as many ideas as possible in a short period of time, using the following rules:
- During the brainstorm no one says whether the ideas are good or bad, sensible or silly, workable or not workable.
- The point is simply to get out as many ideas as they can.
- Tell students that after the brainstorm is finished, they will evaluate the ideas.
- Set the object in front of the group.
- Ask students to suggest all the things that they could do with the object.
- Write their suggestions on the board.
- After a few minutes, or after energy for the brainstorm runs down, end the brainstorm.
- Tell students they will be reviewing each idea individually and voting with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down sign to signify whether they think an idea is workable or unworkable.
- Put a mark by each idea that the majority of the group thinks could work.
- Allowing students to vote only once, conduct a poll in which students give a thumbs-up for their favorite idea.
- Tally the marks to find the students' favorite idea.
Excerpted from Early Childhood Adventures in Peacemaking by William J. Kreidler and Sally Tsubokawa.
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