Revolution Synectics Lesson Plan

Summary

This lesson leads students through the creative process of developing analogies to help define a revolution. After they finish, students write a paragraph or page describing revolution using their analogy.

Materials

• Writing paper
• Pencils
• Standard 3 Rubric

Background for Teachers

Research a little about synectics before teaching this lesson. Here is a list of links to sites that will help you understand synectics:

http://web.centre.edu/edu/Student_pages/Kelley/lessonplans2.htm

http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/synectics.html

Instructional Procedures

1. Begin by writing "revolution" on the board and asking students to brainstorm words that can be used to describe it.

2. Ask students to volunteer some of their words and write them on the board so that you have a list the whole class can see.

3. Next, ask the students to brainstorm other objects or ideas (NOT REVOLUTION) that can be described using the describing words listed during step two (BONUS: IF STUDENTS PICK AN OBJECT THAT CAN BE DESCRIBED BY TWO OR MORE).

4. Have students share their objects lists and again make a class list on the board.

5. Have students pick one or two of the objects and write out what it would feel like to be that object or idea (NOT REVOLUTION). This should be no longer than one paragraph.

6. Have volunteers share their writing out loud.

7. Ask students to look at the describing list from step 2 and identify words they think would not go together, antonyms, or opposites and then identify objects from step 4 that could be described using the pairs of words. Students should write a couple of sentences explaining why both words describe that object.

8. Now create an analogy using revolution and one of the objects from step 7.

EXAMPLE: A Revolution is like a teenager. (Teenager is the object created from the descriptors chaos and freedom)

9. Have students now write a paper explaining how their object is like a revolution.

EXAMPLE: My paper would describe how a revolution is similar to a teenager.

Assessment: If you wish to assess this paper you can use the Standard 3 Rubric.