Revamp Your ELA Classroom with Hexagonal Thinking and the Six Thinking Hats Approach
Are you tired of the same old boring discussions in your English Language Arts (ELA) classroom? Do you want to spice things up and get your students thinking outside the box? Well, look no further than hexagonal thinking! It's the perfect way to engage your students and inject some creativity into your lessons. This technique, developed by Edward de Bono, encourages students to think about a problem from multiple perspectives, leading to more creative solutions and deeper understanding. Let's explore how hexagonal thinking can be used in the classroom.
First things first, you'll need to explain the concept of hexagonal thinking to your students. Yes, it's true, they might be confused by the hexagon shape (why not just use a boring old circle?) But, remind them that bees are super important and hexagons are their signature shape. Plus, who doesn't love a good hexagon? It's like a triangle and a square had a baby and it's all cute and multi-sided. If they still don't get it, you can always draw them a picture of a hexagon and explain that each side represents a different way of thinking about a problem.
Once you've introduced the concept of hexagonal thinking, it's time to get started with the six thinking hats approach. Think of it as a literary dress-up party, with each hat representing a different way of looking at the text. Let's take a classic novel, say, To Kill a Mockingbird, and break it down using the six thinking hats:
1. White Hat: This is the "just the facts, ma'am" hat. Have your students gather all the objective information they can about the text. Who wrote it? When was it published? What's the setting? It may not be the most exciting hat, but it's important to have a solid foundation.
2. Red Hat: This represents emotional thinking, so have your students consider their feelings about the novel. Do they like it? Hate it? Feel indifferent? Who cares about analyzing the themes and symbolism, let's get in touch with our emotions! It's okay to let them vent, as long as they can back it up with some good reasoning.
3. Black Hat: Here's where things get a little dark. The black hat represents critical thinking, so have your students identify potential flaws or problems with the text. Are there any plot holes? Inconsistent characterizations? Is the pacing off? Are the characters underdeveloped? Don't hold back, let those critical juices flow! Let's tear this book apart, piece by piece!
4. Yellow Hat: Time to turn that frown upside down with the positive thinking hat. Have your students identify what they like about the text. Maybe they appreciate the writing style or they connect with a certain character or, maybe, they like the setting. It's like a warm hug for the book. Who needs criticism when you can just say everything is awesome?
5. Green Hat: This represents creative thinking, so have your students come up with alternative endings or spin-off stories. What about a good ol’ fan fiction story? What if Scout became a superhero? What if Boo Radley was actually a time traveler? The possibilities are endless!
6. Blue Hat: This represents strategic thinking, so have your students manage the thinking process and ensure all perspectives are considered. Who knows where this discussion will go, so let's make sure we have someone in charge to keep us on track!
In all seriousness, hexagonal thinking can be a fun and effective way to approach literature analysis and discussion in the ELA classroom. By encouraging students to consider multiple perspectives and think creatively, they can deepen their understanding of the text and develop their critical thinking skills. So go ahead and give it a try. Just don't forget to have some fun with it!