Activity Templates – Creativity
A “Soft” Skills Integration resource from the National FFA Organization containing three short, ready-to-use classroom activities focused on developing creativity and creative thinking skills. Through a video-based creative test, a “uses for a paperclip” exercise, and a brainstorming worksheet, students practice generating multiple solutions to problems and learn strategies for thinking creatively, with applications to agriculture, the workforce, and personal life.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- Understand strategies that are useful in the creative thinking process.
- Discuss the importance of creative thinking.
- Brainstorm multiple solutions for a problem.
- Time required
- 20 to 30 minutes per activity, 3 activities included
- Materials
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- For activity #1: one copy of each of the five images, and a printout of the volunteer instructions cut into strips
- For activity #2: a printout of the scenario descriptions, cut into strips
- For activity #1: a printout of the impromptu topics, cut into strips
- FFA.org
- Video: "Creative Test" (https://youtu.be/aH2ll5bwpKw)
- Article: "40 Uses of the Paperclip" (http://www.samplestuff.com/2011/09/40-uses-of-the-paperclip/)
- Suggested Use
- Incorporate any of these activities into the class curriculum before and during the following: 1. Career units 2. Leadership units 3. Collaborative or group projects 4. Problem solving activities
- Partnership for 21st Century Skills
- Collaboration; Communication; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Initiative and Self-Direction; Productivity and Accountability; Think Creatively; Work Creatively with Others
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
AFNR Career Ready Practices
- CRP.05Consider the environmental, social and economic impact of decisions.
- CRP.06Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
- CRP.08Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem.
Common Core – Math (Specific)
FFA Precept
- FFA.PL-C.VisionVisualize the future and how to get there.