Tony Ryan, describes 20 thinking keys that can be used with students to expand their thinking repertoire. You can listen to Tony describe these here: https://youtu.be/UWHw-4pnoMQ
Like other thinking routines, these keys should be explicitly taught, as should their appropriate uses. This is best achieved by teaching them in a specific context. Tony divides his 20 keys into 10 Purple keys for Critical Thinking and 10 Orange keys for Creative Thinking. Using Key Posters cut in Key Shapes, is a great way to prompt students’ thinking during discussion or problem solving. This is a full list of keys
1. The Reverse- Challenges Children to think of the never, cannot
2. The What If- A what if question, elicits solutions
3. The Disadvantages- List disadvantages and Improvements
4. The Combination- List attributes of both, then combine
5. The Alphabet- Come up with something for each letter of the Alphabet
6. The B A R- Bigger, Add, Replace acronym. Come up with a solution for each.
7. The Variations- How many ways can you…
8. The Picture- Draw a picture/diagram
9. The Prediction- Make a prediction
10. The Different Uses- Find 10 different uses for…
11. The Ridiculous- Try to justify a ridiculous statement
12. The Commonality- Find common points between…
13. The Question- Come up with 5 questions for…
14. The Brainstorming- Brainstorm solutions for…
15. The Inventions- Design a …
16. The Brick Wall- Consider alternatives to…
17. The Construction- Construct a… Materials…
18. The Forced Relationships- Come up with a solution to a problem involving two dissimilar objects
19. The Alternative- Work out 3 ways to…
20. The Interpretations- Give 3 possible explanations for…
A useful learning experience is to ask students to sequence a series of keys logically in order to explore specific issues. For example, what Thinkers Keys might be helpful in combating climate change?
Further reading can be found at:
http://cnpsthinkingtools.weebly.com/thinkers-keys.html
https://www.tsatrust.org.uk/what-is-a-thinking-school/thinking-keys/
Free Key Cards can be found here: http://www.thinkerskeys.com/
