Visible Thinking Routines Matrix

• Looking at an image of object, record what you see.

• This is something that you can actually put your finger on within the image.

• Do not make any interpretations; just record what you physically see.

Looking at the image or object again, record what you think is going on.

• What do you think this image/object is about?

• What interpretations can you make based on your observations?

A Routine for Digging Deeper into Ideas

Make a claim about the topic or issue being explored.

What things do you see, feel, or know that show evidence for your claim?

• Raise a question related to your claim.

• What may make you doubt your claim?

• What seems left hanging?

• What isn't fully explained?

• What future ideas or issues for your claim raise?

What do you think you know about this topic?

What questions or puzzles do you have about this topic?

How might you explore the puzzles we have around this topic?

• What ideas come to mind when you consider this idea, question, or problem?

• What connections can you make to others' responses?

• What questions arise as you think about the ideas and consider the comments of others.

Considering the idea, question, or proposition before you...

What excites you about this idea or proposition?

Make meaning from a specific text by capturing the heart of the text

Review your text and select a sentence that was meaningful to you, that you felt captures a core idea of the text

Then select a phrase that moved, engaged, or provoked you

And finally, select a word that captured your attention or struck you as powerful

• In your group, discuss your choices. Begin by each sharing your words, then phrases, then sentences. Explain your "what makes you say that" of why you made the specific selections.

• The last step is to form conclusions about the text.

• What conclusions can you make?

• What was the core idea?

• Were there any aspects of the text not captured?

Write a headline for this topic or issue that summarizes and captures a key aspect that you feel is significant and important.

Choose a color that you think best represents the essence of that idea

Choose a symbol that you think best represents the essence of that idea

a thing that stands for something else

Choose an image that you think best captures the essence of that idea

like a photograph or drawing of a scene

Reasoning: Why did you choose this color, symbol, and image?

Generate

Generate a list of words, ideas, phrases, or aspects associated with the topic

• Share your generated list with your group members

• Add to your list any words, phrases, or ideas you like that your group members share

Sort

Connect

Connect your ideas by drawing lines between ideas that share a connection

• Briefly explain the connection by writing it out on the line

Elaborate

Select a few central ideas and elaborate on them, creating subcategories that breaks the ideas into smaller parts

Micro Lab

resources from Making Thinking Visible

Visible thinking routines

See-Think-Wonder

Circle of Viewpoints

Step Inside

Look at this image/object one last time, record what makes you wonder.

• What are you wondering about based on what you have seen and have been thinking?

From this point of view, consider these questions:

• What can you see, observe, or notice?

• What might you know, understand, hold true, or believe?

• What might you care deeply about?

• What might you wonder about or question?

Include "What makes you say that" for each response.

Think about a person or an object that is connect to the event or situation you are examining. Place yourself within the event or situation to examine things from this point of view.

Red Light, Yellow Light

Step 3: Question

Step 2: Support

Step 1: Claim

Zoom In

I Used to Think...,

Now I Think...

Claim-Support-Question

Reflect on your current understanding of this topic, and respond to each of these sentence starters:

Now i Think...

I used to think...

Tug-of-War

Taking a close look at the object you are trying to understand:

• Name it. Name a feature of aspect of the object you notice

• Explain it. What could it be? What role or function might it serve? Why might it be there?

• Give reasons. What make you say that? Or why do you this it happened that way?

• Generate alternatives. What else could it be? And what makes you say that?

Think-Puzzle-Explore

Explanation Game

The 4C's

Chalk Talk

2 questions

3 words

1 metaphor or simile

Initial Response

New Response

2 questions

1 metaphor or simile

3 words

Think about the key concepts or topic, identify:

Bridge

Identify how your new responses connect to or shifted from your initial response

Looking at the topic or question written on the paper in front of you:

3-2-1 Bridge

How are the ideas and information presented connected to what you already knew?

N

Needs

What else do you need to know or find out about this idea or proposition?

Sentence

Phrase

Word

E

Excitements

w

Worries

What worries do you have about this idea or proposition?

Connect

Extend

Challenge

What new ideas did you get that extended your thinking in new directions?

• What is your current stance or opinion on this idea or proposition?

• What should you next step be in your evaluation of the idea or proposition?

• What suggestions do you have at this point?

S

Stance, Steps,

Suggestions

What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the ideas and information presented?

Compass Points

Routine for Synthesizing and Organizing Ideas

Sort your ideas according to how central or important you think they are

• Place the more important words near the center

• Place the less important ideas toward the outside of the page

Share the Thinking!

Pair up with another group and share your concept map

i.e. a dove equals world peace

an equals sign stands for equality

Headlines

Think about the big ideas and important themes in what you have just read, seen, or heard.

G-S-C-E:

CSI

Concept Map

by Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison