Technologies · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Brainstorming Ideas: Creative Solutions

Active brainstorming helps students move beyond single solutions by practicing rapid idea generation in a low-pressure setting. When students sketch, list, or share aloud without early criticism, they build confidence in their creative abilities and learn to trust the process of gradual refinement.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2P01

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Round Robin
• 30 min · Small Groups

Round Robin: Playground Safety Fixes

Form small circles with a talking object. Each student shares one idea to fix a playground problem, like slippery slides; the group says 'thank you' and passes it. After two rounds, discuss and sketch top ideas. Vote with stickers for favorites.

Design multiple distinct solutions for a single identified problem.

Facilitation Tip

During Round Robin, model one idea aloud before starting to normalize idea generation and reduce hesitation.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple problem, such as 'How can we make our classroom tidier?' Ask them to draw or write down at least three different ideas on a worksheet. Observe if the ideas are distinct and if students are generating multiple options.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Graffiti Wall
• 35 min · Pairs

Mind Map Merge: Eco-Friendly Lunchboxes

Students draw individual mind maps for lunchbox improvements, branching from the problem center. Pairs then merge maps on large paper, adding connections. Whole class shares one unique idea from each pair.

Compare the potential effectiveness of different brainstorming techniques.

Facilitation Tip

In Mind Map Merge, provide colored pencils so students can visually track which ideas originated from which group members.

What to look for

After a brainstorming activity, ask students: 'Think about the different ways we came up with ideas today, like drawing or just talking. Which way helped you think of more ideas? Why?' Listen for explanations that connect the technique to the quantity or quality of ideas.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Graffiti Wall
• 25 min · Small Groups

Rolestorming Relay: Garden Tool Designs

Assign roles like child, parent, or gardener. In lines, students act as their role to suggest tool ideas verbally while passing a baton. Teams compile lists, then refine in pairs by drawing.

Explain how diverse ideas can lead to a more robust final solution.

Facilitation Tip

During Rolestorming Relay, remind students to speak in the voice of their assigned persona, which often leads to unexpected and fun solutions.

What to look for

Students work in small groups to brainstorm solutions for a shared problem. Each student then shares one idea with the group. The group discusses which idea is the most interesting or helpful, and why, providing simple feedback to the idea generator.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Graffiti Wall
• 40 min · Small Groups

SCAMPER Sprint: Toy Upgrades

Set stations for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse. Groups spend 3 minutes per station generating ideas for a toy. Rotate and consolidate into a class chart.

Design multiple distinct solutions for a single identified problem.

Facilitation Tip

In SCAMPER Sprint, display the SCAMPER prompts on a poster so students can reference them while upgrading their toy designs.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple problem, such as 'How can we make our classroom tidier?' Ask them to draw or write down at least three different ideas on a worksheet. Observe if the ideas are distinct and if students are generating multiple options.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should create a safe space where all ideas are recorded, even if they seem impractical at first. Avoid praising individual ideas too quickly, as this can steer students toward pleasing the teacher rather than exploring possibilities. Research shows that delaying judgment leads to more original solutions, so keep the atmosphere open and encouraging throughout the process.

Students will generate multiple distinct solutions for a given problem, showing confidence in sharing ideas without immediate judgment. Their designs should reflect divergent thinking, with each idea building on or contrasting previous suggestions from peers.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Round Robin: Playground Safety Fixes, watch for students who dismiss their own early ideas as 'not good enough.'

  Remind them that the goal is quantity first; have them keep adding to their lists even if the ideas seem silly, as later ideas often improve on early ones.

• During Mind Map Merge: Eco-Friendly Lunchboxes, watch for students who assume only one 'correct' idea can emerge from the merge.

  Emphasize that the merge is about building on each other's ideas; model how to add arrows or notes to show how one idea leads to another.

• During Rolestorming Relay: Garden Tool Designs, watch for students who refuse to speak in character, limiting their creativity.

  Encourage them to lean into the persona; even exaggerated ideas can spark useful solutions when shared in the assigned role.

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Methods used in this brief

• Round Robin
• Graffiti Wall