Brainstorming and Ideation

Active learning works for brainstorming and ideation because these skills require practice in real-time collaboration and creative risk-taking. Students learn best when they experience the tension between wild ideas and practical constraints firsthand, rather than only discussing it in theory.

• Grade 9
• Science
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Generate at least 10 distinct potential solutions for a given engineering design challenge.
2. Compare the effectiveness of at least three different brainstorming techniques in producing a diverse range of ideas.
3. Explain the rationale behind deferring judgment during the initial ideation phase of the engineering design process.
4. Critique a set of generated ideas based on predefined criteria after the deferral period.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Rube Goldberg Machines

Pose a problem like moving a marble across the room using classroom materials. Students think individually for 3 minutes, pair up to share and combine 5 ideas each, then share one group prototype with the class. End with a vote on most creative concepts.

Prepare & details

Design multiple creative solutions to a given engineering challenge.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share for Rube Goldberg Machines, set a strict 2-minute timer for independent brainstorming to prevent students from overthinking before pairing.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Round Robin

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Round Robin: Eco-Friendly Packaging

Present a packaging challenge for fragile fruit. In small groups, students pass paper around the circle, adding one idea per turn for 10 minutes with no repeats or judgments. Groups then sketch top three ideas and explain selection criteria.

Prepare & details

Evaluate different brainstorming techniques for their effectiveness in generating diverse ideas.

Facilitation Tip: For Round Robin: Eco-Friendly Packaging, assign small groups to rotate roles every 3 minutes to ensure all students contribute and listen actively.

Setup: Chairs in a circle or small group clusters

Materials: Discussion prompt, Speaking object (optional, e.g., talking stick), Recording sheet

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 50 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Renewable Energy Devices

Individually create mind maps for wind or solar inventions on chart paper. Post maps around the room for a gallery walk where students add sticky notes with build-on ideas. Debrief on how additions expanded original concepts.

Prepare & details

Explain the importance of deferring judgment during the ideation phase.

Facilitation Tip: In the Mind Mapping Gallery Walk: Renewable Energy Devices, provide colored markers and large paper to encourage visual and spatial thinking during idea generation.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Carousel Brainstorm

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

SCAMPER Chain: Bridge Redesign

Use SCAMPER prompts (Substitute, Combine, etc.) for bridge failures. In chains, each student applies one prompt to the prior idea, passing verbally for 15 minutes. Groups prototype one evolved design with recyclables.

Prepare & details

Design multiple creative solutions to a given engineering challenge.

Facilitation Tip: When running SCAMPER Chain: Bridge Redesign, model one SCAMPER question yourself to show how prompts like 'How might we combine these materials?' push creativity beyond obvious solutions.

Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand

Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should model their own brainstorming process aloud, showing how to pivot from 'This won't work' to 'What if we tried this instead?' Research shows that explicit teacher modeling of divergent thinking reduces fixation on early ideas. Avoid correcting ideas during generation; instead, ask questions that broaden possibilities, like 'What would happen if we changed the scale?'

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students contributing a wide range of ideas without immediate filtering, building on others' concepts, and reflecting on how different techniques shape their problem-solving process. They should demonstrate comfort with ambiguity and recognize that initial ideas are often refined through group input.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Rube Goldberg Machines, watch for students who dismiss their partner's ideas immediately after sharing.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the activity after the pair share phase to ask, 'What elements from your partner's idea could you add or modify?' This forces students to engage with each other's thinking rather than defaulting to their own first thought.

Common Misconception

During Round Robin: Eco-Friendly Packaging, watch for students who criticize or explain why an idea won't work during the sharing phase.

What to Teach Instead

Enforce a rule that comments must start with 'I like how...' or 'This makes me think of...' Use a visible poster of these sentence starters to redirect comments away from judgment.

Common Misconception

During Mind Mapping Gallery Walk: Renewable Energy Devices, watch for students who abandon their own ideas once they see others' work.

What to Teach Instead

After the gallery walk, ask students to revisit their own mind maps and add two new connections inspired by what they saw, reinforcing that iteration builds on prior ideas instead of replacing them.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

During Think-Pair-Share: Rube Goldberg Machines, collect the initial solo brainstorming sheets and tally the number of ideas per student. Look for a mix of simple and complex ideas to assess both quantity and variety.

Discussion Prompt

After Round Robin: Eco-Friendly Packaging, facilitate a whole-class discussion where students explain which technique (round robin, mind mapping, etc.) helped them generate the most unique ideas. Ask them to connect this to how deferring judgment shaped their participation.

Peer Assessment

After SCAMPER Chain: Bridge Redesign, have students exchange their final lists of revised ideas. In pairs, they should highlight one idea that was transformed through the SCAMPER process and explain how the prompts led to that change.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: After Round Robin: Eco-Friendly Packaging, ask students to select one idea from their list and prototype a quick sketch with household materials within 10 minutes.
• Scaffolding: For students struggling in SCAMPER Chain: Bridge Redesign, provide a list of starter questions tied to each SCAMPER category (e.g., 'What can be substituted in the design?').
• Deeper exploration: Have students research a real-world engineering failure, then brainstorm alternative solutions using mind mapping before presenting their findings.

Key Vocabulary

Ideation	The process of forming ideas or concepts, especially for potential solutions to a problem. It focuses on generating a large quantity of diverse ideas.
Brainstorming	A group or individual creativity technique that involves generating a large number of ideas for the solution to a problem. The emphasis is on quantity and spontaneity.
Defer Judgment	A principle of brainstorming where criticism or evaluation of ideas is postponed until after the generation phase. This encourages free thinking and prevents premature dismissal of concepts.
Divergent Thinking	A thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is characterized by flexibility, originality, and fluency of thought.
Convergent Thinking	A thought process used to arrive at a single best solution to a problem, typically involving logical steps and evaluation. This follows divergent thinking.