Science · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

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.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• HS-ETS1-2

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Present students with a simple engineering challenge (e.g., designing a better way to carry books). Ask them to write down 5 ideas in 3 minutes using a silent brainstorming method. Observe for quantity and variety of ideas.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

After a group brainstorming session, ask students: 'Which brainstorming technique did you find most effective for generating new ideas today, and why? How did deferring judgment impact your willingness to share ideas?'

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Students share their individual lists of brainstormed ideas. In pairs, they identify two ideas that are similar and two that are unique compared to their partner's list. They then discuss why they think certain ideas emerged more readily than others.

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

Activity 04

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Present students with a simple engineering challenge (e.g., designing a better way to carry books). Ask them to write down 5 ideas in 3 minutes using a silent brainstorming method. Observe for quantity and variety of ideas.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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?'

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Round Robin
• Gallery Walk
• Carousel Brainstorm