Create Mystery and Uncertainty
Pose Moral and Ethical Dilemmas to get
students thinking, and no doubt
disagreeing. A quick internet search for
moral dilemmas will yield lots of relevant
websites, but be prepared for the chaos in
class.
Contradiction and paradox is another way
to challenge students to make sense of
text and their understanding of the
world. Statement such as “The truth is I am a liar.", can cause the right amount of confusion to get students thinking.
Devil’s advocate can be used when a student completes a piece of work and has to then consider it from a different perspective and to develop an argument to challenge to quality or efficacy of their product.
Picture teases are a great way to introduce intrigue into your lessons. A collection of pictures around the theme of the lesson subject could have students stumped to identify the common link - these are a great way to deliver lesson aims.
Mystery objects are a great way to students engaged as well as stretching their understanding of their subject.
What went wrong? Give students a scenario of a workplace situation where things did not work out well, or ended in disaster or failure, then ask them to identify the reason for the failure and a plan to improve performance.
Many of these 'Level Up 4x4s have been shared in previous magazines. and can lead you to thinking about stretch and challenge in your classrooms (click on the image to connect).