The document discusses strategies for incorporating creativity, critical thinking, and humor into primary level classrooms. It provides examples of creative activities like renaming everyday objects and fantasy food to inspire students' imaginations. Critical thinking skills and activities are also outlined, such as formulating opinions, justification, and problem solving. Finally, the document suggests using humor and crazy activities like paper plates and consequence cupcakes to lower students' affective barriers and make lessons more memorable through laughter.

1. The 3Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking and
Craziness in the Primary Classroom
XVII Jornadas CETA, 2016
by Michelle Worgan
OVERVIEW
Creativity and critical thinking skills are key areas of education in the 21​st​
century. In
this practical workshop we will look at lots of simple yet effective activities and images
that will get our primary learners thinking more. The third C, craziness, will look at
how humour can make lessons more memorable.
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
1. ·​ ​Renaming or rethinking the purpose of everyday objects.
2. ·​ ​Pareidolia
3. ·​ ​Fantasy food
4. ·​ ​New identities
5. ·​ ​A cat’s birthday
Tip 1: Inspire creativity with simple sketches, use of colour vs B&W, abstract shapes,
mixed media, picture frames, space to doodle
Tip 2: Allow for creativity outside the activity.
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. ·​ ​Formulating opinions 1. What will happen next?
2. ·​ ​Justification 2. Was X a good idea?
3. ·​ ​Decision making 3. Why? Why? Why?
4. ·​ ​Analysis and evaluation 4. How are X and Y the same/different?
5. ·​ ​Problem solving 5. How can we solve the problem?
6. ·​ ​Reflective thinking 6. How would you feel if…?
7. ·​ ​Inference and deduction
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2. CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES
1. ·​ ​Fact or opinion?
2. ·​ ​A cat’s birthday party
3. ·​ ​Cupcakes for everybody
4. ·​ ​Evaluation and self-evaluation
CRAZY ACTIVITIES
Humour lowers affective barriers, laughter increases relaxation
1. ·​ ​Paper plates
2. ·​ ​Crazy consequence cupcakes
YOUR IDEAS http://padlet.com/michelleworgan/CETA2016
BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING
● Creativity in the English Language Classroom​Ed. Alan Maley and Nik
Peachy
● Fuel Creativity in the Classroom with Divergent Thinking​, Stacey
Goodman, Edutopia
● How to Explain Critical Thinking Skills to Young Children​, Heidi Butkus,
● eisforexplore.blogspot.com​- science activities, creativity, critical thinking
● Critical Thinking Skills for Young learners and Teens​, H. Puchta
● Developing Thinking Skills in the Young Learner’s Classroom​, H. Puchta
● http://blog.ted.com/4-inspiring-kids-imagine-the-future-of-learning/
● The Adventures of a Cardboard Box ​https://vimeo.com/25239728
● The Deep by PES ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK18bdUEWSs
● HOTS v LOTS ​https://youtu.be/DRGKzKDwURA
CONTACT
michelleworgan@gmail.com
Twitter: @michelleworgan Facebook page: ​www.facebook.com/michelleworganelt
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