Creativity Step 1

Creativity: The use of imagination and the generation of new ideas.

Step 1: I imagine different situations and be able to say what it is that I'm imagining.

Outcomes

To achieve Step 1, learners will be able to say what it is that they are imagining.

In the previous step, the focus was on learners being able to imagine different situations. This step adds the ability to be able to say what it is that learners are imagining.

Learners need to be able to:

Explain why it is helpful to explain what we imagine
Understand how to talk about what they have imagined

Introduction

It is important to support learners to see themselves as imaginative. As learners get older, we often see that their confidence to explore imaginative and unrealistic ideas decreases.
Imagination is about being able to think about something and see if in your head.
Highlight to learners when they have used their imagination before. Ask them to provide some of their own examples, such as thinking about what we might do in the future, somewhere we’d like to go, thinking up new ideas or acting out future situations.

Skill Starter

Picturing Imagination

Ask learners to individually draw, write or act out a description of a time when they used their imagination.

Model this: “I used my imagination when practising a penalty, so I’ve drawn myself kicking a ball”.

Learners can hold up their work and explain what they imagine. Reflect as a group on why it is helpful to share what is in our heads.

10 mins

Individual activity

Writing

Teach & Apply

When we use our imaginations, we have to remember that no one else knows what is in your head until you tell them. Therefore, you have to use lots of detail to help bring what is in your head to life for them – they will not know anything that you don’t tell them.
When describing what you imagine, it is helpful to give context – start by telling them what situation or thing you were broadly imagining. For example, “I was imagining that I was making a trip to play tennis on the moon”. You can then give some of the detail of what you were imagining.
You might also want to explain how you feel – this can help people you are talking to be more interested in what you are sharing.
Finally, you have to decide how much detail you want to give – you cannot describe everything so you have to pick what is essential.

Optional Activity

Pretend Olympics

Pair up the group into 'Pretenders' and 'Guessers'. Pretenders imagine carrying out an everyday sporting task, such as putting on their trainers or swimming goggles or kicking a ball. They also have to explain what they are feeling at the same time. Guessers then have to guess the task. Pairs should then swap roles.

Tips

Pretenders must remember not to say the exact same words as the action.
Prepare examples for learners who don’t have a specific action.
Some learners may also benefit from prompts to talk about what they imagine, for example what they see, feel, smell, hear or taste.

20 mins

Paired activity

Active

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

Create a routine for introducing tasks where learners are going to use their imagination: for example, a physical place, space or object called ‘the Imagination Zone [or] Object’.

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

Ask learners questions about what they can see in their head and encourage them to think of different scenarios.
Ask these reflective questions:
- What does imagination mean?
- Can you think about examples of when you have used your imagination?
- Why is it helpful to be able to explain what we imagine?