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Handout
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Noodle Tools: Basic Language Literacy: Writing: Paragraph Art

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
When you create a coherent paragraph, it can be represented by any number of visual images. This page shows examples of how that might work to help writers understand the idea of coherence.
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Building Creative Capacities for the 21st Century [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief but enlightening article in pdf format about a successful worker in a bank. The skills he developed while studying the arts are what are attributed to his success.
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Article
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Best100 Ideas: The Six Hats of Creative Communication

For Students 9th - 10th
One of the more popular models of initiating creative thought is that of De Bono's six hat thinking strategy. This article explains the role of each hat and how they are used to develop creative ideas.
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Creative Thinking and Lateral Thinking Techniques

For Students 9th - 10th
Developing your creative thinking skills is increasingly important in the 21st century workplace. This page lists several techniques and tutorials for helping you develop your own creative thinking skills.
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Infinite Innovations Ltd.: Tutorial on Creative (Lateral) Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn how to use creative-thinking techniques within a problem-solving framework involving problem definition, problem analysis, solution generation, solution analysis, solution voting, and next steps.
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Mind Maps

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This page includes useful background information about Mind Mapping, as well as a video explanation of it by Tony Buzan. Additional resources are provided as well.
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Activity
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Eyewire Creativity Cards [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Do you need help coming up with creative ideas? This pdf file contains 20 different ideas to help you spark your creativity. They can also be cut out to be used as cards to have your students pick from to help aid them in their creative...
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Article
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Boston Globe: Arts Skills Are Life Skills

For Students 9th - 10th
According to this article "the ability to think outside the box" is exactly what businesses are looking for from prospective employees. This article explains how the arts foster creativity in students thus preparing them for the workforce.
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Benefits of Music Education

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
The benefits of music education are numerous. This well written article contains many quotes from various sources as to why music education is essential towards developing skills that will enhance the lives of children.
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Article
Kidsource OnLine

Kid Source on Line: Encouraging Creativity in Early Childhood Classrooms

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
An excellent article providing insight for how to encourage young children to be creative in their educational development. The article gives suggestions for what teachers can do to foster creativity by using time, space, materials and...
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Lesson Plan
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Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: My Robot and Me

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In this activity pupils are asked to come up with ways a robot could help them. They are then required to write a humorous story about that robot and present it to the class. This activity encourages students to be creative while also...
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Article
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U.s. House Unanimously Passes Resolution Supporting School Based Music Education

For Students 9th - 10th
Recognizing that music education develops skills for the 21st century workforce, the U.S. House unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 121 in April, 2007. This resolution supports the need to have music education accessible to...
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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Manipulating Sentences to Reinforce Grammar Skills

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Thinking creatively about written language is an important communication skill developed by this lesson plan, which can be used with passages from any book being read by students. Includes student handout and evaluation rubric.
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Valuing and Developing Creativity

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
With the emergence of the 21st century skills in education, creative thinking and creative teaching are beginning to have more prominence within the educational structure. This article addresses the need to put creativity in the center...
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The Creativity Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
Learning how to be creative can be a challenge for many people. This three step procedure can help get you on your way to developing your creative thinking skills.
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The Arts a Lifetime of Learning

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Read why Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee believes the arts are vital to our education. Some of the key points of the article are academic, social and civil development, economic development and quality of life.
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Article
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Creating Systems to Reinforce Creativity

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Although this article was written from a business perspective, the ideas throughout can easily be adapted to the classroom. The formula for creative output is explained and is a good way to encourage creativity among your students.
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Article
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What Is Brainstorming?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Brainstorming can be a helpful tool during the creative thinking process. Learn the origins of brainstorming, what it isn't and the general guidelines associated with this technique.
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Article
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Why Study Creativity?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
With the new push for 21st century skills in education there is an increasing need to teach creative thinking skills to students. This page lists 12 reasons why we should study creativity and why it is important.
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Website
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Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Creative Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th
With humor and an easy to understand common sense approach, this article explains how easy it is to be a creative thinker. It provides good practical ideas that will enable you to find your creative side.
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Mind Mapping: Visual Creative Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th
Mind mapping is an effective tool that can help with the creative thinking process. This article explains what mind mapping is and it shows you how you can effectively use it to help with your creative process.
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Michael Michalko Creative Thinking Techniques

For Students 9th - 10th
As one of the country's leading experts on creative thinking, this site offers a brief overview of some of Michael Michalko's techniques.
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Lesson Plan
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Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Made Up Math

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
An interesting way to make math more creative. This page gives ideas for three different exercises that encourage students to use math in a creative way.
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Lesson Plan
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Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Extend Sive Thinking

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Encourage students to apply creative thinking to historical research in order to predict the future. This page provides three different activities that encourage creativity.