What If Adventure Lesson Plan
The 'What If' Adventure Game
LESSON PLAN
"Learning to navigate unexpected social situations and consider diverse perspectives is crucial for building resilience and critical thinking in everyday life."
Time
45-50 minutes
Audience
3rd - 4th Grade
Approach
Interactive Game-Based Learning
Preparation
- • Review the What If Adventure Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- • Print and cut out the What If Adventure Game Cards. Consider laminating them for future use.
- • Ensure you have a whiteboard or projector ready for displaying slides.
- • Have markers or pens available for collaborative brainstorming.
Objective
Students will practice flexible thinking and problem-solving skills by brainstorming solutions to hypothetical social scenarios, enhancing their resilience, critical thinking, and social adaptability.
Materials Needed
- Whiteboard or Projector
- Markers or Pens
- What If Adventure Slide Deck
- What If Adventure Game Cards
- What If Adventure Discussion Prompts
Instructional Steps
1
Introduction & Warm-Up
5 minutes
• Greet students and introduce the lesson's theme: dealing with unexpected social situations.
• Ask students: "Have you ever been in a situation where something unexpected happened, and you had to think quickly?" Allow for a few brief responses.
• Introduce the "What If" Adventure Game and explain its purpose: to practice flexible thinking and problem-solving. Use the Slide Deck to guide this introduction.
2
Explain the Game
10 minutes
• Display the rules of the game using the Slide Deck.
• Explain that students will work in small groups (3-4 students). Each group will draw a "What If" card with a social dilemma.
• Their task is to collaboratively brainstorm as many solutions as possible for the scenario on the card.
• Emphasize that there are no wrong answers and to encourage creative and thoughtful ideas.
• Discuss the importance of considering different perspectives and the potential outcomes of each solution.
3
Play the Game
20 minutes
• Distribute one set of Game Cards to each group.
• Instruct groups to draw one card at a time and begin brainstorming solutions.
• Circulate among the groups, listening to their discussions and offering guidance or prompting questions (e.g., "What might happen next if you chose that solution?" or "How would that make others feel?").
• Encourage groups to record their top 2-3 solutions for each card.
4
Group Sharing & Discussion
10 minutes
• Bring the class back together.
• Have each group share one or two of their scenarios and their brainstormed solutions.
• Facilitate a brief class discussion using the Discussion Prompts.
• Highlight themes of flexible thinking, empathy, and different approaches to problem-solving.
5
Conclusion
5 minutes
• Summarize the key takeaways: flexible thinking helps us in unexpected situations, and it's good to consider different perspectives.
• Thank students for their participation and "flexible brains"!
What If Adventure Slide Deck
The 'What If'
Adventure Game
Ready to explore unexpected situations and become a problem-solving pro?
Flexibility • Creativity • Problem Solving
Ever Had a 'What If' Moment?
"...your friend accidentally spilled juice on your artwork?"
What if...
"...you saw someone struggling to carry their books?"
What if...
"...your plan for recess changed suddenly?"
What if...
What is Flexible Thinking?
"It's like having a super-brain that can think of many different ways to solve a problem or react to a situation!"
Why it's a Superpower
- Helps us find amazing solutions!
- Helps us understand others!
- Helps us stay calm and adaptable!
How to Play: The Adventure!
1 Work in small groups.
2 Draw a 'What If' card.
3 Read the scenario aloud.
4 Brainstorm solutions!
5 Think: feelings & outcomes.
6 Choose your top 2-3 ideas.
Let's Try One Together!
What if... you brought your favorite toy to school for show and tell, and another student accidentally broke it?
Brainstorm Solutions:
- Talk to the student.
- Ask a teacher for help.
- Try to fix it together.
- Remember it was an accident.
Time for Your Adventure!
Get ready to draw your cards and become amazing problem-solvers!
Listen to ideas
Be creative
Think of feelings
Share Your Adventures!
"Let's hear some of your amazing solutions..."
- • Which scenario was trickiest?
- • Was it easy to think of many solutions?
- • How did thinking about feelings help?
- • What did you learn about working together?
You Are
Flexible Thinkers!
Think of many solutions • Understand different feelings • Be ready for anything!
Keep practicing your adventure skills every day!
What If Adventure Discussion Prompts
Reflecting on Our Adventures
Discussion Guide
Explorer Name(s)
Date
1
Which "What If" scenario was the most challenging for your group to solve? Why do you think it was tricky?
2
Was it easy or difficult to come up with many different solutions for a single scenario? What helped you think of new ideas?
3
How did thinking about how other people might feel (empathy) help your group brainstorm solutions? Can you give an example?
4
Did anyone in your group have a really different idea that ended up being a great solution? What does that teach us about listening to others?
5
How can practicing flexible thinking like this help you in real life, outside of our game?
6
What is one new thing you learned about solving problems today?
Adventure Skills Log
