Brain Bits

Filtered thinking

1. Look through the colour filters. What do you notice? Can you explain it? Today we're going to look at how your brain filters information and how you can use that understanding to advantage.

2. How does your brain work? Which part of your brain deals with strong emotional reactions (fight or flight) and which with rational thinking? Do you know how your brain decides which of the almost infinite stimuli around you to notice? How could this filtering be a good thing? How could it be a bad thing?

3. Introducing De Bono's six thinking hats (image and mind-map).

4. Going back to our discussion last time - use the six hats to decide whether you would think it would be a good thing to be taught by a robot (take the hats in turn, everyone suggesting ideas).

5. What are the advantages of using the six hats technique, and why have we compared them to filters?

6. Now choose one of these questions and put on a hat. Have a discussion!

a) we should change assembly time to the end of the day
b) I should learn a new musical instrument
c) the government should impose a 1% charity tax

7. Can you think of lessons or study tasks where the six hats could be useful?