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2.7
Expanding Thinking with Metaphors
Submitted by Lori Britt
Metaphors are unusual comparisons that can help us see things in new ways. This activity stimulates creative discussion by encouraging the group to challenge their assumptions and default thinking.
Learning Goal
Practice using metaphors as a strategy to expand thinking and generate new ideas.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Organize participants into small groups (4-6 ppl).
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Introduce a Problem (5 min)
Select a problem facing your community. Share this problem on the board, screen, or chat. Without adding much detail, ask each participant to take 5 minutes to write down their thoughts. Prompt:
Write down whatever comes to mind as it relates to this topic.
Step Two: Use Metaphors to Expand Thinking (5 min)
Invite each participant to describe the problem using metaphoric language. For example, the cost of tuition is a sparrow caught in a tornado.
If participants need additional help, share some of the following examples:
How is this problem like (insert any metaphor you prefer)
… a vegetable garden?
… rush hour traffic in a large metropolitan area?
… learning to use a computer?
… a computer virus?
… an adolescent going through puberty?
Step Three: Discuss Metaphors in Small Groups (10 min)
Invite participants to share their metaphors. Discuss how the metaphor applies to the topic. Invite participants to build on what they hear and craft new metaphors together.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (20 min)
Invite each small group to share one to two of their favorite metaphors. Discuss:
Look back on your notes from the beginning of this session. How has the use of metaphors helped you to see the issue in new or expanded ways?
How did you feel when you were asked to generate metaphors quickly? How did this compare to generating metaphors as a group? What insights, if any, does this spark for you?
TIME
40
min
MODULE
Creative Collaboration
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity might be considered high energy or more playful than other activities.
This activity can be easily modified to serve as an introductory exercise and completed in less than 10 minutes.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
Have any helpful suggestions or modifications for this activity?
Share them in the comments below!
0 Comments
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:39:23 AM
Activity 5.4 uses the fun method of role playing and builds on other activities to help participants develop questions and practice gathering information to collaborate effectively with communities as partners. This activity involves working together in small groups and as a large group. It also includes multiple additional resources for participants to continue learning methods and skills to build community partnerships.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:39:00 AM
Activity 1.8 provides a very useful survey to gather information on and help support participants' different discussion styles and needs, exploring various areas like preferences for group size, ways of participating in discussions, any fears relating to discussions, etc.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:34:46 AM
Activity 5.8 further explores direct democracy by proposing the idea of "legislative juries" to improve the current initiative process through collaboration and deliberation. This activity uses role playing to have participants practice deliberation as part of a mock legislative jury to craft ballot initiatives on a given issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:27:35 AM
Activity 5.7 uses a fun and tactile activity like building LEGOs to explore the effects of coming together to colloborate and discuss, while also participating together in another physical activity.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:22:49 AM
Activity 5.6 uses memes and futuristic zombie scenarios to develop ways to change people's minds, while exploring various aspects of the methods used to change minds, like assumptions behind ideas, sticking to the facts versus stretching the truth, appealing to emotions etc.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:16:44 AM
Activity 5.5 uses a fun and visual/craft activity to help participants explore the many different types of knowledge, how they are valued, and the role/importance of each type of knowledge in their own lives.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:11:54 AM
Activity 5.3 gives participants to use writing, drawing, and/or speaking to share and discuss the various communities they belong to and/or feel excluded from, the various aspects that define community, as well as the practices of inclusion or exclusion and power distribution in these communities.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:07:26 AM
Activity 5.2 introduces four categories of stakeholders and multiple prompts to help participants work together in small and large groups to create comprehensive list of stakeholders, including those who are marginalized or not as obvious, for a given issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:04:00 AM
Activity 5.1 uses gamification by having participants play the Civics Topics Sweet Sixteen Competition to identify their issues they are passionate about both as individuals and as a group.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:01:34 AM
Activity 4.9 uses both lighthearted and serious characters, topics, and dialogue to help participants practice viewing an issue from the perspective of multiple people/characters and explain their thought processes and rationale for the choices they think these people will make in a given situation.