Engineers at Tufts wondered how teachers trained in liberal arts could teach students critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
They suggested teachers find books, where protagonists face conflict. (It was as though they didn't know, in every good book, protagonists face conflicts. But no matter, let's go on.)
The teacher would then read the book, or assign certain pages for homework, up to a spot where the protagonist has sufficient details about the pending conflict to give students the information they need to come up with various conflict resolutions.
For younger grades, the Tufts engineers used the example of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. How can Peter keep his younger brother, Fudge, away from his turtle, when his mother won't let him close his bedroom door? The engineers figured Peter could rig up a pulley system to hoist his turtle into the air, whenever Fudge entered his room.
Students can engage in a problem-solving class discussion or break into groups to propose solutions and then report their ideas to the class. The class even could vote to choose the best solution.
Doesn't this sound like more fun than memorizing and passing tests?
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