101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

Participants

Small groups of four to seven people each

Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart
  sheets


• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (^1 ⁄ 2 ” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it®Notes

Handout

• Bionic Ideas Handout

Time

45 minutes

Related Activities

• Chain Alike [54]


• I Like It Like That [55]

Procedure

1. Distribute the Bionic Ideas Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
   any questions they may have.


2. Have the groups state the problem as clearly as possible using an action verb and
   an object (for example, how to increase sales) and write it down on a flip chart.


3. Tell them to describe the major principle or process that underlies the problem.
   Cite, as an example, that increasing sales involves the principle of getting more of
   something.


4. Ask them to think of similar principles in nature (that is, biological or botanical
   analogies).


5. Instruct them to use these similar principles or processes to stimulate new ideas,
   writing them on Post-it®notes (one idea per note) to place on flip charts for evalu-
   ation.

Debrief/Discussion

Some people may have trouble generating analogies for this exercise. One way to help is

to have the participants brainstorm more analogies than they might use. Another way to

help would be to provide a list of processes and principles found in biology (for example,

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