THUNKS Unusual questions to make you think.

There are NO right or wrong answers to these questions – simply YOUR answers. You do, however, need to think about your answers and be able to justify them – in other words, don’t say the first thing that comes into your head, AND, be prepared to fully explain your answers when you give them. Listen to the answers given by others and treat them seriously – even if they sound odd, they may all be valid if they can be justified.

Teacher notes: These questions are all based on THUNKS by Ian Gilbert – a thunk being “a beguiling question about everyday things that stops you in your tracks and helps you to look at the world in a whole new light.” As stated on the previous slide, there are no right or wrong answers, simply well-thought out answers. Give the class plenty of thinking time, and try to step back from being a teacher – listen to, and accept what you hear, but by all means challenge it with an opposing view – a “but what if…..” type of question to encourage further discussion. That obviously means a bit of prior thought is required by you to anticipate possible answers! As most of these questions are available at www.thunks.co.uk you may even lodge any ‘interesting’ answers that you receive there for others to enjoy, or even lodge some questions that your class may create themselves.

My granny has had her broom for 40 years My granny has had her broom for 40 years. In that time it has had 19 new heads and 12 new handles. Is it still the same broom?

Do ideas come from inside or outside your head?