“Creative Keywords” Brainstorming Kit
This activity is the first step towards unlocking a world of imaginative project ideas for fostering creative thinking and active participation among students. Meant to help “think different”, this kit is a collaborative brainstorming exercise to reimagine what’s possible in the classroom. A video explainer is also available here on YouTube!
Guide
- For each category (pages 3-5), roll two 10-sided dice (e.g. “2” “8” for 28) or use an online random number generator 1-100. Write the corresponding keywords under “Your Project”.
These two dice would reflect “48”. For example, under Actions this connects to “Uniting.”
- After all categories are filled in, consider ways in which these keywords combine together to create a project idea. Creative interpretation is allowed and encouraged (of the keywords and categories)! Projects could have a specific objective, guiding question, and/or elements that must be present or not present.
- Then, map out this project into five steps of the design thinking process, which typically translates to…
- Empathize: Researching an idea, asking questions, and learning from the community.
- Define: Honing in a particular idea, targeting certain objectives, deciding what to do next.
- Ideate: Generating and brainstorming a list of ideas toward those objectives.
- Prototype: Building and creating the literal project.
- Test: Receiving feedback on these projects, improving overtime.
- Consider the use case of this project. Could it be aligned to standards? A particular class? Is it purely conceptual or something tangible?
Your Project
Write words below based on dice rolls in the reference tables (pages 3-5):
Inspiration | Action | Challenge | Kick-Off | Restriction* |
Interpret the above keywords into a general project idea. What is it? What are students thinking about? What are students doing?:
Project Description (3-5 sentences) | |
Conceptualize this project into the design thinking process. How could you structure this project over multiple weeks?:
Empathize Research, Ask, Learn | Define Hone In, Target, Decide | Ideate Generate, Brainstorm | Prototype Build, Create | Test Feedback, Iteration |
Creative Keyword Tables
Inspiration
1 Forge 2 Chronicle 3 Memento 4 Journey 5 Wilderness 6 Seed 7 Envoy 8 Legacy 9 Timeless 10 Icon 11 Quest 12 Utopia 13 Mosaic 14 Performance 15 Fantasy 16 Atlas 17 Puzzle 18 Unlocked 19 Pulse 20 Futuristic | 21 Lore 22 Vista 23 First Contact 24 Choreograph 25 Renaissance 26 Globe 27 Mythos 28 Canvas 29 Spectrum 30 Music 31 Remembrance 32 Unheard 33 Harvest 34 Fractal 35 Neon 36 Water 37 Dream 38 Simulated 39 Compass 40 Juxtapose | 41 Nostalgia 42 Ink 43 Portals 44 Abstract 45 Local 46 Expanse 47 Hourglass 48 Chaos 49 Kindred 50 Dice 51 Echo 52 Cosmos 53 Recess 54 Comedy 55 Ecosystem 56 Depths 57 Prism 58 Enigma 59 Untold 60 Improvement | 61 Beacon 62 Horizon 63 Bridges 64 Bookshelf 65 Mystery 66 Silhouette 67 Love 68 Kinetic 69 Cards 70 Unveil 71 Phantom 72 Archive 73 Yesteryear 74 Weave 75 Tapestry 76 Bloom 77 Luck 78 Frame 79 Reclaimed 80 Open-Ended | 81 Lost 82 Key 83 Infinite 84 Rhapsody 85 Oracle 86 Dramatic 87 Artificial 88 Whisper 89 Scroll 90 Passport 91 Concrete 92 Mirage 93 Theater 94 Mold 95 Landscape 96 Arcane 97 Switch-Up 98 Thrive 99 Glyph 100 Wildcard: ______________ |
Action
1 Shifting 2 Questioning 3 Quantifying 4 Liberating 5 Uncovering 6 Zooming 7 Cultivating 8 Illuminating 9 Sustaining 10 Leveraging 11 Merging 12 Demonstrating 13 Visualizing 14 Dreaming 15 Elevating 16 Imprinting 17 Noticing 18 Shimmering 19 Venturing 20 Exclaiming | 21 Befriending 22 Challenging 23 Optimizing 24 Intertwining 25 Juggling 26 Negotiating 27 Persisting 28 Uplifting 29 Painting 30 Building 31 Forecasting 32 Gazing 33 Analyzing 34 Decoding 35 Mapping 36 Adjusting 37 Modeling 38 Advocating 39 Highlighting 40 Arranging | 41 Listening 42 Generating 43 Asking 44 Visiting 45 Exchanging 46 Dancing 47 Doodling 48 Uniting 49 Restoring 50 Networking 51 Moving 52 Waiting 53 Hoping 54 Quoting 55 Teaching 56 Resolving 57 Measuring 58 Entertaining 59 Witnessing 60 Speaking | 61 Wishing 62 Plotting 63 Giving 64 Playing 65 Coding 66 Accelerating 67 Joking 68 Revising 69 Blending 70 Conversating 71 Experimenting 72 Capturing 73 Reading 74 Empathizing 75 Guiding 76 Unpacking 77 Constructing 78 Fixing 79 Revitalizing 80 Naming | 81 Reviewing 82 Repairing 83 Joining 84 Filming 85 Hosting 86 Anchoring 87 Wondering 88 Calling 89 Disrupting 90 Developing 91 Conceptualizing 92 Upgrading 93 Designing 94 Cataloging 95 Navigating 96 Preserving 97 Unraveling 98 Donating 99 Reimagining 100 Wildcard: ______________ |
Challenge
| Kick-Off
|
Restriction* (optional, adds difficulty)
1-5 Breakable 6-10 Hidden Meaning 11-15 Found Objects 16-20 Five Senses 21-25 Functioning Device 26-30 Wearable 31-35 Living Matter 36-40 Permanent Fixture 41-45 1 Mile Radius 46-50 International | 51-55 Public Performance 56-60 One-Time Experience 61-65 Optical Illusion 66-70 Portable 71-75 Created by Audience 76-80 Primarily Sound 81-85 No Technology 86-90 Edible 91-95 Dual Purpose 96-100 360 Degrees |
Example #1
Chris begins the brainstorming process by rolling four sets of 2 10-sided dice, recording the keyword for each category:
Inspiration | Action | Challenge | Kick-Off | Restriction* |
5 Wilderness | 37 Modeling | 56 Visual Display | 3 Video | (Optional) |
This is conceptualized as the following project:
In small-groups, students will create a nature reserve in various areas around the school – each specializing in a particular “zone.” This zone could be man-made or natural, indoors or outdoors. For example, a group of students could establish a nature reserve in the school’s entrance landscaping, or at the bathroom sink. “Trail markers”, used to showcase local wildlife, fauna, bacteria, and/or other living organisms will be laminated, framed, and attached to each area. To kick things off, students will watch excerpts from The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. |
And broken down into the design thinking stages:
Empathize Research, Ask, Learn | Define Hone In, Target, Decide | Ideate Generate, Brainstorm | Prototype Build, Create | Test Feedback, Iteration |
Students…
| Students…
| Students…
| Students…
| Students…
|
Example #2
Nick begins the brainstorming process by rolling four sets of 2 10-sided dice, recording the keyword for each category:
Inspiration | Action | Challenge | Kick-Off | Restriction* |
31 Remembrance | 39 Highlighting | 78 Multimodal Literacies | 26 Game | (Optional) |
This is conceptualized as the following project:
And broken down into the design thinking stages:
Empathize Research, Ask, Learn | Define Hone In, Target, Decide | Ideate Generate, Brainstorm | Prototype Build, Create | Test Feedback, Iteration |
This resource was developed in part thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Third Coast Learning Collaborative. March 2024. Code: 1.1.
Licensed under Human Restoration Project: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International &
This work is inspired by Ironsworn (www.ironswornrpg.com), created by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the CC 4.0 International license.