Imagine and invent
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Thinking sheet · Imagine and invent
The What-If Machine
Feed a big “what if?” into the machine and draw the world that comes out the other side.
- Grades
- 2–5
- Time
- about 30 minutes
- Topic
- Imagine and invent
- Kids practice
- cause and effect, creative questions, imaginative drawing
What kids do
“Put a question in the machine. What if… dinosaurs drove buses? What if it rained jelly beans?”
- What if…
- Draw the world where it came true
- Three things that would change
How to run it
- Brainstorm silly and serious what-ifs together for two minutes.
- Push for consequences: if dinosaurs drove buses, what would the bus stops look like?
- Robot dinosaurs and aliens make great machine operators for the drawing.
Talk about it
- Which change would be good? Which would be a problem?
- What would you need to invent to cope?
- Which what-if could almost really happen?
Take it further
Write a news report from the what-if world.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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