The Explanation Game
Name a feature of an object, explain it, justify it, generate alternatives.
Observing & describingBuilding explanationsReasoning with evidenceUncovering complexity
What is The Explanation Game?
Close-looking + reasoning. Excellent for artifacts, mechanisms, artworks.
Setup: Show the object.
The prompts
- 1NAME · a feature you notice
- 2EXPLAIN · what could it be / what role might it play?
- 3GIVE REASONS · what makes you say that?
- 4GENERATE ALTERNATIVES · what else could it be?
Good moments for The Explanation Game
- Classroom warm-upSurface what students bring before introducing new content.
- After a reading or videoConsolidate big ideas without testing recall.
- Discussion starterResponses become the seed material for the room conversation.
- End-of-session reflectionCapture how thinking changed.
About Visible Thinking
Visible Thinking Routines were developed by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ron Ritchhart, David Perkins). They are short structured protocols for surfacing thinking, not assessments.
Project Zero website