The 4C's
Connections · Challenge · Concepts · Changes, after a text.
Making connectionsBuilding explanationsUncovering complexityCapturing the heart
What is The 4C's?
Used after reading. Builds on Connect-Extend-Challenge with two extra prompts.
Setup: Provide the text or its title.
The prompts
- 1CONNECTIONS · to your life or other learning?
- 2CHALLENGE · what do you want to argue with?
- 3CONCEPTS · key ideas worth holding on to?
- 4CHANGES · in attitude, thinking, or action?
Good moments for The 4C's
- 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