3, 2, 1 Bridge
3 words, 2 questions, 1 metaphor, twice, then bridge them.
Making connectionsCapturing the heartWondering & questioning
What is 3, 2, 1 Bridge?
Two-stage routine with explicit reflection. Initial response captures naive understanding; new response captures it after engagement; the bridge makes the change visible.
Setup: What's the key concept or topic?.
Initial response
- 13 wordsThree single words that come to mind.
- 22 questions
- 31 metaphor or simile"This is like…"
New response
- 13 words
- 22 questions
- 31 metaphor or simile
Bridge
- 1How did your thinking shift?Connect your new responses to your initial ones.
Good moments for 3, 2, 1 Bridge
- 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