Find My Rule

Find My Rule A Gem of a Structure for Nurturing Critical Thinking

The key to life is unlocking the daily patterns that fill our lives." This structure offers limitless opportunities for students to experience the "unlocking of patterns”.

As teachers facing the daily challenge to develop critical thinkers, a structure that has unlimited potential in this area is Find My Rule. Find My Rule is a cooperative, inclusive structure. Students "find" the teacher's rule for placing examples in a category frame. For example, figures with a line of symmetry are placed in one box and non-symmetrical figures in another. Students must induce the rule. All subject areas have content that will work with this structure.

The steps for implementing Find My Rule:

1) Teacher places one item in each area of the category frame.

2) Teacher asks, "What is my rule for placing items?" and provides Think Time.

3) Students RallyRobin with their shoulder partners to generate possible rules the teacher is using.

4) Teacher places two more objects in the category frame.

5) Teacher again says, "What is my rule?" and provides Think Time.

6) Students RallyRobin with their face partners to generate possible rules.

7) Teacher places more objects in the category frame, each time having teams discuss possible rules.

8) Teacher says, "Don't tell me your rule, name an ITEM which fits in each category," and calls on several students to share their items, confirming or not their answers.

9) When most students seem to know the rule, the teacher calls on one student to verbalise the rule for the class.

10) Teacher confirms the rule.

11) Teacher presents new items one at a time, each time calling for students to hold up fingers indicating the category for the item.

12) Teacher congratulates the class.

The quality of the outcomes for Find My Rule depends on sticking rigidly to steps #3, #6, #8

Variations: Team Statement: Once the pair/team members share what each has induced as the rule and why, challenge the team to create a quality Team Statement of the rule. You may even challenge the team to use the least number of words. To create the Team Statement, give each team member an opportunity to contribute using Simultaneous RoundTable. Have each team member write their best statement on the top of a blank piece of paper. Next, rotate the papers. Students add or delete what they believe is necessary. They cannot say, "ditto" or “I agree." After 4 rotations, have the final person; write their quality statement considering each person's input. This is a great way for students to read their teammates ideas, thoughts, and perceptions and bring it all together.

Teams finally choose their Team Statement for the rule with the least number of words. Have the teams write their quality statement on a large paper and put up the statements. OR Have each team exchange their Team Statement with another team and have the teams test the quality of the statements for the given items in the boxes. Often there are teams who create a statement that does not fit a specific item. What a fabulous learning experience for all!

Student-Created Find My Rule: The highest and most challenging level for students is to create their own Find My Rule. Have each team start from the first step and proceed:

1) Using RallyRobin, pairs discuss ideas for creating a rule by placing items in a box and placing an item that doesn't work for the rule in another box. 2) Pairs exchange their boxes and continue to add to each box. 3) Teams look at the two sets of boxes and decide which rule they would like to use to "challenge" the next team. 4) Teams send their Find My Rule sheets to another team. 5) At their own pace, each team uses the steps for Find My Rule to determine the rule.

Although these variations take time, it is worth every bit of it. Quality Thinking, Quality Statements, Quality Testing of Statements.