Detective Thinking

Does your teacher talk about thinking? Most likely, they do. Humans think all the time. Even when we think we’re not thinking, we are. Our brains churn away 24/7 thinking. It’s a natural process, almost like running, walking or talking.

Just like fast runners, there are quick thinkers. Being able to think fast doesn’t mean you’re thinking smart. It can, but most often, fast thinkers miss things. Smart thinkers, on the other hand, take their time.

You see, there are different levels of thinking. Here are some examples:

What is something blue that I can wear today? Pretty easy, that one. As easy as opening a closet and choosing.

Where is my favourite blue shirt? Another easy one–on the surface–except that now you have to go one level deeper and choose something else. Or, go and look for your missing shirt.

Why is the sky blue? Ah, this one will take some digging. Notice how our thinking changes. We started off making easy choices, but now we have to search.

Notice the beginning word of each question–what, where and why. It’s those why questions that make us think deeper.

Okay, over to you.

Play detective on this one: a lady is pushing a car and when she arrives at the next hotel, she knows she’ll be bankrupt. What’s going on? Ask some questions. Start with what, go to where, then why. Throw in who and when if you like.

(hint: bankrupt is a fancy word for having no money, you’re broke)