1. Note to teachers: anything in italics should be read aloud
Lesson 1.2

2. Cognitive Flexibility
In this example, you must be cognitively flexible to see “me” and then shift your perspective to “you”.
About this lesson:
Cognitive Flexibility: Cognitive flexibility is the ability to think flexibly and to shift mindsets and approaches flexibly. This process is crucial to students’ ability to learn new concepts. Cognitive flexibility allows students to combine ideas and concepts creatively and to integrate major themes with details.
How to Teach Cognitive Flexibility:
As children advance through the grades, cognitive flexibility plays an important role in their ability to learn new concepts. Learning new concepts is linked to students’ willingness to abandon previously successful methods in favor of alternative methods. Teachers can promote flexible thinking in students by:
Encouraging growth mindsets and preventing fixed mindsets.
Encouraging the use of metacognitive strategies.
Presenting multiple solutions to a problem.
Using strategy reflection sheets.
See lesson 1.2 overview for more detailed information.
Lesson 1.2

3. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Objectives
Define cognitive flexibility
Practice different interpretations of language
Lesson 1.2

4. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Agenda
Complete Metacognitive Activator
Define cognitive flexibility
Explore multiple meanings of words and phrases
Show what you have learned about cognitive flexibility
Complete Metacognitive Wrap-Up
Go over the agenda with your students.
Lesson 1.2

5. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Metacognitive Activator
Write as many words as you can think of that are related to the word on your card.
Distribute note cards to each student. Half of the note cards should have the word “cognitive” on them, the other half should have the word “flexibility” written on them.
Say to the class: Think of as many words as you can that are related to the word on your card. You can use an adjective or an activity associated with your word. Write them down.
Before students start the task, you may want to give an example for each term. “Mental” could be used for cognitive. “Stretch” could be used for flexibility. You can also decide to pair students together or do this activity as a class if you think it is too challenging for students to generate these words on an individual basis.
Record students’ responses on the following slide or on the board.
Lesson 1.2

6. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Student Responses
Student Responses
1) Use the space provided above or create a T-chart on the board or by placing 2 large pieces of paper next to each other. On the top of the left side of the T-chart, write “Cognitive.” On the top of the right side of the T-chart, write “Flexibility”.
2) Ask students to share the words on their cards.
3) Record students’ responses on the T-chart.
Lesson 1.2

7. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Here are some additional ways one could define the word cognitive and the word flexibility.
Review the slide with the class. Compare the responses on the slide to the words that the class generated on the T-chart.
Now, if we look at these two T-charts, what do YOU think cognitive flexibility might mean? Generate a class definition of the term “cognitive flexibility”
Solving Problems
Thinking Critically
Connecting Ideas
Synthesizing Information
Bending
Twisting
Thinking about things differently
Changing approaches when needed
Lesson 1.2

8. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to think flexibly and to shift perspectives and approaches easily.
Cognitive
Flexibility
Review the definition of cognitive flexibility on the slide.
You may also want to create your own example of cognitive flexibility.
Now, I’m going to show you how we can apply this concept.
Lesson 1.2

9. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Shifting Perspectives
Find the faces. Now, find the vase. Were you able to shift your perspective?
Ask the class to look at the image for a moment with the directive to look at the 2 faces. Click on the mouse to show the directive to look at the vase.
Explain to the class that by viewing the two different images in the same pictures, they are cognitively flexible. In order to see both images, they must be able to think flexibly and shift their mindsets. Trace the outlines of each image with the mouse arrow or a pointer if necessary.
Lesson 1.2

10. Who do you see?
A young woman or
An old woman

11. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Who is thinking flexibly?
Hannah calculates the median by looking at the chart and finding the number in the middle (10). Realizing this doesn’t make sense, she lists the numbers from least to greatest and finds the median is 5. Jose looks at the numbers and notices that “6” appears most frequently. He writes 6 as his answer.
Problem: What was the median number of songs purchased by the students in May?
Student Name
Number of Songs Downloaded in May
Malika 6
Jack 5
Abby 4
Jose 10
Matt
Emily 1
Terrence 3
Cognitive flexibility is critical when it comes to learning new ideas because it allows you to see issues from a new perspective.
Show the class the above scenarios and elicit a discussion about who is using cognitive flexibility. Discuss why.
Possible answer: Hannah is cognitively flexible because she determined that the strategy she used the first time did not work. She realizes that she needs to use a new approach in order to solve the problem. Jose is not flexible because he tries just one approach, and he incorrectly calculates the mode.
Possible questions to ask students:
Why doesn’t Hannah’s first answer make sense?
How is Hannah being cognitively flexible?
Can you think of examples in your own life when you have been faced with a challenge and had to shift approaches?
Lesson 1.2

12. What is this a picture of?

13. Unit 1, Lesson 2

14. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Who is thinking flexibly?
Antonio makes flash cards to study for his history exam. He fails the exam, so he reviews his flash cards each night after dinner.
Kayla has trouble remembering her password, so she writes it on a sticky note only to lose the note days later. Instead, she creates a silly phrase which helps her remember her password.
Show the class the above scenarios and elicit a discussion about who is cognitively flexible. Discuss why.
Possible answer: Kayla is cognitively flexible because she knows that the strategy of writing the password down did not work for her. She was willing to change her approach and try a new approach. Antonio fails his exam, but reverts to the same strategy, which was not successful the first time around. He is stuck on one method of studying for this exam.
Lesson 1.2

16. Unit 1, Lesson 2

17. Add 5 matches to make 9
Unit 1, Lesson 2

18. Remove 6 matches to make 10
Unit 1, Lesson 2

19. How Many Squares Can You Find?
Unit 1, Lesson 2

20. Multiple Meaning Words & Sentences/Phrases
How can a word, sentence or phrase have multiple meanings?
How do we know what it means?
We sometimes have to change the way we look at things or shift our thinking in order to understand them better.
Unit 1, Lesson 2

21. Multiple Meaning Words & Sentences/Phrases
Words (Homonyms): Left Kind Can Play Patient Park Current Pitcher Grave Solution Sentence Check Season Wave
Sentences/Phrases:
You’re on thin ice.
I ran into my old teacher.
He caught a bug.
Unit 1, Lesson 2

22. Multiple Meaning Words & Sentences
Look for the fork in the road.

23. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Look for the fork in the road.
1. Divide students into pairs and assign each pair a multiple meaning phrase (see teacher handout “Multiple Meaning Sentences.”)
2. Ask students if they are familiar with the phrase “fork in the road.” Use the above phrase to discuss how a word can have multiple meanings. In this case, the word fork can be taken literally, or can refer to a split in the road. Explain that we sometimes have to change the way we look at things in order to understand them better. The common definition of a fork as an eating utensil does not fit in this phrase. Therefore, we have to shift our thinking to look at the word “fork” in a different way.
3. Ask students to complete the “Multiple Meaning Think Sheet” handout. Some of the questions you may want to ask the students are:
Could this phrase have more than one meaning?
Could one of the words be used as both a verb and a noun?
Can I change the accent or stress a different syllable of the word?
3. Once students complete the handout, ask students to share the pictures of their multiple meaning phrases (each picture should represent a different meaning of the phrase).
Lesson 1.2

24. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Discuss!
In what ways do we need to shift when we learn new concepts?
Can you provide an example of a time when you needed to try a different approach to solve a problem?
What was the problem and how did you solve this differently than in the past?
Why did you make these changes?
Come back together as a class and discuss
Lesson 1.2

25. What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Metacognitive Wrap-Up
Write your own definition of cognitive flexibility.
What does cognitive flexibility look like in school?
1) Distribute “Defining Cognitive Flexibility” handout.
2) Ask students to write their own definition of cognitive flexibility and to provide an example of what cognitive flexibility looks like in school.
3) Teachers can use these as: (a) exit tickets, (b) formative assessments for checking students’ understanding, or (c) personalized folders for each student so that he/she can file the strategies they have learned.
Lesson 1.2