1. Steps to making a sweet- tasting dessert Mind map Synectic: Photosynthesis Steps to making plant food Chemical energy Plain cupcake Add carbon dioxide Add sugary icing Mix chlorophyll & water together h o p y l l r l c o h w a t e r Mix cupcake flour & water together Light energy Add light energy Heat energy Add heat energy Sugary plant food Sweet dessert! Yuck! Hey! This cupcake doesn’t taste very good! This is soooo sweet! It tastes GREAT! NOT ready to eat! Ready to eat! The following are five different examples of how synectics can be used to facilitate concept learning

2. INGREDIENTSSOURCE Cupcake mix Grocery store, manufactured by cupcake-mix factory Water House plumbing, water pressure) Heat energy Stove, electricity heating burners Icing Grocery store, manufactured by sugar factory Mind map Synectic: Photosynthesis Conceptual set-up Mix cupcake flour & water together Heat energy Add heat energy Plain cupcake Add sugary icing Sweet dessert! Hey! This cupcake doesn’t taste very good! This is soooo sweet! It tastes GREAT! NOT ready to eat!Ready to eat! Steps to making a sweet- tasting dessert

3. INGREDIENTSSOURCE Chlorophyll Leaf, manufactured by leaf Water Plant plumbing, water pressure from transpiration ) Light energy Sun, trapped by chloroplasts Carbon dioxide Air, entering through stomata Mind map Synectic: Photosynthesis Synectic Light energy Add light energy Add carbon dioxide NOT ready to eat!Ready to eat! Steps to making plant food Yuck! This is soooo sweet! It tastes GREAT! Chemical energy Sugary plant food Mix chlorophyll & water together h o p y l l r l c o h w a t e r

4. Steps to making a sweet- tasting dessert Mind map Synectic: Photosynthesis Steps to making plant food Mix chlorophyll & water together h o p y l l r l c o h w a t e r Mix cupcake flour & water together Light energy Add light energy Heat energy Add heat energy Chemical energy Plain cupcake Add carbon dioxide Add sugary icing Sugary plant food Sweet dessert! Yuck! Hey! This cupcake doesn’t taste very good! This is soooo sweet! It tastes GREAT! NOT ready to eat! Ready to eat!

5. Synectic example (having students construct similes)

6. Plains Indians Native Americans x Nomadic (moved a lot) Lived in teepees Hunter-gathers Followed buffalo migration Last group of Indians to make war with white settlers People who live in RVs - always traveling - never stay in one place for long

7. Pow wow Round room built underground for religious ceremonies Kiva Several day celebration of Great Spirit by Plains Indians Not used by SE Indians Going into the basement to worship Used by SW Indians Sun dance Worshiping inside a building Traveling tent revivals Plains Indians had similar beliefs and customs to NE Indians; SW Indians had similar beliefs, but customs were different The way SW Indians worshiped their gods x One of the ways Plains Indians worshiped their gods x

8. Experience Synectics © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com Name: Story TitleAuthor Something that happened in the storyIs similar to this real-life experience … Because … Something that happened in the storyIs similar to this real-life experience … Because …

9. Real-life Synectic © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com This event from the story This event from the story Is LIKE this real-life event or experience Because they both involve … Because this one involves … While this one involves … Is NOT LIKE this real-life event or experience

10. In these ways … Characters Synectics © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com Name: Character from the story Is like (not like) this real-life person Possible ways to consider how they are alike or not alike … Appearance What they like (or don’t like)How they treat others Problems or challenges they face Cultural backgroundGood/bad experiencesHow others treat them How they act How they live You may address some of the ways listed above or think of other ways they are alike or not alike … Story TitleAuthor

11. Actually, they are really VERY DIFFERENT … While this one involves … Because this one involves … Name: May SEEM SIMILAR because they both … EVENT Event Synectic © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com