The Frisco Method

45 min | Team Individual | Game Engagement Inspire and motivate

The Challenge

This is a type of brainstorming which follows a script, in order to identify complex problems which can be solved with simple, efficient tools. A game which invites the members of the group to play the roles, in turns, of 1. the conservative person; 2. the enthusiastic person; 3. the pessimistic person; 4. the optimistic person.

List of required equipment

Pen
Paper

What can students learn from this?

Students learn and practice empathy, critical thinking, by means of stimulating thinking, imagination and creativity.

How can I do this in class?

The teacher/students pose a problem. The class is split in groups and each member of the group is assigned one of the 4 roles – the conservative (who appreciates the merits of old solutions and proposes maintaining them), the enthusiast (who emits innovative ideas which apparently can never be put in practice – he is the creative member of the group), the pessimist (denies any possibility of improvement), the optimist (motivates participants approach the solutions of the enthusiast from a practical and realistic perspective). At the end, all the ideas are put together and a synthesis is made.

Reflection tips

This is a guided, role-play brainstorming activity, which is meant to solve complex problems by using flexible, efficient but also simple means. Imagination and creativity are also involved.

Stages of the activity:

The teacher and the students identify a problem.
The roles are distributed. The roles can be individual (if the group is small) or members of entire groups are assigned the same role, so they will work as a team.
Mixed groups are formed, containing each of the four roles.
Different perspectives on the problem emerge, as it is approached from four different angles.
After all the newly found ideas are reported to the class, a synthesis must be made, as well as a decision on the best course of action. Most probably, the teacher will have to act as a mediator between the different points of view – guiding students to analyse the best course of action, motivating their choices. Some negotiations may take place, which means that the teacher again will act as a mediator.