Raw Spaghetti Noodle What Is This?

Flexible Thinking Lesson

Raw spaghetti noodle – What is this?

Cooked spaghetti noodle – What is this?

Are they the same?

What are the differences. Listen for word Flexible.

Talk about how just as the noodles are rigid and flexible, so can be our thinking.

Flexible thinking means being able to adapt or adjust readily to changing conditions. Not getting stuck in a problem.

Marshmallow represents problem. If the rigid noodle runs into a problem, it gets stuck. If the flexible noodle runs into a problem, it works around the problem.

Read Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. Discuss the hare’s ability to be flexible.

Hand out Crayons to College Books. Title page Flexible Thinkers. Have students write list.

1. Stay Calm

2. Are able to compromise (discuss this word).

3. Know that change is okay.

4. Think of different ways to solve problems.

Give each student an uncooked spaghetti noodle. Draw sticks for students to role play. Roll play different situations where students have to be flexible or not (child wants to swing at recess and all the swings are taken. Student cries and tells the teacher she has nothing to do). Have all students decide whether it was rigid or flexible thinking. If it was rigid thinking, have students break off a piece of the spaghetti noodle and place in cup. Flexible thinking do nothing.

Have students hold up shortened spaghetti noodles. Compare to relationships. Rigid thinking can break relationships and they start getting fewer and fewer just as the noodle started getting smaller and smaller.