Visual thinking strategies = creative and critical thinking

As the classroom lights dim, 5th graders jockey for better viewing positions. The facilitator introduces a projected image of Rembrandt’s “Sketch at Jack’s House” by saying, “Take a minute and look at this picture.” After students have silently studied the black and white image for about a minute, the facilitator asks, “So what’s going on in this picture?” Most arms are raised at this point. “Cassie?”

“They all look the same to me so I think they’re the same person, but like different ages, and everything like the middle one it looks like the youngest and like the one in the corner up on top — yeah, the other one — it would be old,” Cassie says.

Pointing to the figure in the corner of the image, the facilitator replies, “So Cassie’s looking at this and thinking that maybe it’s just really one person but at different stages of their life. Something about this face makes Cassie think of a younger person. What more can we find? Jeff?”