Author/Illustrator: Christopher Danielson
Publisher: Stenhouse Publishers ©2016
ISBN: 978-1-62531-080
Grade Level: PreK-adult
Book Review: This books is brilliantly created to promote deep thinking. Each page contains four shapes and each page asks the same question: which one doesn't belong? The brilliance is found in the fact that each shape is a justifiable answer to the question. In Marzano's famed meta-analysis of educational research, he deemed the ability to identify similarities and differences as the number one strategy to promote student success. This book offers a wonderful way to explicitly teach and model that instructional strategy with content that is accessible to all learners. The skillful practitioner can then help students transfer the skill of identifying similarities and differences in shapes to identifying the similarities and differences in the content that he/she teaches.
Systems Thinking Connections
Habits: What a great way to introduce the Habit surface and test assumptions! As students take turns sharing which shape does not belong and explaining their thinking, they are practicing the habit and experiencing in real time that there are many possible correct assumptions.
Tools: This text embodies a critical concept of systems thinking: There is not just one right answer. Helping students and educators recognize and accept this fact is an essential part of building systems thinking capacity.
