Creativity and Innovation

If so, how?
Cooking
Playing football
Doing a science experiment
Writing a book
Hairdressing
Do you consider yourself to be a creative person? Why/why not?

is divided into 5 paragraphs.
Read the full article first
Match the missing headings to the paragraphs. Do this on paper by yourself first.

a group of people who stayed sitting down and to a group who went for a stroll outside. What they found supports what many people believe, that getting out and about is very good for creativity. In fact, 100 per cent of the group that went for a walk produced better quality ideas and produced them more quickly.
The researchers then compared a group walking on a treadmill inside with those stretching their legs outside and found that while being outside was good for creativity, even walking on a treadmill helped, which suggests that it is the movement which is most important.
B ___________________________
Your teacher may tell you off for staring out of the window at nothing, but having a wandering mind may be a sign of intelligence and creativity, according to a new study. The scientists recorded brain activity while people lay still, but not asleep, and concluded that daydreaming can help people become better problem-solvers. However, if you’re simply not paying attention when you should be, that clearly isn’t beneficial.

C __________________________
Be willing to challenge things that you have always done. A group of Japanese watermelon farmers had an issue with the way that watermelons were difficult to pack and store. Their round shape meant that they took up a lot of space, making their transport more expensive. But why do watermelons actually need to be round? thought the farmers. They began growing the fruit in square glass boxes, thus creating square watermelons. They just needed to think differently to find the perfect solution.
D_______________________
Believe it or not, more than one research study has shown that people who watch a comedy film are much better afterwards at coming up with a creative solution to a problem than those who watched a horror film. It appears that having a chuckle makes us feel more relaxed, which helps the creative process. It is very difficult to be creative when you’re stressed, because the mind is too focused on survival.
E___________________________
You might imagine that you will be at your most creative if you are able to work in complete silence, but you’d be wrong. Research shows that for most creative tasks, a low level of noise, like the chatter that you get in a café, is best. Complete silence is good when you need to focus on a difficult task, but when you want to come up with ideas, try a little hubbub.

Read the full article below

one heading you do not need
(write your answers on paper first)

www.teachingenglish.org.uk

Creativity and Innovation

same task to a group of people who stayed sitting down and to a group who went for a stroll outside. What they found supports what many people believe, that getting out and about is very good for creativity. In fact, 100 per cent of the group that went for a walk produced better quality ideas and produced them more quickly.
The researchers then compared a group walking on a treadmill inside with those stretching their legs outside and found that while being outside was good for creativity, even walking on a treadmill helped, which suggests that it is the movement which is most important.

B ___________________________
Your teacher may tell you off for staring out of the window at nothing, but having a wandering mind may be a sign of intelligence and creativity, according to a new study. The scientists recorded brain activity while people lay still, but not asleep, and concluded that daydreaming can help people become better problem-solvers. However, if you’re simply not paying attention when you should be, that clearly isn’t beneficial.

Headings
Have a good laugh
Sit down
Get your legs moving
Noise
Daydream
Think outside the box

outside the box

C __________________________
Be willing to challenge things that you have always done. A group of Japanese watermelon farmers had an issue with the way that watermelons were difficult to pack and store. Their round shape meant that they took up a lot of space, making their transport more expensive. But why do watermelons actually need to be round? thought the farmers. They began growing the fruit in square glass boxes, thus creating square watermelons. They just needed to think differently to find the perfect solution.

D_______________________
Believe it or not, more than one research study has shown that people who watch a comedy film are much better afterwards at coming up with a creative solution to a problem than those who watched a horror film. It appears that having a chuckle makes us feel more relaxed, which helps the creative process. It is very difficult to be creative when you’re stressed, because the mind is too focused on survival.

outside the box

E___________________________
You might imagine that you will be at your most creative if you are able to work in complete silence, but you’d be wrong. Research shows that for most creative tasks, a low level of noise, like the chatter that you get in a café, is best. Complete silence is good when you need to focus on a difficult task, but when you want to come up with ideas, try a little hubbub.

of paper?
Hold your paper up to the camera so your answers are visible

the box
D: Have a good laugh
E: Noise

the paragraphs again.
In each paragraph, find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section.
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

scientists gave the same task to a group of people who stayed sitting down and to a group who went for a stroll outside. What they found supports what many people believe, that getting out and about is very good for creativity. In fact, 100 per cent of the group that went for a walk produced better quality ideas and produced them more quickly.
The researchers then compared a group walking on a treadmill inside with those stretching their legs outside and found that while being outside was good for creativity, even walking on a treadmill helped, which suggests that it is the movement which is most important.

Find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

experiment, scientists gave the same task to a group of people who stayed sitting down and to a group who went for a stroll outside. What they found supports what many people believe, that getting out and about is very good for creativity. In fact, 100 per cent of the group that went for a walk produced better quality ideas and produced them more quickly.
The researchers then compared a group walking on a treadmill inside with those stretching their legs outside and found that while being outside was good for creativity, even walking on a treadmill helped, which suggests that it is the movement which is most important.

Would this suggestion be useful for you? Why?

staring out of the window at nothing, but having a wandering mind may be a sign of intelligence and creativity, according to a new study. The scientists recorded brain activity while people lay still, but not asleep, and concluded that daydreaming can help people become better problem-solvers. However, if you’re simply not paying attention when you should be, that clearly isn’t beneficial.

Find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

staring out of the window at nothing, but having a wandering mind may be a sign of intelligence and creativity, according to a new study. The scientists recorded brain activity while people lay still, but not asleep, and concluded that daydreaming can help people become better problem-solvers. However, if you’re simply not paying attention when you should be, that clearly isn’t beneficial.

Would this suggestion be useful for you? Why?

things that you have always done. A group of Japanese watermelon farmers had an issue with the way that watermelons were difficult to pack and store. Their round shape meant that they took up a lot of space, making their transport more expensive. But why do watermelons actually need to be round? thought the farmers. They began growing the fruit in square glass boxes, thus creating square watermelons. They just needed to think differently to find the perfect solution.

Find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

things that you have always done. A group of Japanese watermelon farmers had an issue with the way that watermelons were difficult to pack and store. Their round shape meant that they took up a lot of space, making their transport more expensive. But why do watermelons actually need to be round? thought the farmers. They began growing the fruit in square glass boxes, thus creating square watermelons. They just needed to think differently to find the perfect solution.

Would this suggestion be useful for you? Why?

more than one research study has shown that people who watch a comedy film are much better afterwards at coming up with a creative solution to a problem than those who watched a horror film. It appears that having a chuckle makes us feel more relaxed, which helps the creative process. It is very difficult to be creative when you’re stressed, because the mind is too focused on survival.

Find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

more than one research study has shown that people who watch a comedy film are much better afterwards at coming up with a creative solution to a problem than those who watched a horror film. It appears that having a chuckle makes us feel more relaxed, which helps the creative process. It is very difficult to be creative when you’re stressed, because the mind is too focused on survival.

Would this suggestion be useful for you? Why?

at your most creative if you are able to work in complete silence, but you’d be wrong. Research shows that for most creative tasks, a low level of noise, like the chatter that you get in a café, is best. Complete silence is good when you need to focus on a difficult task, but when you want to come up with ideas, try a little hubbub.

Find words and phrases that have a similar meaning to the titles of each section
Why do you think the author uses these, rather than repeating the word(s) in the title?

at your most creative if you are able to work in complete silence, but you’d be wrong. Research shows that for most creative tasks, a low level of noise, like the chatter that you get in a café, is best. Complete silence is good when you need to focus on a difficult task, but when you want to come up with ideas, try a little hubbub.

Would this suggestion be useful for you? Why?

of paper, as you can see below
When you have drawn the squares put your hands in the air to show you have finished
When your teacher says ‘Go!’, you have three minutes to turn each of the squares into a recognisable object, e.g. a present or a house

you draw a lot of similar things, e.g. different houses? Does this mean you are less creative? Why/why not?
Did you join any of the squares together? Would this be breaking the rules? Do you think creative people should be rule breakers? Why/why not?