SCAMPER
innovative, confident, interesting, and
Students derived themes such as unity complex. I encouraged this divergent
www.your757.com/event/
and family by brainstorming ideas
thinking while continually emphasiz- detail/440093027
using a sunburst diagram. They then
ing good drawing over “decorating,”
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used the creative problem-solving
including the use of weighted line, as annicalgarden.html
tool SCAMPER to help them think
well as strong composition.
in terms of possibilities rather than
limitations as they planned their com- Conclusions
positions. SCAMPER is an acronym
We concluded the project with a writ-
for substitute, combine, adapt, modify ten assessment in which students
(magnify, minimize or multiply), put chose two twenty-first-century pro-
Twenty-First-Century Skills
to other uses, eliminate, and reverse/
ficiencies from a list of skills (see
Used in Written Assessment
rearrange. It can
sidebar) and
Critical thinking and •
be applied to any
As they problem solved
described how
problem- solving
product or ser-
they used, individually and collaboratively,
Inventive thinking: curiosity, •
vice in any field.
their solutions became
developed or
imagination, and risk-taking
Using a
reinforced them
matrix, stu-
more innovative, confident,
in their art-
Agility and adaptability •
dents applied
interesting, and complex.
work.
Accessing and analyzing •
SCAMPER to
The students’
information
the parameters of the project. For
achievement was born out in their
Initiative •
example, “combine” led students to
written statements, as well as in their
Planning •
mix beautiful “latte” colors from cof- artwork. As Amy Cohen summarized,
Collaboration •
fee and white paint; “magnify” gave
“Overall, I thought this project was
them permission to change the scale
a success. It was very creative and
Literacy (visual, oral, written) •
of individual drawings; “eliminate”
different from the art I usually make
encouraged them to cut away the sur-
and I am very happy with what I have
face of the cardboard, revealing the
done.” A local university was also
Materials
corrugated texture underneath, or to
pierce patterns into it, and so forth.
In myriad ways, the use of SCAM-
PER catapulted students’ thinking out
happy with the project, and mounted
an exhibition of the students’ work.
sketchbooks and pencils •
corrugated cardboard •
ebony pencils and erasers •
of the box in relation to both composi- Betsy DiJulio is a national board certified
permanent marker •
tion and media.
art teacher at Princess Anne High School
in Virginia Beach, Virginia. betsy.dijulio@
white acrylic paint, cups, •
Students selected cardboard and
vbschools.com
brushes, water
made thumbnail sketches before
instant coffee, cups, brushes, •
beginning on their final pieces.
water
They worked with relish for about
Students conceive of and create
stencils •
ten classes to build up actual and
works of visual art that demonstrate
metaphorical layers. As they problem an understanding of how the com-
raffia (in select instances) •
solved individually and collabora-
munication of their ideas relates to
tively, their solutions became more
the media, techniques, and processes
