Chapter 5

Mental models

Clever thinking tricks: think backwards, ask “and then what?”, and spot what usually happens.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about a time a clever trick helped you solve a problem.

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models · Inversion 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

How to make a mess

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Read aloud Let’s think backwards! How could you make your room super messy? Draw it. Then draw what keeps it tidy.

Draw how to make a big mess.
Draw what keeps your room tidy.

How to make a big mess

What keeps it tidy

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Thinking how things go wrong shows how to make them go right.

What is the messiest idea you drew?
Which tidy habit will you try?

Extend it: Ask “How could the morning go badly?” then turn each answer into a plan.

I felt: (color one)

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models · Second-order thinking 10 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

And then what?

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Read aloud Someone left the water running in the sink! What happens then? And then what? Draw each thing that happens.

Draw what happens next, and next.

1. The water is left on

2. Then…

3. And then…

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Asking “and then what?” shows that one thing leads to another.

How could we stop it at the start?
What happens if we leave the fridge open?

Extend it: Play “and then what?”: we forget our coat, and then what?

I felt: (color one)

50

models · First principles 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Shapes make things

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Read aloud Big things are made of simple shapes. Trace each one. Then build a house, car or robot from them!

Trace each shape.
Draw something made only of these shapes.

Build something from shapes

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Inventors break big things into simple parts to understand them.

Which shapes can you find on our front door?
What could you build with just triangles?

Extend it: Cut shapes from paper and let your child build pictures with them.

I felt: (color one)

51

models · Opportunity cost 10 min · crayons, pencil ★☆☆

Pick just one

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Read aloud You can have only one treat today! Color the one you pick. Cross out the rest. What did you give up?

Color the one treat you pick.
Cross out all the others.

Color one treat. Cross out the rest.

cookie

ice cream

cake

strawberries

banana

apple

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Every choice means giving something up; that is opportunity cost.

Which treat was hardest to give up?
Would you pick the same one tomorrow?

Extend it: When choosing, ask: “If we pick this, what do we give up?”

I felt: (color one)

52

models · Compounding 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Double it!

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Read aloud Count each shape and color one square for each. Each number doubles! If it doubles again, how many come next?

Count each shape.
Color one square for each one.
If it doubles again, how many come next?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Doubling starts small, then grows fast: that is compounding.

What comes after 16?
Which grows faster: adding 1 each time, or doubling?

Extend it: Put 1 grain of rice on a plate, then 2, 4, 8, 16. Watch it grow!

I felt: (color one)

53

models · Base rates 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

What will you see?

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Read aloud Here are animals spotted at a park. Count each kind. Which will you probably see at your park tomorrow?

Count each animal.
Color one square for each one.
Circle what you will probably see.

Which will you probably see at your park?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: What usually happens is the best first guess: that is a base rate.

Why are zebras rare in a park?
Where would you probably see a zebra?

Extend it: Before a walk, guess together what you will see most, then count and check.

I felt: (color one)

54

models · Map vs territory 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Map of my room

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Read aloud Pretend you are a bird looking down at your room. Draw a map: your bed, door and window. What is missing?

Draw your room from above.
Add your bed, door and window.
Say what the map leaves out.

My room from above

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: A map is useful, but it never shows everything that is really there.

What is in your room but not on your map?
Could someone find your bed using your map?

Extend it: Hide a toy, draw a map to it, and let your child find it.

I felt: (color one)

55

models · Incentives 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Why did they do it?

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Read aloud Why did they do it? Draw a line from each one to what it gets.

Draw a line to what each one gets.

sits

tidies up

comes home

visits

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: We all do things for a reason; spotting the reward explains a lot.

What makes you want to tidy up?
Why does the bee visit the flower?

Extend it: Notice a reward that worked this week and talk about why it worked.

I felt: (color one)

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