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        Delete Resource - Step In–Step Out–Step Back: Project Zero Global Thinking Routine

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        Smithsonian Learning Lab
        Step In–Step Out–Step Back: Project Zero Global Thinking Routine

        Source

        Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

        OBJECT TYPE

        Lesson plans

        DESCRIPTION

        A Project Zero "Global Thinking" routine to support responsible perspective-taking. This routine invites learners to take other people’s perspectives, recognize that understanding others is an ongoing process, and understand that our efforts to take perspective can reveal as much about ourselves as they can about the people we are seeking to understand. Asks students: “Step In: What do you think this person might feel, believe, know, or experience?”, “Step Out: What would you like or need to learn to understand this person’s perspective better?”, and “Step Back: What do you notice about your own perspective and what it takes to take somebody else’s?”

        STEP IN–STEP OUT–STEP BACK

        A routine to support responsible perspective-taking

        Ask students to choose a person or agent in the situation you are examining, then ask:

        1. Step In: What do you think this person might feel, believe, know, or experience?

        2. Step Out: What would you like or need to learn to understand this person’s perspective better?

        3. Step Back: What do you notice about your own perspective and what it takes to take somebody else’s?”

        Purpose: What kind of thinking does this routine encourage?

        This routine invites learners to take other people’s perspectives (e.g., religious, linguistic, cultural, class, generational), recognize that understanding others is an ongoing, often uncertain process, and understand that our efforts to take perspective can reveal as much about ourselves as they can about the people we are seeking to understand.

        Application: When and where can it be used?

        This routine can be adapted to a broad range of topics, from examining the perspectives of agents in a story, a historical event, or a contemporary news article, to considering non-human perspectives such as species in an ecosystem, or collective perspectives such as interest groups in a given conflict. You may choose an image, video, story, or classroom incident to ground students’ thinking.

        Launch: What are some tips for starting and using this routine?

        In “step-in,” make sure learners understand they are reasoning with the information they have, which is always limited. You may point to the speculative nature of their interpretations. In “step-out,” invite learners to see that there is more to understanding another person than the first impression they construct. As they share their views, students may detect stereotypes in their own initial thinking and feel uneasy about “having been wrong” in their guess. It is important to normalize the fact that we all have first impressions of others and others have them of us, and the importance of committing to understanding other persons’ perspectives beyond initial assumptions. Under “step back,” learners may explore how prior knowledge, cultural, or linguistic perspectives inform or obscure their interpretation. This routine lends itself to small groups. You may invite students to write their responses to each question individually on separate Post-its first and then share.

        USE RIGHTS LINKS

        Global Thinking by Project Zero is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

        EDUCATIONAL USE

        Guided questions, Inquiry, Visual/Spatial, Discussion/Debate

        LEARNING RESOURCE TYPE

        None

        EDUCATIONAL ROLE

        teacher

        TIME REQUIRED

        1 hr

        INTERACTIVITY TYPE

        Active

        ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE

        none

        ACCESSIBILITY HAZARD

        noFlashingHazard, noMotionSimulationHazard, noSoundHazard

        ACCESSIBILITY CONTROL

        None

        NAMES

        SI Center for Learning and Digital Access Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
        Publisher : Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

        Keywords

        Observation (Scientific method) Strategies Strategy Questions Global competency Teaching


        Additional Resource Information
        Record Link : https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/step-in-step-out-step-back Record Id : SCLDA_4655


        Record Information
        The resources in the Smithsonian Learning Lab are contributed by museums, libraries, and archives from across the Smithsonian. We are constantly working to provide improved information for you. If you spot an error or know of an addition to this resource, please contact us and we will pass it on for further research and review.

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