Starter Activity: What Why Depends - Developing Thinking Skills

This is a great activity that helps develop students thinking skills. I love activities that have multiple solutions and this does what is says on the tin. Using it all the time I am for revision at AS and A2. Very simple and very effective.

I have a template on A4 with ‘What’ at the top and space to write under, ‘Why’ further down and ‘Depends’ near the bottom.

I pose a ‘What’ question which the students write in the relevant space and answer. So, it would be something like, ‘What is the best form of ownership’. I did this recently when revising BUSS1.

They then put in what they think. Then , they record ‘Why’. So there is your evaluation. Finally, the put what their choice depends on.

A student of mine wrote the following:

What: Partnerships

Why: Shared responsibility, more finance can be raised, risk shared out amongst several people

Depends: Attitude to independence, type of business, attitude to risk due to lack of limited liability, plans for future growth due to maximum number of partners.

Another student said franchising whilst others said sole trader. Multiple solutions.

Other ‘What’ scenerios can include:

What is the best form of market research
What is the best way of gathering market research
What is the best source of finance
What is the best method of production
What is the best form of promotion

My flavour of the month this at the moment….........

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