SCAMPER Planning Form

Common Core Standards

SS5H1 Describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century.
c. Explain how William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt expanded Americas
role in the world; include the Spanish-American War and the building of the
Panama Canal.
Background Activity
The students have been learning about Theodore Roosevelt and the
Progressive Era in American history. The main goal of the Muckrakers was to
raise awareness of social injustices, inequality, corruption, and the abuse of
political power in order to bring about reform.
Directions for the SCAMPER Activity or Activities:
Hook:
Give each group a SMARTIE candy and ask them how we could make it
into a new product
Show the students the video of the SCAMPER lesson on SMARTIES
Review Brainstorm rules with the students brainstorm current social
injustices facing us today this will be completed whole group
You are part of a committee (2-3 students per group) that will focus on
1 current problem. Each team will be assessed by their graphic
organizers.
Materials:

SCAMPER organizers
Pencils
Computer/projector to show video
Smarties!
Construction paper

Substitute:
What can you substitute to make an improvement to the issue?
What if you swap this for that and see what happens?
Can you substitute the place, time, materials, or people?
Combine
What materials, resources, people, products, or components can we
combine to solve this issue?
Can two different people or groups be combined to work for the same
purposes?
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Adapt
What would we need to change to reach better results?
How can we improve existing ideas that didnt work?
Modify
How might history have been changed if William McKinley was never
assassinated? What if Theodore Roosevelt was never president?
Put to other use
Who or what else might be able to use your solution? Could your
solution be use to solve a different issue today?
Eliminate
What would happen if we removed a part of this issue/problem? How
else would we achieve the solution without the normal way of doing
it?
Rearrange/Reverse
What would the United States look like today if people like the
Muckrakers didnt have courage to fight for injustices?
Group Work Product Criteria Cards:
1.
Stays on topic
2.
Listens to others in group
3.
Set group goals
4.
Works to meet goals
5.
Uses time wisely
Extension: Concluding Activity (Students that complete their
graphic organizers)
Teams will create a concept map to share their groups reflections of the
SCAMPER questions.
Assessment Mini-Rubric for Concluding Activity
1. Has major topic in center
2. Shows details about the topic with lines and/or circles radiating from

the center
3. Visually shows relationships of details of ideas to one another
4. Neat and legible

SCAMPER CHECKLIST
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SUBSTITUTE

What can you substitute to make an improvement to the issue?

What if you swap this for that and see what happens?

Can you substitute the place, time, materials, or people?

COMBINE

What materials, resources, people, products, or components can we

combine to solve this issue?

Can two different people or groups be combined to work for the same
purposes?

ADAPT

What would we need to change to reach better results?

How can we improve existing ideas that didnt work?

MODIFY

How might history have been changed if William McKinley was never
assassinated?

What if Theodore Roosevelt was never president?

PUT TO OTHER USE

Who or what else might be able to use your solution? Could your
solution be use to solve a different issue today?

ELIMINATE

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What would happen if we removed a part of this issue/problem? How
else would we achieve the solution without the normal way of doing it?

REVERSE/REARRANGE

What would the United States look like today if people like the
Muckrakers didnt have the courage to fight for injustices?

SUBSTITUTE

COMBINE

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ADAPT

MODIFY,
MINIMIZE,
MAGNIFY

PUT TO ANOTHER
USE

ELIMINATE

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REVERSE/REARRA
NGE

GROUP NAME:

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