Planning to use The Six Hats?
(Based on ideas presented in Edward de Bono’s Teach Your Child How to Think, Viking, 1992)
Theme/ Context: _______________________________________
Hat Explanation De Bono Key Questions Activity Ideas
says to
think of…
White focuses directly on Blank paper 1. What You fill-in for your theme/topic
Hat the available Computer information do we
information printout have?
facts
neutral information 2. What
NOT argument or information is
making suggestions missing?
3. How do we get
the information we
need?
Red hat emotions Fire and 1. What do you You fill-in for your theme/topic
feeling warmth like about the
hunches The Heart idea?
intuition
likes and dislikes 2. How do you
feel about this?
3. What don’t you
like about this?
Orange most used of all the Stern judge 1. Will it work? You fill-in for your theme/topic
Hat hats Warning
concerned with truth Cone 2. Does it fit?
and reality
hat of critical thinking 3. What are the
prevents us from dangers and the
making mistakes problems?
Yellow benefits of an idea Sunshine 1. What are the You fill-in for your theme/topic
Hat yellow hat is full of and benefits?
hope- optimism
logical hat so the All Smiles 2. Why should it
reason behind the work?
hope must be given
seeks to find and
show the benefits
Green ‘active’ hat Grass, trees, Key questions You fill-in for your theme/topic
Hat used for creative vegetation should focus on:
thinking and growth 1. Exploration of
concerned with New the ideas
proposals, Excitement 2. Proposals and
suggestions, new suggestions
ideas, new 3. Alternatives
alternatives, new 4. New ideas
solutions and 5. Provocations
inventions
emphasis is on
‘newness’
Blue Hat overview Blue Sky Where are we You fill-in for your theme/topic
the process control (above now?
above the thinking’ everything) What is the next
looking down on the Conductor of step?
thinking an orchestra Where have we
thinking about thinking! been?
What sort of
thinking is
needed?
Additional Ideas and Activities: You fill-in for your theme/topic