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"Peeling the Onion"

Activity

Summary

Participants will crtically analyze all levels of a problem by “peeling the onion”. They will look at all aspects from its origin to potential solutions.

Instructional Strategies

1. Start by drawing a large onion on the board or on a paper at the front of the room.

2. As a group, pull apart the layers of a problem in your classroom, school or community; look at the layers of the onion - the history of the problem, the needs and interests of everyone involved, tipping points, and potential collaborations.

3. Collaboratively, label the layers on the drawing.

4. Peeling the onion (isolating the layers) is about making the problems small and manageable.

5. In the outline of the onion drawn at the front of the room, write small solutions or improvements around the outline to help participants understand that even problems that feel big can be handled productively.

Participant Tasks

1. Look at the drawing of a large onion on the board at the front of the room.

2. Together with you classmates, pull apart the layers of a problem in your classroom, school or community.

3. Look at the layers of the onion - the history of the problem, the needs and interests of everyone involved, tipping points, and potential collaborations.

4. Collaboratively, label the layers on the drawing.

5. Peeling the onion (isolating the layers) is about making the problems small and manageable.

6. In the outline of the onion drawn at the front of the room, write small solutions or improvements around the outline to help everyone understand that even problems that feel big can be handled productively.

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