How to Think In Class

Catherine Cole: Hollands Haven Primary: Year 3/4 class. Dead simple idea to embed thinking. 3 stages:

1. Pick a theme (animals for Catherine) and link different examples to different thinking skills e.g. Planner the Giraffe can see things from above and plan well.

2. Give each animal home book diary which children write in when they take  the animals home

3. Embed the thinking themes into classroom talk, daily routines, weekly and termly plans and weave it into the very fabric of learning (this is the hard bit but Catherine carries it off pretty well)

Hope that's of use. What themes would you use to do the same? Hats? Shapes? Professions? Colours? Cartoon/film characters?