Ready-to-use classroom activity

SCAMPER

Students use seven creative thinking prompts to generate new ideas: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse.

Grade range

4th Grade – 12th Grade

Works across

ScienceMathematicsEnglishHistoryForeign Language

Activity style

IndividualCreativeAnalytical

Classroom walkthrough

See it in practice

One concrete example you can borrow, adapt, or teach as written.

Example lesson context

Creative Problem Solving for Design Challenge (Science/STEM - 6th Grade)

Materials

Gather these before class.

  • SCAMPER reference cards
  • Design challenge description
  • Brainstorming paper
  • Sample product to improve

Preparation

What to have ready before students begin.

Create SCAMPER reference cards with each letter's prompt and guiding questions. Select a design challenge or product to improve. Prepare examples of each SCAMPER technique.

Run the activity

A classroom-ready sequence from launch to follow-up.

1

Introduce SCAMPER as a creative thinking toolkit. Each letter is a different way to generate ideas.

2

The challenge: Improve a basic backpack for students.

3

Go through each SCAMPER prompt:

S - Substitute

What could you replace? 'Substitute solar panels for fabric on one pocket'

C - Combine

What could you merge? 'Combine backpack with water bottle holder'

A - Adapt

What could you copy from elsewhere? 'Adapt rolling suitcase wheels'

M - Modify

What could you change in size, shape, color? 'Modify to be expandable'

P - Put to other uses

What else could it do? 'Put to use as emergency shelter'

E - Eliminate

What could you remove? 'Eliminate zippers, use magnets instead'

R - Reverse/Rearrange

What if you flipped it? 'Reverse to wear on front'

4

Individual brainstorm (10 min): Use each prompt to generate at least one idea.

5

No judgment during brainstorm - all ideas valid.

6

Partner share: Combine lists, star the best ideas.

7

Share most creative ideas with class.

8

Discuss: Which SCAMPER letter helped you most?

Differentiate

Adjust the activity without losing its core purpose.

Provide visual examples for each SCAMPER letter. Work through one letter together before independent work. For advanced students, require combining multiple SCAMPER techniques in single ideas.

Look for learning

Use these signals to assess understanding.

Evaluate for creative thinking across multiple SCAMPER categories. Check that ideas are relevant to the challenge. Note which prompts generate most innovative thinking.