Thinking Routines / The Explanation Game
The Explanation Game
Four questions that turn a one-word answer into a paragraph. Name it, explain it, give reasons, then ask the hardest one: what else could it be?
Opens on the whiteboard to model with the class · free to start · printing is optional
The sheet it prints (optional)
What is The Explanation Game thinking routine?
The Explanation Game is a thinking routine that builds an explanation in four steps: name the thing and its parts, explain what they do, give the reasons, and then ask what else it could be. Each answer feeds the next, so the last one is doing real work.
How do you run The Explanation Game with a class?
Put the object or picture up and take each rung in turn, refusing to move on until the current one is properly answered. The temptation is to rush to the last rung. Do not: a second explanation means little until the first has good reasons behind it.
Why does 'What else could it be?' matter?
Because it stops the first explanation becoming the only one. Children settle on the first idea that fits. Asking what else it could be makes them hold two explanations up against the same evidence and decide which one the reasons really support.
It looks like a writing frame and it is not one, which took me a while to work out. The first few times I ran it as four written boxes and got four disconnected sentences. It works far better spoken, as a whole class, with me scribing, because the reasons step only produces anything good when three or four children argue about it. Write it up afterwards if you want it in books. Year 5 and 6 get the most out of it.
Which subjects does The Explanation Game suit?
Strongest on a single object or mechanism you can point at.
- Science: a piece of equipment, a structure, an adaptation.
- History: an artefact whose purpose is not obvious.
- Design and technology: why a thing is shaped the way it is.
- Art: a technique, a material, a choice the artist made.
What usually goes wrong with The Explanation Game?
Rushing to the last rung. 'What else could it be?' is the fun question, so classes want to get there, but it is empty on top of a weak explanation. Hold them on 'give reasons' until the reasons are actually good, even when it feels slow.
Which year groups is The Explanation Game for?
The Explanation Game suits Year 4 upwards, grade 3 in the US. Four steps is a lot to hold for younger children; with Years 2 and 3, run the first three and stop. The 'what else could it be?' question needs enough knowledge to picture another answer.
What do you do with it afterwards?
Read the four boxes aloud in order. If it holds together as one paragraph, the explanation is sound; if it lurches, you can see exactly which rung was weak. It also turns straight into a written explanation without needing a separate planning stage.
How often should you use The Explanation Game?
Every couple of weeks. Four rungs takes twenty minutes to do well, so it works as a lesson rather than a starter. It suits the point in a topic where children can name things confidently but have not yet been asked what else any of it could be.
| Year group | US grade | What to change | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years 4–5 | Grades 3–4 | First three rungs only. Scribe for them. | 15 min |
| Year 6 | Grade 5 | All four, spoken first, then written. | 20–25 min |
| Year 7 and up | Grade 6+ | Independent, then compare other explanations. | 30 min |
The Explanation Game compared with Claim, Support, Question
The Explanation Game builds understanding of something nobody disputes: how a thing works, why it looks like that. Claim, Support, Question is for material a class can genuinely disagree about. Pick by whether there is an argument to be had.
Free to try · free to start · printing is optional
Where this routine comes from: the The Explanation Game thinking routine was developed by Project Zero, a research center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sage Teachers is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Harvard University or Project Zero. The prompts and the wording on this page are our own.