Thinking Routine of the Week: Looking Ten Times Two

The ‘Looking Ten Times Two (10×2) Visible Thinking routine allows participants to slow down and make careful, detailed observations. By repeating the exercise twice, it encourages participants to push beyond first impressions and anything that is obvious.

On guided tours or educational programmes, where time is often of a premium, we shorten the routine to 5×2. It is an excellent thinking routine to use to focus on observation and description. It also combines well with other routines – 5×2 and Step Inside is one of our favourite combinations.
We have used 10×2, 5×2 to great affect with artworks, objects (of all types), inside and outside.

You can vary the way you work with this routine – either individually or in pairs or even small groups. We like to hand out post-it notes for participants to jot down their lists. If you have the space, these can then be added to a portable whiteboard to create a full description of what you’ve all been looking at!