Visible Thinking Routine
Micro Lab Protocol.
Reflect privately, then share — this implementation captures the reflection step.
N_prompt pattern
interpret
connect
perspectives
What is it
What is Micro Lab Protocol?
The full protocol is a triad-based timed share. We capture the reflective writing step here; the timed sharing happens in the room.
Setup: Issue or topic to examine.
How it works
The prompts
-
01
Your individual reflection
What are you noticing? What's surfacing?
Response: Longtext
When to use
Good moments for Micro Lab Protocol
- Classroom warm-up. Surface what students bring before introducing new content.
- After a reading or video. Consolidate big ideas without testing recall.
- Discussion starter. Responses become the seed material for the room conversation.
- End-of-session reflection. Capture how thinking changed.
Keep exploring
Other thinking routines
Browse all 21 routines in the gallery, filtered by the kind of thinking you want to surface — observation, perspective-taking, reasoning with evidence, or capturing the heart of an idea.