The WIGWAM Way: Making Things Better, Step by Step

Have you ever wanted to make something better, but weren’t sure how? Today, we’re going to learn about a super cool way to improve things called the WIGWAM way! It’s like a magic recipe for making your ideas even more awesome.

What is the WIGWAM Way?

WIGWAM is a fun word that helps us remember the steps to make things better.

Each letter stands for a different step:

  • Watch
  • Ideate (that’s a fancy word for coming up with ideas)
  • Guess
  • Which?
  • Act
  • Measure

Let’s explore each step!

The WIGWAM Steps

  1. Watch: Look closely at what’s happening. What’s working well? What could be better?
  2. Ideate: Come up with lots of fun ideas to make things better. Don’t worry if they sound silly!
  3. Guess: Think about which ideas might work best. It’s okay if you’re not sure!
  4. Which?: Choose one idea to try first. Pick the one you think will help the most.
  5. Act: Do it! Put your idea into action and see what happens.
  6. Measure: Look at the results. Did your idea make things better?

Why is the WIGWAM Way Awesome?

  • It helps you make things better little by little.
  • You learn from trying things out, even if they don’t work perfectly.
  • It’s fun to come up with new ideas and see them in action!

Example: Making the Best Lemonade Stand

Let’s say you want to improve your lemonade stand. Here’s how you might use the WIGWAM way:

  1. Watch: You notice that not many people are buying lemonade.
  2. Ideate: You think of ideas: make the sign bigger, add new flavors, offer free samples.
  3. Guess: You think offering samples might work best.
  4. Which?: You decide to try the free samples idea.
  5. Act: You start offering tiny cups of lemonade for free.
  6. Measure: You see that more people are buying lemonade after tasting it!

How Feedback Fits into WIGWAM

Feedback is when people tell you what they think about your idea or creation.  Feedback is like a superpower for the WIGWAM way.

  1. Watch: When you look at what’s happening, you’re actually getting feedback from the world around you!
  2. Ideate: Sharing your ideas with others and hearing what they think can help you come up with even more cool ideas.
  3. Guess: Feedback from others can help you make better guesses about which ideas might work best.
  4. Which?: Asking people what they think about your different ideas can help you choose the best one to try.
  5. Act: As you put your idea into action, pay attention to how people react – that’s feedback too!
  6. Measure: This is where feedback really shines! Look at how people use your creation and listen to what they say about it.

Feedback is part of every step in the WIGWAM way, not just at the end.

Things to Remember

  • It’s okay if your first idea doesn’t work perfectly. That’s how you learn!
  • Keep trying new ideas. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.
  • Have fun with it! Improving things can be like a fun game.
  • Feedback isn’t always easy to hear, but it’s super helpful.
  • The more feedback you get, the better your ideas can become.

Your Turn to Think!

  • What’s something you’d like to make better?
  • Can you think of three ideas to improve it?
  • Which idea would you try first? Why?
  • Who could you ask for feedback about it?
  • What questions could you ask to get helpful feedback?

Remember, great things don’t always happen all at once. By using the WIGWAM way, you can make things better step by step. It’s like a special kind of magic that helps your ideas grow and improve over time.
(Some grown-ups call this the “Iteration Cycle“, but WIGWAM is much more fun to say!)

Song: WIGWAM Magic

Verse 1:
Watch and see what’s going on
Ideate, let your thoughts run
Guess which idea might be best
Which one to choose from all the rest?
Pre-Chorus:
Step by step, we’ll find a way
To make things better every day
Chorus:
It’s WIGWAM magic, can’t you see?
Watch, Ideate, Guess playfully
Which one to try? Act and then
Measure results, start again
WIGWAM magic, it’s so cool
Improvement is our golden rule
Verse 2:
Act on your choice, give it a go
Measure what works, help ideas grow
Back to the start, what did we learn?
New ways to shine at every turn
(Pre-Chorus)
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Sometimes we stumble, that’s okay
Each try teaches us in its own way
Keep on improving, bit by bit
With WIGWAM magic, we won’t quit
(Chorus)
Outro:
WIGWAM magic, here to stay
Making things better, hip-hooray!