Multiple Intelligences and Activities

Verbal-Linguistic
(VL)
(words)

Logical-Mathematical
(LM)
(numbers or logic)

Spatial-Visual
(SV)
(pictures)

Bodily-Kinesthetic
(BK)
(a physical experience)

Word Smart: The

capacity to use words
effectively, whether orally
or in reading or writing.

Number/Reasoning
Smart: The capacity to
use numbers effectively and
reason well.

Picture Smart: The

ability to perceive the
visual-spatial world
accurately and perform
transformations upon those
perceptions.

Body Smart: Expertise

in using ones whole body
to express ideas and
feelings and facility in
using ones hands to
produce or transform
things.

Charts, graphs,
diagrams, and maps
Visualization
Photography
Videos, slides, and
movies
Visual puzzles and
mazes
3-D construction kits
Art appreciation
Imaginative
storytelling
Picture metaphors
Creative
daydreaming
Painting, collage, and
other visual arts
Idea stretching
Visual thinking
exercise
Graphic symbols
Using mind-maps
and other visual
organizers
Computer graphics
software
Visual pattern
seeking
Optical illusions
Color cues
Telescopes,
microscopes, and
binoculars
Visual awareness
activities
Draw-and
paint/computerassisted-design
software
Picture literacy
experiences

Creative movement
Hands-on thinking
Fieldtrips
Mime
Classroom theatre
Competitive and
cooperative games
Physical awareness
exercises
Hands-on activities
of all kinds
Crafts
Use of kinesthetic
imagery
Cooking, gardening,
and other messy
activities
Manipulatives
Virtual reality
software
Physical education
activities
Using body
language/hand
signals to
communicate
Tactile materials
and experiences
Physical relaxation
exercises

Lecture
Large and small
group discussions
Books
Worksheets
Manuals
Brainstorming
Writing activities
Word games
Sharing time
Student speeches
Storytelling
Talking books and
cassettes
Extemporaneous
speaking
Debates
Journal Keeping
Choral reading
Individualized
reading
Reading to the class
Memorizing
linguistic facts
Tape recording
ones words
Using word
processors
Publishing (creating
class newspaper)

Mathematical
problems on the
board
Socratic questioning
Scientific
demonstrations
Logical problemsolving exercises
Classifications and
categorizations
Creating codes
Logic Puzzles and
games
Quantifications and
calculations
Computer
Programming
languages
Science Thinking
Logical-sequential
presentation of
subject matter
Famous Examples:
Albert Einstein
John Dewey

Famous examples:
Charles Dickens,
Abraham Lincoln
T.S. Eliot
Sir Winston Churchill

Famous Examples:
Charlie Chaplin
Michael Jordan

Famous Examples:
Frank Lloyd Wright

From the work of Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 1994

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Multiple Intelligences and Activities

Musical-Rhythmic
(MR)
(music)

Interpersonal
(IE)
(a social experience)

Intrapersonal
(IA)
(self-reflection)

Music Smart: The

capacity to perceive,
discriminate and
express musical forms.

People Smart: The

ability to perceive and
make distinctions in
the moods, intentions,
motivations, and
feelings of other
people.

Self-Smart: Selfknowledge and the

ability to act
adaptively on the basis
of that knowledge.

Singing,
humming, or
whistling
Playing recorded
music
Playing live music
on piano, guitar,
or other
instruments
Group singing
Mood music
Music
appreciation
Playing percussion
instruments
Rhythms, songs,
raps, and chants
Using background
music
Linking old tunes
with concepts
Discographies
Creating new
melodies for
concepts
Listening to inner
musical imagery
Music software
Famous examples:
Mozart
Leonard Bernstein
Ray Charles

Cooperative
groups
Interpersonal
interaction
Conflict mediation
Peer teaching
Board games
Cross-age tutoring
Group
brainstorming
sessions
Peer sharing
Community
involvement
Apprenticeships
Simulations
Academic clubs
Interactive
software
Parties or social
gatherings as
context for
learning
Famous examples:
Mother Teresa
Gandhi
Oprah Winfrey

Independent study
Self-paced
instruction
Individualized
projects and
games
Private spaces for
study
One-minute
reflection periods
Interest centers
Personal connects
Options for
homework
Self-teaching
programmed
instruction
Exposure to
inspirational/
motivational
curricula
Self-esteem
activities
Journal keeping
Goal-setting
sessions
Famous examples:
Freud
Eleanor Roosevelt
Plato

From the work of Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 1994

Naturalistic
(NA)
(an experience in the
natural world)
Nature Smart:
Sensing patterns and
making connections to
elements in nature.

Nature walks
Earth Day
activities
Bringing pets in
the classroom
Read stories about
animals
Show movies
about animals
Visit a
planetarium
Categorization
activities
Journal writing
about naturalistic
topics
Collections such
as shells, feathers,
leaves, and rocks
Visit a museum of
natural history
Fossil dig
Telescope
activities
Microscope
activities
Famous examples:
Charles Darwin
E.O. Wilson

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