| This involves analysing, drawing inferences, synthesising, and evaluating concepts and information in literary texts. | |
Writing that is original and imaginative. | ||
Explaining to students the principles or theories behind any practical activity that has just taken place during a workshop. | ||
The skill of forming opinions, or developing ideas, about something from information supplied in a text. | ||
The unity between what makes something happen and the result of it happening. |
The literature class gives a teacher the opportunity to engage students in discussions about the ideas expressed in literary texts. This exercise benefits students in two ways: firstly, it gives them an opportunity to express their own ideas about life and relationships, values and beliefs, and interests and dislikes; secondly, it forces them to use a more complex set of structures and a more “advanced” range of vocabulary. As a language teacher in a literature class, you can exploit this situation by engaging students in group and pair activities to read sections of texts and then give their opinions about characters in the text, for example, or the style of writing — whether it is interesting, humorous, tragic, and so on. This will let students practise expressing opinions, drawing inferences, explaining cause-and-effect relationships, comparing facts and applying ideas they have gleaned from literature to new situations. In addition, they will learn how to analyse texts based on logical reasoning and to synthesise and evaluate the information in the texts.
| Mallam Abdullahi Musa’s Grade 9 students were an enthusiastic group of children who especially loved reading literature. They regularly visited the school library, and delighted in reading storybooks from both their own culture and other cultures. Teacher Musa often found them having hearty discussions of the texts they had read. He realised this was an opportunity to develop their world-view, and to sharpen their skills of observation, analysis and critical thinking. Teacher Musa decided to offer two sessions per week for what he called Literary Appreciation classes. He announced this as an optional class, to be held after school hours twice a week, and was surprised when all his Grade 9 students signed up for it. In these classes, Teacher Musa put his students in groups of five and gave each group a chapter or excerpt from a literary book to read. He made sure that each time the groups had a sample from a variety of reading texts, such as novels, biographies, travelogues, short stories, film reviews and so on. The groups’ task was to read the text, say why they liked/disliked it, which characters they liked/disliked, and why and so on. He instructed them to discuss these points in their groups, come to a consensus and then have a group member present their opinions to the class. The class then decided whether their arguments were sound and convincing. The group that presented their arguments best would then be asked to write a review for the weekly wall magazine. This gave the students an opportunity to read different genres of literary/non-literary texts, and they also learned to analyse them critically. This improved their language skills tremendously and subsequently also helped them score better in their examinations. |
|
| The term suggests the idea of . In terms of school students reading a literary text, critical thinking would involve asking or questions about the text: Engaging with a text implies not taking anything at face value; it means the different meanings underlying a text. In this activity, students will practise their inferential skills by reading excerpts of literary texts critically to try to discover the underlying meanings and themes in the text. To prepare them for this activity, you need to give them some practice in information not directly said or given. Play the extract, or read the transcript, given in , and ask the accompanying questions. The students should explain their answers. Then have a discussion on the answers to the questions, bringing to the students’ notice the strategies they had to use to come up with the answers. Tell them that such questions are called questions and that they help us understand the underlying meanings of a text. After some practice, give the students the main activity, which gives them practice in drawing inferences from a literary text. Put the students in pairs and distribute copies of a short literary text (you can use a prose text from their English course book or any passage from an actual piece of literature meant for adolescents). Each partner must think of three inferential questions to ask the other. Then each pair should select their best question, and ask the rest of the class for the answer. The pairs will take turns to ask a question until the whole class has had a chance to present. The students will have to support their answers by quoting related sections from the text. You could note down three of the best questions, and have a discussion on how these questions best bring out the theme(s) of the text and any underlying meanings. Ask your students to use the language expressions used for , such as , etc. This exercise will expose them to the underlying meanings of a text and will prepare them to read and enjoy original and more challenging pieces of literature. To make this activity more interesting, put the students in small groups and ask them to think of arguments to the events described in the extracts: Then ask them to think of an opposite viewpoint to the one expressed in the text they have just read. They should then write a short paragraph, changing the story by changing the main character/climax/storyline/beginning, etc., to make the story more interesting. Give them about 30 minutes to write and present their story from this new perspective. |
| One way to develop higher-order thinking skills is to have students a text. This involves judging the merit of a text; that is, saying whether one liked/disliked the storyline and why, or what, in the reader’s opinion, are the special merits/demerits of the text. This activity benefits students in many ways: they learn to be self-confident and value their own opinions, they are forced to think and present their views in a more logical and creative manner, and they become motivated to read more. This activity is divided into three stages; the students work individually at first, then in pairs with a partner and finally in groups. For this activity, give the students a selected extract from a literary text. If you used a prose text for , you could use a play or a poem this time. The students should read the text, and answer evaluative questions like the ones given in . The students, working in pairs now, should then share their opinions with their partners and decide on the reasons behind their opinion (whether they liked it, for example). Then each pair should present their point of view to the class. In the third step, pairs who share the same point of view (like/dislike, happy/sad ending, etc.) should be put in groups of six. In their groups, the students should pool their arguments and prepare a paragraph on their views, giving reasons for their decisions. At the end of the activity, group leaders should read out the reviews for the class to comment. The best two viewpoints, arguing two opposite positions, can then be selected and, if possible, included in the school magazine. Students should also keep a record of what they read, with comments, by making a , as shown in . |
| Now that the students have had some practice in critical reading, they can build on their skills for more creative purposes. In this activity, they will learn to the ideas they read in the literary texts in their own creative ways. . to the story, poem or play. That is, if the story ends on a sad note, they should change it to a happy ending or vice versa. |
| The concept of a is an exciting model for collaborative writing exercises. A big book is, as the name suggests, a large book containing an interesting and varied collection of literary and non-literary texts on a theme, with illustrations. |
| In this unit you learned strategies for developing your students’ critical and creative thinking abilities by analysing literary texts. Some of the skills that the unit aimed to develop were the ability to draw inferences from a text and to synthesise information to evaluate a text, and to then apply this knowledge to produce their own texts. The activities described in the unit should help you make your students more aware of the interesting ways in which writers use language to convey their thoughts and ideas. Using this knowledge, students should be able to use their imagination and language skills to express themselves creatively. |
|
|
| “Study! Study! STUDY!” Trudy was tired of hearing the same old line every day. Couldn’t her parents think of anything else to say?? After all, her grandparents were such fun — she couldn’t believe these were their children, for God’s sake! “Don’t swear, Trudy!” shot her mother, catching the last part of Trudy’s parting shot. Trudy didn’t bother to respond. She strode into her room and slammed the door shut. Her school books were lying all around in her room, and somewhere under the pile her weekend project was also waiting patiently for her. “Damn the project, and damn studies!” she muttered under her breath as her right foot bumped into the chair which had overturned with the weight of her clothes on it. Trudy had no idea what she’d do now that she’d come out of the TV room, so she started opening the drawers of the old study table her grandfather had recently given her. Slipping her hand into the first drawer, she pulled out something. It seemed to be a very old book — it was a diary. Excited now, she turned it over. It was ! She flipped through the pages. It was written in a very neat hand, with each page dated meticulously. Curious to know more about her grandfather as a young man, she opened a page. It was dated February 12, 1945. She calculated his age — he was probably 18 then. She read about some girl called Betty, and how she had looked at him and smiled when they crossed at the corner of his street every morning. He wrote about his plans to give her a single red rose on Valentine’s Day, which was just two days away. Trudy flipped two more pages. There it was — 14 February! This was a very long entry, but the page was just filled with the words “Betty, I love you!” scrawled over and over in every inch of available space! There was even a dried out petal… it must have been from a rose. Sure enough, on the next page was the entry — it seems Betty had shyly accepted his rose, and had quickly handed him a rose herself and run away. And so the romance blossomed. Trudy read about their first date, the war and their painful separation for two months! Who was this Betty, Trudy wondered. Her grandmother’s name was Caroline, not Betty. Trudy decided to visit her grandparents on Sunday to find out more about the story. Her anger forgotten, she settled down with the diary and spent the rest of the evening quietly finishing it. Her parents, noticing her silence, were happy that she was finally paying attention to her studies. |
|
See in the enclosed DVD an audio recording of the activity: |
Inferential questions:
Why do you think Trudy’s mother was shouting at her?
Does Trudy understand her responsibilities?
Is Trudy a tidy person?
Look up the meaning of the word “curious” in your dictionary. Is Trudy a curious person?
Did Trudy’s grandfather finally get to spend his life with Betty?
Do you think it was normal for girls and boys to meet freely during Trudy’s grandfather’s time?
| You can use the following questions as prompts to sensitise your students to the special nuances of the text. |
| Ask your students to read their books silently in class, if they are short story or poetry books, or read them at home, if they are longer ones. Ask them to keep a reading record of the parts they liked best, quotable quotes or beautiful expressions they want to remember, characters they like best, characters they dislike most. And ask them to write down why they want to record these things. A journal entry is similar to a book report. It is also a way of keeping a record of books read. Students’ journal entries can be kept in a portfolio and assessed periodically. You may follow the format given below or devise your own format. |
| Is it not too early to start to teach critical thinking and creativity at the JSS level, especially where English is a second language and students are generally not proficient in it? Critical thinking and creativity are skills that should be developed as early as possible However, we cannot expect the critical thinking and creative writing of students at this level to be at a very high level. The critical thinking and creative potential expected of the students should be appropriate to their level and scope of interest. |
by mindroar | Oct 10, 2022 | blog | 0 comments
Now, our previous post was about how to teach your students to do a literary analysis or critical analysis. By now, you might be wondering if you can easily find a literary analysis practice worksheet to help your ELA students learn critical analysis skills.
I figured that a follow-up post of worksheets and activities that you can quickly and easily use would be in order.
So if you are teaching your students literary analysis skills and you need a little help, check out these great literary analysis activities and worksheets to use in your ELA classroom.
The first resource we have for you today is this PowerPoint and analyzing quotes activity by Nouvelle ELA.
The aim of the resources is to help your students learn to analyze and embed quotes in their writing.
In this fun literary analysis lesson, students analyze movie quotes and then have scaffolded help to practice embedding those quotes into their writing. Students practice the skills of:
Included in the activity are
The second literary analysis practice worksheet we have today is this prose analysis and close reading bundle by A moonlighting English teacher.
The bundle includes activities to help students understand over 55 high-level literary terms, as well as practice and improve their skills in close reading and critical analysis.
While most of the resources were designed with specific texts in mind, most are able to stand alone as individual lessons or resources and are easily adaptable to whatever texts you are using in your class.
Included in the bundle are:
Other great literary analysis lessons include these ones by Reading the rapids. This fun bundle will help your students identify literary elements.
Students learn and reinforce their learning by watching animated shorts, using graphic organizers, applying their learning in activities, and assessing their peers. Literary elements students learn about include:
The bundle covers many different CCSS and each lesson plan states which skills are covered in that lesson.
The author also has this great free literary device inventory and reflection to help you work out your students’ level of knowledge about literary devices. It also uses animated shorts so that the activity is fun and engaging for students to complete.
The next literary analysis practice worksheet is included in this activity by Tracee Orman. In the activities, students will learn how to adequately show evidence from the text.
In the activity, students use three non-fiction texts and questions to practice citing evidence from the text. Suggested answers for each question are included, as well as the evidence students should use.
The passages include interesting scenarios including
The files are provided as non-editable PDFs or a Google slides version of the worksheet for students to respond to digitally.
The next literary analysis practice worksheet we have for you is this bundle by Reading and writing haven. The bundle enables students to practice analyzing a variety of texts, including non-fiction, fiction, paired texts, short films, movies, advertisements, and poetry.
The materials and the scaffolding guiding questions and prompts enable students to better understand how to analyze texts. Included in the bundle are
Another way to get your students to practice literary analysis when studying any novel is by using this fun activity by Secondary Sara.
The Common Core-aligned activity is set up as a “conspiracy theory” that students have to “prove”. To do so, students practice finding and using evidence to back up a claim.
In the activity, student groups choose a question about the novel and come up with a “conspiracy theory” (thesis) to answer that question.
While reading, small groups gather text evidence from the novel and analyze it using a four-step method: What does it SAY?, What does it MEAN?, Why does it MATTER?, How does it prove your THESIS?
Once they have completed the novel and graphic organizer, students give presentations on their thesis and the evidence they collected to support it.
The rest of the class actively listens by following along with their own listening guide to track who said what.
You can also use an optional follow-up essay assignment to individually assess literary analysis skills.
Included in the download are:
Another fun literary analysis practice worksheet is included in this speed-dating lesson by Write on with Miss G. The discussion and literary analysis activities work with any novel.
In the activity, students are paired up to discuss questions aligned with the Common Core standards. After each round, students rotate to a new partner and discuss a new question.
By the end of class, students will have interacted with 15+ peers and discussed 15+ questions! This means students get lots of low-risk, repeated practice in the peer-to-peer setting.
This literary analysis practice activity enables your entire class to participate in literary analysis in a low-risk setting and set students up for success in whole-class discussions (that you can do following the speed-dating lesson).
This activity works best at the end of a novel, as it contains questions that ask about “the big picture” (theme, symbolism, etc.)
Literary elements covered in the questions include
Another literary analysis practice worksheet is included in this interactive notebook flipbook for any novel by Tracee Orman.
You can choose to use the literary analysis activity as an interactive flipbook, or you can choose to use them as literary analysis practice worksheets.
The activities cover six main areas. These areas are
Using these literary analysis practice worksheets or interactive notebooks, students practice higher-level critical-thinking skills which include analysis, synthesis, inference, summarizing, and more.
The activities can be used at any point in the text and can be reused at any point, making them even more versatile. They are perfect for stations, group work, or individual independent reading.
The next literary analysis practice worksheet is included in this activity by Teen tech university, which focuses on teaching students how to analyze the author’s tone in writing.
Included in the product are
Another fun way to get your students to practice literary analysis is to use short films to introduce, practice, or review the process. This bundle by Celebrating secondary enables students to practice literary analysis in a low-risk setting by analyzing short films.
Included in the bundle are two products: Literary analysis using Pixar short films and Literary analysis using short films. Literary topics and skills covered by the activities include:
The product includes links to Pixar shorts, including Bao, Lou, Lifted, Partly Cloudy, and La Luna . It also includes links to short films, including Lambs, Nuggets, Snack Attack, Soar, and The Little Shoemaker .
A suggested answer key is included, but because the activities are analysis-based answers will vary.
The last literary analysis practice worksheet is included in this recipe book project by Miss Fits.
In the CCSS-aligned project, students show their understanding and interpretation of the main ideas and themes of a literary work in a fun and creative way. They will practice citing textual evidence to support their examination of a literary work, including themes and characterization.
This activity works fantastically with books that have a large emphasis on food, such as
Lara Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate , Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, or The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
However, it can also be used with other texts, with the creator saying she’s used it with a class reading George Orwell’s 1984 and another student using it as an alternative project for The Handmaid’s Tale.
Included in the product are:
Check out these blog posts
FREEBIE! Virtual record SHOP slides FOR CRITICAL THINKING Activities
Ela lesson planning , reading & literature.
Sharing is caring!
Incorporating strategies into your lessons for making connections to literature will help students to become more engaged readers and develop the ability to comprehend texts on different levels. Each of these strategies, broken down into text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections can be used in the classroom or adapted for online learning by creating breakout rooms instead of physical groups, or using Jamboard as a brainstorming platform, for example.
Character Trait Mind Map
Snowball Reflections
Diamante Poem
Seeking his revenge
Emotional wounds never heal
Feeling so betrayed
Four Corners Investigation
Thematic Elements Memory Matching Game
Story Soundtrack
Newspaper Collage
Sharing Circle
Getting Sketchy
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
© Mochas and markbooks 2023 | Template by Waymaker Designs |
This lesson develops students' critical thinking skills through reading and interacting with multiple-perspectives texts. Students analyze selected texts, using metacognitive strategies such as visualizing, synthesizing, and making connections, to learn about multiple points of view. By studying Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Spider/ Worm/ Fly books, students develop a model for an original diary based on an animal of their choosing. Students conduct online research on their chosen animal and use the information gathered to create several diary entries from the perspective of that animal. Students' completed diaries are shared with the class and the larger school community.
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
Students will
Set aside a class session for partner sets to share their diaries with the class orally. Since students worked in pairs, photocopy the diaries so that each partner has a copy. After sharing, make sure to distribute Self-Assessment: What Did I Learn? form for each student to complete independently.
Critical thinking tops the list of skills students need for success in the complex 21st century. When it comes to science and math, most people equate critical thinking with problem solving. In those content areas, students apply their understanding of basic concepts to a task for which the solution is not known in advance. By grappling with a challenging problem, students extend their learning. Critical thinking about literature is not so different. With a written work, the problem or task is often an open-ended, text-based question. Students use their comprehension of the text to develop interpretations—or solutions to the problem.
If you want your students to engage in higher-order thinking as they read and discuss literature, include these key elements of problem-solving activities:
Genuine, intriguing questions. To think critically, there must be something to think critically about. With literature, it’s a text that leaves your students puzzling and asking questions about a character, event, symbol, or structure. Predictable or moralistic texts with flat characters don’t generate intriguing questions. When texts are sufficiently complex, the questions that spring from them present engaging problems.
Divergent answers. Just as genuine problems in math or science allow for multiple strategies and solutions, a discussion-worthy question about a piece of literature should invite multiple interpretations or answers. In Shared Inquiry discussions, considering divergent ideas is what drives students to find deeper meaning in a text.
Ample evidence. As in math or science, for an answer or solution to be sound, there must be relevant reasons behind it. Likewise, ideas about the meaning of literary texts must be supported with the evidence from the work itself. Evidence and reasoning make ideas valid and debatable. Without evidence, ideas are simply guesses.
Opportunities to evaluate evidence. Some pieces of scientific or mathematical data are more compelling than others. The same is true when exploring a question about a rich work of literature. Collaborative discussion is a time for participants to share the evidence that supports their ideas, to weigh that evidence, and to strengthen ideas by debating each other’s assertions or suggesting additional evidence.
Collaboration. A good discussion question, or problem, is one that students want to work on together. Just as students benefit from combining their skills and perspectives when solving a math or science problem, discussing an interpretive question as a group yields more thoughtful and considered answers than if students had worked alone. Follow-up questions that ask students to clarify, elaborate, and explain their ideas help deepen and enliven the conversation.
I’m looking to enroll my daughter, in a local program in Detroit,MI
Thank you for your interest in Great Books! We’re confident your daughter would enjoy and benefit from participating in the program. Tom Kerschner, the Great Books Consultant for Michigan, will be in touch with you soon. Watch for an email ending with @greatbooks.org.
I am looking for a Great Books Program in the Detroit, Michigan, area for my ten year old daughter. Thank you, Kym
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Recent Posts
Today, information bombards us from all directions, and the ability to think critically has become a paramount skill. Beyond the rote memorization of facts, critical thinking exercises involve the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information to make informed decisions. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore ten engaging and effective critical thinking exercises designed to enhance cognitive abilities, foster intellectual agility, and contribute to overall cognitive excellence.
1. socratic questioning: unlocking wisdom through dialogue.
The Socratic method, with its roots in ancient philosophy, serves as a foundational exercise for critical thinking. It involves posing open-ended questions stimulating thoughtful dialogue and exploring complex topics. The exercise encourages individuals to engage in structured discussions, challenging assumptions, and dissecting various perspectives on a chosen subject matter.
Exercise: Organize or participate in Socratic discussion groups where participants tackle topics ranging from ethical dilemmas to societal issues. The goal is to foster an environment where thoughtful questioning leads to a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Solving puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers is a classic exercise for enhancing problem-solving skills and developing cognitive flexibility. Engaging in these activities challenges the mind, fostering creativity and adaptability.
Exercise: Dedicate regular time to solving Sudoku, crosswords, or logic puzzles. These exercises provide mental stimulation and improve memory, concentration, and logical reasoning.
Joining a debate club provides a platform to practice constructing persuasive arguments, critically evaluating opposing viewpoints, and refining communication skills. The exercise encourages individuals to think on their feet, respond to counterarguments, and strengthen their ability to convey ideas convincingly.
Exercise: Actively participate in structured debates on topics ranging from current affairs to philosophical dilemmas. This fosters the development of not only critical thinking but also effective communication.
Analyzing real or hypothetical case studies allows individuals to apply critical thinking exercises to assess situations and propose effective solutions. This exercise mimics the problem-solving demands of various professions and prepares individuals to think critically in real-world contexts.
Exercise: Review business case studies, legal scenarios, or medical cases, identifying key issues and recommending strategic approaches. This hands-on approach enhances decision-making skills.
Creating visual representations of ideas, relationships, and hierarchies through concept mapping enhances understanding and promotes analytical thinking. This exercise encourages individuals to see the interconnectedness of concepts and improves visual-spatial thinking.
Exercise: Utilize mind maps or concept maps to illustrate complex concepts or plan projects. This visual approach aids in organizing thoughts, identifying relationships between ideas, and enhancing overall comprehension.
Participation in decision-making simulations replicates real-world scenarios, encouraging thoughtful analysis and strategic thinking. This exercise allows individuals to make decisions within a controlled environment, experiencing the consequences of their choices.
Exercise: Explore online simulations or business strategy games that require strategic decision-making. These simulations provide a risk-free environment for learning and testing different decision-making approaches.
Exposure to a variety of perspectives, cultures, and ideologies through literature and diverse media broadens understanding and encourages critical thinking. This exercise prompts individuals to consider alternative viewpoints and challenges preconceived notions.
Exercise: Read books, and articles, or watch documentaries from authors with differing viewpoints. This exposure to diverse perspectives fosters empathy, cultural awareness, and a more nuanced understanding of the world.
Developing analytical writing skills involves articulating coherent arguments and supporting them with evidence, fostering clarity and logical reasoning. This exercise enhances the ability to express complex thoughts in a structured and persuasive manner.
Exercise: Engage in writing essays or analyses on thought-provoking topics. Focus on constructing compelling arguments with evidence-based reasoning. This exercise not only hones critical thinking exercises but also improves written communication.
Delving into ethical dilemmas requires individuals to examine the moral implications of decisions, considering multiple ethical frameworks. This exercise encourages individuals to think critically about the consequences of their actions on both a personal and societal level.
Exercise: Engage in discussions and analyze ethical scenarios, exploring the ethical dimensions of various decisions. This exercise prompts individuals to consider the broader implications of their choices.
Enhancing quantitative critical thinking involves interpreting and drawing conclusions from data, promoting data literacy. This exercise empowers individuals to make informed decisions based on quantitative information.
Exercise: Work with datasets, analyze trends, and draw meaningful insights. Developing proficiency in data analysis enhances the ability to make evidence-based decisions in various contexts.
Cultivating cognitive excellence through critical thinking exercises is a journey that requires active engagement in diverse exercises. The ten exercises presented in this guide offer a comprehensive range of activities to foster cognitive agility. From engaging in Socratic questioning to tackling ethical dilemmas and analyzing data, these exercises empower individuals to approach challenges with a discerning and analytical mindset. Embrace the journey of continuous intellectual development through these practical and stimulating critical thinking exercises, and witness the transformative power of a sharpened mind.
Most popular stories.
Understanding the psychopaths and sociopaths difference is crucial not just for mental health professionals but also for educators, administrators, and
Source - www.linkedin.com Empowering Change through Technology In a global tech landscape, developers are breaking down barriers across gender, race,
If you’re a student interested in the dynamic world of Indian administrative services, you’ve likely encountered the term "Central Secretariat
Source - www.unesco.org Addressing Digital Challenges and Opportunities In South-East Europe Participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia recently
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, prodigy education stands out as a pioneering force, reshaping how students learn and educators
Source - www.forbes.com Role of AI in Medical Education Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves across various sectors, including medicine,
Source -currentaffairs.adda247.com Los Angeles Gears Up for Historic 2028 Summer Olympics Following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the
Source - www.indiatoday.in The evolving educational landscape in India is set to undergo a significant transformation with the introduction of
Get the latest education updates delivered to your inbox.
Future Education Magazine is an exceptional source of knowledge and resources for those looking to choose the right path in education. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or education enthusiast, our magazine is committed to providing you with insightful and valuable content.
Copyright © 2024: Future Education Magazine | All rights reserved.
Free Attendance Questions Slideshow ✨
Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them.
Little kids love to ask questions. “Why is the sky blue?” “Where does the sun go at night?” Their innate curiosity helps them learn more about the world, and it’s key to their development. As they grow older, it’s important to encourage them to keep asking questions and to teach them the right kinds of questions to ask. We call these “critical thinking skills,” and they help kids become thoughtful adults who are able to make informed decisions as they grow older.
Critical thinking allows us to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. First, we need to be able to simply understand the information, then we build on that by analyzing, comparing, evaluating, reflecting, and more. Critical thinking is about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just “gut feelings” and opinion.
Critical thinkers tend to question everything, and that can drive teachers and parents a little crazy. The temptation to reply, “Because I said so!” is strong, but when you can, try to provide the reasons behind your answers. We want to raise children who take an active role in the world around them and who nurture curiosity throughout their entire lives.
So, what are critical thinking skills? There’s no official list, but many people use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help lay out the skills kids should develop as they grow up.
Source: Vanderbilt University
Bloom’s Taxonomy is laid out as a pyramid, with foundational skills at the bottom providing a base for more advanced skills higher up. The lowest phase, “Remember,” doesn’t require much critical thinking. These are the skills kids use when they memorize math facts or world capitals or practice their spelling words. Critical thinking doesn’t begin to creep in until the next steps.
Understanding requires more than memorization. It’s the difference between a child reciting by rote “one times four is four, two times four is eight, three times four is twelve,” versus recognizing that multiplication is the same as adding a number to itself a certain number of times. Schools focus more these days on understanding concepts than they used to; pure memorization has its place, but when a student understands the concept behind something, they can then move on to the next phase.
Application opens up whole worlds to students. Once you realize you can use a concept you’ve already mastered and apply it to other examples, you’ve expanded your learning exponentially. It’s easy to see this in math or science, but it works in all subjects. Kids may memorize sight words to speed up their reading mastery, but it’s learning to apply phonics and other reading skills that allows them to tackle any new word that comes their way.
Analysis is the real leap into advanced critical thinking for most kids. When we analyze something, we don’t take it at face value. Analysis requires us to find facts that stand up to inquiry, even if we don’t like what those facts might mean. We put aside personal feelings or beliefs and explore, examine, research, compare and contrast, draw correlations, organize, experiment, and so much more. We learn to identify primary sources for information, and check into the validity of those sources. Analysis is a skill successful adults must use every day, so it’s something we must help kids learn as early as possible.
Almost at the top of Bloom’s pyramid, evaluation skills let us synthesize all the information we’ve learned, understood, applied, and analyzed, and to use it to support our opinions and decisions. Now we can reflect on the data we’ve gathered and use it to make choices, cast votes, or offer informed opinions. We can evaluate the statements of others too, using these same skills. True evaluation requires us to put aside our own biases and accept that there may be other valid points of view, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them.
In the final phase, we use every one of those previous skills to create something new. This could be a proposal, an essay, a theory, a plan—anything a person assembles that’s unique.
Note: Bloom’s original taxonomy included “synthesis” as opposed to “create,” and it was located between “apply” and “evaluate.” When you synthesize, you put various parts of different ideas together to form a new whole. In 2001, a group of cognitive psychologists removed that term from the taxonomy , replacing it with “create,” but it’s part of the same concept.
Using critical thinking in your own life is vital, but passing it along to the next generation is just as important. Be sure to focus on analyzing and evaluating, two multifaceted sets of skills that take lots and lots of practice. Start with these 10 Tips for Teaching Kids To Be Awesome Critical Thinkers . Then try these critical thinking activities and games. Finally, try to incorporate some of these 100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students into your lessons. They’ll help your students develop the skills they need to navigate a world full of conflicting facts and provocative opinions.
This classic Sesame Street activity is terrific for introducing the ideas of classifying, sorting, and finding relationships. All you need are several different objects (or pictures of objects). Lay them out in front of students, and ask them to decide which one doesn’t belong to the group. Let them be creative: The answer they come up with might not be the one you envisioned, and that’s OK!
Post an “answer” and ask kids to come up with the question. For instance, if you’re reading the book Charlotte’s Web , the answer might be “Templeton.” Students could say, “Who helped save Wilbur even though he didn’t really like him?” or “What’s the name of the rat that lived in the barn?” Backwards thinking encourages creativity and requires a good understanding of the subject matter.
Practice making connections and seeing relationships with this fun game. Kids write four random words in the corners of a Frayer Model and one more in the middle. The challenge? To link the center word to one of the others by making an analogy. The more far out the analogies, the better!
Learn more: Forced Analogies at The Owl Teacher
Tired of hearing “I found it on Wikipedia!” when you ask kids where they got their answer? It’s time to take a closer look at primary sources. Show students how to follow a fact back to its original source, whether online or in print. We’ve got 10 terrific American history–based primary source activities to try here.
Hands-on science experiments and STEM challenges are a surefire way to engage students, and they involve all sorts of critical thinking skills. We’ve got hundreds of experiment ideas for all ages on our STEM pages , starting with 50 Stem Activities To Help Kids Think Outside the Box .
Multiple-choice questions can be a great way to work on critical thinking. Turn the questions into discussions, asking kids to eliminate wrong answers one by one. This gives them practice analyzing and evaluating, allowing them to make considered choices.
Learn more: Teaching in the Fast Lane
Here’s a fun way to work on correlation, which is a part of analysis. Show kids a 3 x 3 grid with nine pictures, and ask them to find a way to link three in a row together to get tic-tac-toe. For instance, in the pictures above, you might link together the cracked ground, the landslide, and the tsunami as things that might happen after an earthquake. Take things a step further and discuss the fact that there are other ways those things might have happened (a landslide can be caused by heavy rain, for instance), so correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation.
Learn more: Critical Thinking Tic-Tac-Toe at The Owl Teacher
Explore the chain of cause and effect with this fun thought exercise. Start it off by asking one student to name an invention they believe changed the world. Each student then follows by explaining an effect that invention had on the world and their own lives. Challenge each student to come up with something different.
Learn more: Teaching With a Mountain View
There are so many board games that help kids learn to question, analyze, examine, make judgments, and more. In fact, pretty much any game that doesn’t leave things entirely up to chance (Sorry, Candy Land) requires players to use critical thinking skills. See one teacher’s favorites at the link below.
Learn more: Miss DeCarbo
This is one of those classic critical thinking activities that really prepares kids for the real world. Assign a topic (or let them choose one). Then give kids time to do some research to find good sources that support their point of view. Finally, let the debate begin! Check out 100 Middle School Debate Topics , 100 High School Debate Topics , and 60 Funny Debate Topics for Kids of All Ages .
Plus, check out 38 simple ways to integrate social-emotional learning throughout the day ..
Critical thinkers question everything. Continue Reading
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Definitions of critical thinking, its elements, and its associated activities fill the educational literature of the past forty years. Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to recognize ambiguity; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason, and reflect; to make informed judgments and decisions; and to clarify, articulate, and justify positions (Hullfish & Smith, 1961; Ennis, 1962; Ruggiero, 1975; Scriven, 1976; Hallet, 1984; Kitchener, 1986; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Mines et al., 1990; Halpern, 1996; Paul & Elder, 2001; Petress, 2004; Holyoak & Morrison, 2005; among others).
After a careful review of the mountainous body of literature defining critical thinking and its elements, UofL has chosen to adopt the language of Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (2003) as a comprehensive, concise operating definition:
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
Paul and Scriven go on to suggest that critical thinking is based on: "universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue, assumptions, concepts, empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions, implication and consequences, objections from alternative viewpoints, and frame of reference. Critical thinking - in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes - is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking."
This conceptualization of critical thinking has been refined and developed further by Richard Paul and Linder Elder into the Paul-Elder framework of critical thinking. Currently, this approach is one of the most widely published and cited frameworks in the critical thinking literature. According to the Paul-Elder framework, critical thinking is the:
The University of Louisville chose the Paul-Elder model of Critical Thinking as the approach to guide our efforts in developing and enhancing our critical thinking curriculum. The Paul-Elder framework was selected based on criteria adapted from the characteristics of a good model of critical thinking developed at Surry Community College. The Paul-Elder critical thinking framework is comprehensive, uses discipline-neutral terminology, is applicable to all disciplines, defines specific cognitive skills including metacognition, and offers high quality resources.
The use of a single critical thinking framework is an important aspect of institution-wide critical thinking initiatives (Paul and Nosich, 1993; Paul, 2004). According to this view, critical thinking instruction should not be relegated to one or two disciplines or departments with discipline specific language and conceptualizations. Rather, critical thinking instruction should be explicitly infused in all courses so that critical thinking skills can be developed and reinforced in student learning across the curriculum. The use of a common approach with a common language allows for a central organizer and for the development of critical thinking skill sets in all courses.
Copyright © 2012 - University of Louisville , Delphi Center
Effecting change on students’ critical thinking in problem solving.
Student’s critical thinking in solving open-ended problems based on their personality type, cognitive-behavioural reflective training for improving critical thinking disposition of nursing students, investigating critical thinking in prospective teachers: metacognitive skills, problem solving skills and academic self-efficacy, modeling the relationships between school administrators' creative and critical thinking dispositions with decision making styles and problem solving skills *, preparatory school learners’ level of critical thinking proficiency and its correlation with their academic achievement in ethiopia: the missing ingredient, teaching grammar to promote critical thinking in efl classrooms, a research on critical thinking tendencies and factors that affect critical thinking of higher education students, 49 references, the disposition toward critical thinking: its character, measurement, and relationship to critical thinking skill.
Critical thinking: a statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction (the delphi report).
Instructional interventions affecting critical thinking skills and dispositions: a stage 1 meta-analysis, conceptualizing critical thinking.
Demystifying critical thinking, alternative instructional strategies for creative and critical thinking in the accounting curriculum, related papers.
Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers
IMAGES
COMMENTS
2. Graphic Organizers. Graphic organizers are one of my go-to strategies for elevating thinking. We can use them to differentiate and to guide students as we work in small groups. I like to keep a variety of literary analysis graphic organizers for any text on hand so that I can be responsive.
Table of Contents. 19 Short Stories and Questions - Suggestions for Teaching Them. 1. "The Most Dangerous Game". 2. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". 3. "The Masque of the Red Death". 4.
Literature is an effective tool for engaging students in critical thinking. By teaching children to analyse and evaluate literary texts appropriate to their age and interests, we can help them develop critical thinking skills. ... Activities Activity 1: Using literature to develop critical thinking: Drawing inferences from a text. Activity 1 ...
Included in the activity are. an editable PowerPoint that introduces how to analyze quotes. an Interactive notebook lesson. literary quote analysis homework worksheet that is print and go. and an editable literary quote analysis homework sheet. 2. A moonlighting English teacher - prose analysis and close reading.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts. 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
Students write a diamante poem that connects the character to themselves using the following formula: Line 1: Character's name. Line 2: two words describing how they feel. Line 3: three words describing why they feel this way. Line 4: four words describing how this emotion feels. Like 5: three words describing why you can relate.
This lesson develops students' critical thinking skills through reading and interacting with multiple-perspectives texts. Students analyze selected texts, using metacognitive strategies such as visualizing, synthesizing, and making connections, to learn about multiple points of view. By studying Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Spider/Worm/Fly books ...
June 29, 2015. Critical thinking tops the list of skills students need for success in the complex 21st century. When it comes to science and math, most people equate critical thinking with problem solving. In those content areas, students apply their understanding of basic concepts to a task for which the solution is not known in advance.
The goal is to foster an environment where thoughtful questioning leads to a deeper understanding of the subject matter. 2. Brain Teasers and Puzzles: Nurturing Analytical Thinking. Solving puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers is a classic exercise for enhancing problem-solving skills and developing cognitive flexibility.
40355. Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap. City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative. This text offers instruction in analytical, critical, and argumentative writing, critical thinking, research strategies, information literacy, and proper documentation through the study of literary works from major genres, while ...
In summary. Teacher read alouds are planned oral readings of children's books. They are a vital part of literacy instruction in primary classrooms. Teachers can use read alouds to develop children's background knowledge , stimulate their interest in high-quality literature, increase their comprehension skills, and foster critical thinking.
Most critical thinking researchers agree that open-mindedness is a component of critical thinking (Ennis, 2018; Facione et al., 1994; Perkins et al., 1993). Arguably, William Hare's account of open-mindedness has been the most influential within the critical thinking literature.
1.1 Literature and Teaching Critical Thinking Skills Much of literature on teaching critical thinking skills addresses teaching strategies and teacher's role and perception. Regarding the teaching strategies, a number of research have indicated that critical thinking can be incorporated into many different subjects such as sciences, physical
6. Start a Debate. In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science.
Literature is an effective tool for engaging students in critical thinking. When students are taught to analyse, criticize and evaluate literary texts, it becomes very appropriate to their age and ...
Writing (or drawing) and silence are used as tools to slow down thinking and allow for silent reflection, unfiltered. By using silence and writing, learners can focus on other viewpoints. This activity uses a driving question, markers, and Big Paper (poster-sized is best).
purposeful, reasoned and goal directed'. Halpren (1997, p. 4) states, 'Critical thinking is purposeful, reasoned, and goal-directed. It is the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions. Critical thinkers use these skills appropriately, without prompting, and
Debates. This is one of those classic critical thinking activities that really prepares kids for the real world. Assign a topic (or let them choose one). Then give kids time to do some research to find good sources that support their point of view. Finally, let the debate begin!
This arrangement will help you and your students more clearly understand and identify the specific critical-thinking skills they are using. For each thinking skill in this book, there are two kinds of activities: (1) those that you, as the teacher, will lead, and (2) student reproducibles for indepen-dent work.
Definitions of critical thinking, its elements, and its associated activities fill the educational literature of the past forty years. Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to recognize ambiguity; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason, and reflect; to make informed ...
Developing Critical Thinking t hrough Literature Reading 293. (1956) 20—knowledge and comprehension—as they fail to reflect and examine their. beliefs and actions. To initiate them into higher ...
Critical Thinking : A Literature. Critical thinking includes the component skills of analyzing arguments, making inferences using inductive or deductive reasoning, judging or evaluating, and making decisions or solving problems. Background knowledge is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for enabling critical thought within a given subject.
Abstract and Figures. Critical Thinking (CT) has been recognized as one of the most important thinking skills and one of the most important indicators of student learning quality. In order to ...