how can teachers promote critical thinking in the classroom

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How To Promote Critical Thinking In Your Classroom

Promoting Thinking

November 25, 2006, by The Critical Thinking Co. Staff

Modeling of critical thinking skills by instructors is crucial for teaching critical thinking successfully. By making your own thought processes explicit in class - explaining your reasoning, evaluating evidence for a claim, probing the credibility of a source, or even describing what has puzzled or confused you - you provide a powerful example to students, particularly if you invite them to join in; e.g., "Can you see where we're headed with this?" "I can't think of other explanations; can you?" "This idea/principle struck me as difficult or confusing at first, but here's how I figured it out." You can encourage students to emulate this by using them in demonstrations, asking them to "think out loud" in order for classmates to observe how they reason through a problem.

Develop the habit of asking questions that require students to think critically, and tell students that you really expect them to give answers! In particular, Socratic questioning encourages students to develop and clarify their thinking: e.g., "Would your answer hold in all cases?" "How would you respond to a counter-example or counter-argument?" "Explain how you arrived at that answer?"

This is another skill that students can learn from your example, and can use in working with each other. Providing regular opportunities for pair or small group discussions after major points or demonstrations during lectures is also important: this allows students to process the new material, connect it to previously learned topics, and practice asking questions that promote further critical thinking. Obviously, conveying genuine respect for student input is essential. Communicating the message that you value and support student contributions and efforts to think critically increases confidence, and motivates students to continue building their thinking skills. An essential component of this process is the creation of a climate where students feel comfortable with exploring the process of reasoning through a problem without being "punished" for getting the wrong answer.

Researchers have found consistently that interaction among students, in the form of well-structured group discussions plays a central role in stimulating critical thinking. Discussing course material and its applications allows students to formulate and test hypotheses, practice asking thought-provoking questions, hear other perspectives, analyze claims, evaluate evidence, and explain and justify their reasoning. As they become more sophisticated and fluent in thinking critically, students can observe and critique each others' reasoning skills.

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How to Promote Critical Thinking in the Classroom

By elearning inside, february 05, 2024.

Promoting critical thinking is an essential goal in education, equipping students with problem-solving skills that extend beyond the classroom. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies for teachers and schools to foster critical thinking among students.

Fostering a Growth Mindset

Encouraging a growth mindset is fundamental to promoting critical thinking. Teachers can cultivate this mindset by praising effort rather than innate abilities.

When students understand that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, they are more likely to embrace challenges and think critically to overcome obstacles.

Questioning Techniques

One of the most effective ways to promote critical thinking is through questioning. Teachers can employ various questioning techniques to stimulate thought, such as Socratic questioning.

By asking open-ended questions that require students to think deeply, analyze, and evaluate, teachers can guide students to explore complex issues and construct well-reasoned responses.

Real-World Problem Solving

Incorporating real-world problem-solving scenarios into the curriculum can provide students with practical opportunities to apply critical thinking. These problems can range from scientific experiments to ethical dilemmas, encouraging students to assess situations, weigh evidence, and make informed decisions.

Encouraging group collaboration on these tasks can further enhance critical thinking by promoting different perspectives and solutions.

Creating a Physical Environment that Supports Critical Thinking

Classroom design and furniture also play a role in promoting critical thinking. A flexible classroom setup allows for collaborative learning and group discussions, encouraging students to engage in critical dialogue.

By providing comfortable seating options and ensuring that the classroom layout is adaptable, teachers can foster a more dynamic learning environment conducive to critical thinking.

Encouraging Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking is a vital component of critical thinking, as it involves generating multiple solutions to a problem. Teachers can encourage this by using brainstorming techniques, mind maps, or role-playing exercises.

By allowing students to explore various angles and creative solutions, educators nurture their capacity for innovative problem-solving.

Analyzing Multiple Perspectives

Critical thinking is not limited to one perspective; it involves considering multiple viewpoints. Teachers can introduce debates, case studies, or simulations where students must analyze and argue from different angles.

Encouraging students to appreciate different viewpoints and make informed judgments fosters a more well-rounded and critical thinker.

Scaffolding Critical Thinking

To ensure that students of all ages can develop critical thinking skills, educators can scaffold the learning process. This involves providing support and gradually increasing the complexity of tasks.

For instance, younger students may begin by identifying problems, while older students progress to proposing solutions and evaluating their effectiveness.

Metacognition and Self-Reflection

Metacognition is the practice of thinking about thinking. It encourages students to assess their thought processes and strategies. Teachers can promote metacognition by encouraging students to self-reflect on their learning experiences.

When students consider how they approach problems and what strategies work best for them, they can refine their critical thinking skills.

Interdisciplinary Learning

Breaking down the barriers between subjects can also promote critical thinking. Interdisciplinary learning allows students to make connections between different fields of knowledge, encouraging them to draw on a wider range of information and skills to address problems.

Teachers can collaborate to create lesson plans that bridge the gaps between subjects, promoting a more holistic approach to critical thinking.

Feedback and Assessment

Effective feedback and assessment play a significant role in promoting critical thinking. Constructive feedback helps students understand where they can improve and refine their thinking.

Moreover, formative assessment strategies can help educators gauge students’ critical thinking abilities and adjust their teaching accordingly.

In summary, cultivating critical thinking within educational settings is a complex task that necessitates fostering a growth mentality, utilizing efficient questioning methods, advocating for real-life problem resolution, and supporting diverse thought processes.

Moreover, it entails emphasizing metacognition, appreciating numerous viewpoints, integrating interdisciplinary education, and offering evaluation and feedback. By adopting these pragmatic strategies, teachers can enable students to develop critical thinking skills, equipping them to face future obstacles effectively.

If you liked this article, check out Higher Education: Using AI to Meet Student Needs . 

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Teaching Strategies to Promote Critical Thinking

Janelle cox.

• September 9, 2014

Critical thinking is an essential skill that all students will use in almost every aspect of their lives. From solving problems to making informed decisions, thinking critically is a valuable skill that will help students navigate the world’s complexities. In a post-COVID teaching environment , incorporating teaching strategies that help students think rationally and independently is an excellent way to strengthen students’ abilities and prepare them for any new challenges in the future.

There are several techniques to engage students and help strengthen these skills. Here are some teaching strategies that prove to be effective.

Encourage Students to Question Everything

We are now living in a world where AI ( artificial intelligence ) is slowly making its way into the classrooms. With these innovations, it’s imperative today, more than ever, for students to question everything and understand how to verify information when making an informed decision. AI has the potential to spread misinformation or be biased. Teach students to be careful of what is and is not a reliable source . Discuss credibility and bias and have students look for examples of both trusted content and misinformation. By using different forms of media for this exercise, students will need to use their critical thinking skills to determine the validity of the information.

Activate Student Curiosity

You can activate a student’s curiosity by using the inquiry-based learning model. This approach involves posing questions or problems for students to discover the answers on their own. In this method, students develop questions they want to know the answers to, and their teacher serves as their guide providing support as needed along the way. This approach nurtures curiosity and self-directed learning by encouraging students to think critically and independently. Recent  research  from 2019 supports the assertion that the use of this model significantly enhances students’ critical thinking abilities.

Incorporate Project-Based Learning

Immerse students in real-world problem scenarios by having them partake in project-based learning. Engaging in hands-on projects where students need to collaborate, communicate, analyze information, and find solutions to their challenges is a great way to develop their critical thinking skills. Throughout the project, students must engage in higher-order thinking while gathering their information and making decisions throughout various stages.

This approach pushes students to think critically while they connect to a real-world issue, and it helps them understand the relevance this issue has in their lives. Throughout the project, students will hone their critical thinking skills because PBL is a process that requires reflection and continuous improvement.

Offer Diverse Perspectives

Consider offering students a variety of viewpoints. Sometimes classrooms are filled with students who share similar perspectives on their beliefs and cultural norms. When this happens, it hinders learners from alternative viewpoints or experiences. Exposing students to diverse perspectives will help to broaden their horizons and challenge them to think beyond their perspectives. In addition, being exposed to different viewpoints encourages students to be more open-minded so they are more equipped to develop problem-solving strategies and analytical skills. It also helps them to cultivate empathy which is critical for critical thinking because it helps them appreciate others more and be concerned for them.

To support diverse viewpoints in the classroom, use various primary sources such as documentaries and articles from people who have experienced current events firsthand. Or invite in a few guest speakers who can offer varying perspectives on the same topic. Bring diverse perspectives into the classroom through guest speakers or by watching documentaries from varying experts.

Assign Tasks on Critical Writing

Assign writing tasks that encourage students to organize and articulate their thoughts and defend their position. By doing so, you are offering students the opportunity to demonstrate their critical thinking skills as well as effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas. Whether it’s through a research paper or an essay, students will need to support their claims and show evidence to prove their point of view. Critical writing also requires students to analyze information, scrutinize different perspectives, and question the reliability of sources, all of which contribute to the development of their critical thinking skills.

Promote Collaboration

Collaborative learning is a powerful tool that promotes critical thinking among students. Whether it’s through group discussions, classroom debates , or group projects, peer interaction will help students develop the ability to think critically. For example, a classroom debate will challenge students to articulate their thoughts, defend their viewpoints, and consider opposing viewpoints.

It will also challenge students to have a deep understanding of the subject matter as well as sharpen their communication skills. Any group setting where students can work together and be exposed to the thought processes of their classmates will help them understand that their way of thinking is not the only way. Through peer interaction, students will develop the ability to think critically.

Critical thinking requires consistency and commitment. This means that to make the above teaching strategies effective, they must be used consistently throughout the year. Encourage students to question everything and verify all information and resources. Activate student curiosity by using the inquiry-based learning model. Incorporate a real-world project that students can work on throughout the entire semester or school year. Assign critical writing tasks that require students to analyze information and prove their point of view. Finally, foster peer interaction where students work with their classmates to sharpen their communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of other perspectives.

The ultimate goal is for students to become independent thinkers who are capable of analyzing and solving their own problems. By modeling and developing student’s critical thinking skills in the classroom we are setting the stage for our student’s growth and success in the future.

• #CriticalThinking , #TeachingStrategies

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Strategies to Increase Critical Thinking Skills in students

Matthew Joseph October 2, 2019 Blog , Engage Better , Lesson Plan Better , Personalize Student Learning Better

In This Post:

• The importance of helping students increase critical thinking skills.
• Ways to promote the essential skills needed to analyze and evaluate.
• Strategies to incorporate critical thinking into your instruction.

We ask our teachers to be “future-ready” or say that we are teaching “for jobs that don’t exist yet.” These are powerful statements. At the same time, they give teachers the impression that we have to drastically change what we are doing .

So how do we plan education for an unknown job market or unknown needs?

My answer: We can’t predict the jobs, but whatever they are, students will need to think critically to do them. So, our job is to teach our students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Helping Students Become Critical Thinkers

My answer is rooted in the call to empower our students to be critical thinkers. I believe that to be critical thinkers, educators need to provide students with the strategies they need. And we need to ask more than just surface-level questions.

Questions to students must motivate them to dig up background knowledge. They should inspire them to make connections to real-world scenarios. These make the learning more memorable and meaningful.

Critical thinking is a general term. I believe this term means that students effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate content or skills. In this process, they (the students) will discover and present convincing reasons in support of their answers or thinking.

You can look up critical thinking and get many definitions like this one from Wikipedia: “ Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or propositions that people have offered as true. ”

Essential Skills for Critical Thinking

In my current role as director of curriculum and instruction, I work to promote the use of 21st-century tools and, more importantly, thinking skills. Some essential skills that are the basis for critical thinking are:

• Communication and Information skills
• Thinking and Problem-Solving skills
• Interpersonal and Self- Directional skills
• Collaboration skills

These four bullets are skills students are going to need in any field and in all levels of education. Hence my answer to the question. We need to teach our students to think critically and for themselves.

One of the goals of education is to prepare students to learn through discovery . Providing opportunities to practice being critical thinkers will assist students in analyzing others’ thinking and examining the logic of others.

Understanding others is an essential skill in collaboration and in everyday life. Critical thinking will allow students to do more than just memorize knowledge.

Ask Questions

So how do we do this? One recommendation is for educators to work in-depth questioning strategies into a lesson launch.

Ask thoughtful questions to allow for answers with sound reasoning. Then, word conversations and communication to shape students’ thinking. Quick answers often result in very few words and no eye contact, which are skills we don’t want to promote.

When you are asking students questions and they provide a solution, try some of these to promote further thinking:

• Could you elaborate further on that point?
• Will you express that point in another way?
• Can you give me an illustration?
• Would you give me an example?
• Will you you provide more details?
• Could you be more specific?
• Do we need to consider another point of view?
• Is there another way to look at this question?

Utilizing critical thinking skills could be seen as a change in the paradigm of teaching and learning. Engagement in education will enhance the collaboration among teachers and students. It will also provide a way for students to succeed even if the school system had to start over.

[scroll down to keep reading]

Promoting critical thinking into all aspects of instruction.

Engagement, application, and collaboration are skills that withstand the test of time. I also promote the integration of critical thinking into every aspect of instruction.

In my experience, I’ve found a few ways to make this happen.

Begin lessons/units with a probing question: It shouldn’t be a question you can answer with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ These questions should inspire discovery learning and problem-solving.

Encourage Creativity: I have seen teachers prepare projects before they give it to their students many times. For example, designing snowmen or other “creative” projects. By doing the design work or by cutting all the circles out beforehand, it removes creativity options.

It may help the classroom run more smoothly if every child’s material is already cut out, but then every student’s project looks the same. Students don’t have to think on their own or problem solve.

Not having everything “glue ready” in advance is a good thing. Instead, give students all the supplies needed to create a snowman, and let them do it on their own.

Giving independence will allow students to become critical thinkers because they will have to create their own product with the supplies you give them. This might be an elementary example, but it’s one we can relate to any grade level or project.

Try not to jump to help too fast – let the students work through a productive struggle .

Build in opportunities for students to find connections in learning.  Encouraging students to make connections to a real-life situation and identify patterns is a great way to practice their critical thinking skills. The use of real-world scenarios will increase rigor, relevance, and critical thinking.

A few other techniques to encourage critical thinking are:

• Use analogies
• Promote interaction among students
• Ask open-ended questions
• Allow reflection time
• Use real-life problems
• Allow for thinking practice

Critical thinking prepares students to think for themselves for the rest of their lives. I also believe critical thinkers are less likely to go along with the crowd because they think for themselves.

About Matthew X. Joseph, Ed.D.

Dr. Matthew X. Joseph has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 25 years in the field. Experiences such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation in Milford Public Schools (MA), elementary school principal in Natick, MA and Attleboro, MA, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist have provided Matt incredible insights on how to best support teaching and learning. This experience has led to nationally publishing articles and opportunities to speak at multiple state and national events. He is the author of Power of Us: Creating Collaborative Schools and co-author of Modern Mentoring , Reimagining Teacher Mentorship (Due out, fall 2019). His master’s degree is in special education and his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Boston College.

Visit Matthew’s Blog

Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom: Strategies and Activities

ritical thinking is a valuable skill that empowers students to analyze information, think deeply, and make reasoned judgments. By promoting critical thinking in the classroom, educators can foster intellectual curiosity, enhance problem-solving abilities, and prepare students for success in an ever-evolving world. This article explores effective strategies and engaging activities to promote critical thinking among students.

1. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions

Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended and thought-provoking questions that stimulate students' analytical thinking. For example, in a history class, instead of asking "When did World War II start?" you could ask "What were the underlying causes of World War II and how did they contribute to its outbreak?" This prompts students to go beyond simple factual recall and encourages them to analyze historical events, evaluate multiple factors, and develop a deeper understanding of the topic. Instead of seeking one correct answer, focus on guiding students to explore different perspectives, evaluate evidence, and justify their reasoning. Engage students in discussions that require them to analyze, compare, and synthesize information.

2. Provide Real-World Examples

Connect classroom learning to real-world applications by providing relevant examples and case studies. By presenting authentic scenarios, students can apply critical thinking skills to analyze and solve complex problems. Encourage students to think critically about the implications of their decisions and consider the broader impact of their choices.

3. Foster Collaboration and Debate

Promote collaborative learning environments where students can engage in respectful debates and discussions. Encourage students to express diverse opinions, support their arguments with evidence, and listen actively to others' viewpoints. Through collaborative activities, students can learn to evaluate different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and develop their critical thinking skills.

4. Encourage Reflection and Metacognition

Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their thinking processes and metacognition. Ask students to evaluate their own problem-solving strategies, analyze their decision-making processes, and assess the effectiveness of their critical thinking skills. By promoting self-awareness and reflection, students can enhance their critical thinking abilities and become more independent learners.

5. Incorporate Problem-Based Learning

Integrate problem-based learning activities that require students to apply critical thinking skills to solve complex problems. For example, in a science class, present a real-world scenario where students need to design an experiment to test the effectiveness of different fertilizers on plant growth. This activity prompts students to analyze information about fertilizers, evaluate different options, and develop a well-reasoned experimental design. By engaging in hands-on problem-solving experiences like this, students can develop their critical thinking abilities while also building their content knowledge.

Promoting critical thinking in the classroom is essential for developing students' analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and intellectual curiosity. By incorporating strategies such as asking thought-provoking questions, providing real-world examples, fostering collaboration and debate, encouraging reflection and metacognition, and incorporating problem-based learning, educators can create an environment that nurtures critical thinking skills. By equipping students with this valuable skill set, we empower them to navigate complex challenges and become lifelong learners.

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11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class

52 Critical Thinking Flashcards for Problem Solving

Critical thinking activities encourage individuals to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to develop informed opinions and make reasoned decisions. Engaging in such exercises cultivates intellectual agility, fostering a deeper understanding of complex issues and honing problem-solving skills for navigating an increasingly intricate world. Through critical thinking, individuals empower themselves to challenge assumptions, uncover biases, and constructively contribute to discourse, thereby enriching both personal growth and societal progress.

Critical thinking serves as the cornerstone of effective problem-solving, enabling individuals to dissect challenges, explore diverse perspectives, and devise innovative solutions grounded in logic and evidence. For engaging problem solving activities, read our article problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions based on effective information.

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Critical thinking skills cultivate habits of mind such as strategic thinking, skepticism, discerning fallacy from the facts, asking good questions and probing deep into the issues to find the truth.

Importance of Acquiring Critical Thinking Skills

Acquiring critical thinking skills was never as valuable as it is today because of the prevalence of the modern knowledge economy. Today, information and technology are the driving forces behind the global economy. To keep pace with ever-changing technology and new inventions, one has to be flexible enough to embrace changes swiftly.

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

Today critical thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills by the companies. In fact, critical thinking skills are paramount not only for active learning and academic achievement but also for the professional career of the students. The lack of critical thinking skills catalyzes memorization of the topics without a deeper insight, egocentrism, closed-mindedness, reduced student interest in the classroom and not being able to make timely and better decisions.

Benefits of Critical Thinking Skills in Education

Certain strategies are more eloquent than others in teaching students how to think critically. Encouraging critical thinking in the class is indispensable for the learning and growth of the students. In this way, we can raise a generation of innovators and thinkers rather than followers. Some of the benefits offered by thinking critically in the classroom are given below:

• It allows a student to decipher problems and think through the situations in a disciplined and systematic manner
• Through a critical thinking ability, a student can comprehend the logical correlation between distinct ideas
• The student is able to rethink and re-justify his beliefs and ideas based on facts and figures
• Critical thinking skills make the students curious about things around them
• A student who is a critical thinker is creative and always strives to come up with out of the box solutions to intricate problems
• Critical thinking skills assist in the enhanced student learning experience in the classroom and prepares the students for lifelong learning and success
• The critical thinking process is the foundation of new discoveries and inventions in the world of science and technology
• The ability to think critically allows the students to think intellectually and enhances their presentation skills, hence they can convey their ideas and thoughts in a logical and convincing manner
• Critical thinking skills make students a terrific communicator because they have logical reasons behind their ideas

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities

11 Activities that Promote Critical Thinking in the Class

We have compiled a list of 11 activities that will facilitate you to promote critical thinking abilities in the students. We have also covered problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest in our another article. Click here to read it.

1. Worst Case Scenario

Divide students into teams and introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources. The scenarios can include situations like stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Students will come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering. Besides encouraging students to think critically, this activity will enhance teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills of the students.

Read our article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

2. If You Build It

It is a very flexible game that allows students to think creatively. To start this activity, divide students into groups. Give each group a limited amount of resources such as pipe cleaners, blocks, and marshmallows etc. Every group is supposed to use these resources and construct a certain item such as building, tower or a bridge in a limited time. You can use a variety of materials in the classroom to challenge the students. This activity is helpful in promoting teamwork and creative skills among the students.

It is also one of the classics which can be used in the classroom to encourage critical thinking. Print pictures of objects, animals or concepts and start by telling a unique story about the printed picture. The next student is supposed to continue the story and pass the picture to the other student and so on.

4. Keeping it Real

In this activity, you can ask students to identify a real-world problem in their schools, community or city. After the problem is recognized, students should work in teams to come up with the best possible outcome of that problem.

5. Save the Egg

Make groups of three or four in the class. Ask them to drop an egg from a certain height and think of creative ideas to save the egg from breaking. Students can come up with diverse ideas to conserve the egg like a soft-landing material or any other device. Remember that this activity can get chaotic, so select the area in the school that can be cleaned easily afterward and where there are no chances of damaging the school property.

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. Encourage students to participate in the debate by expressing their views and ideas on the topic. Conclude the debate with a viable solution or fresh ideas generated during the activity through brainstorming.

7. Create and Invent

This project-based learning activity is best for teaching in the engineering class. Divide students into groups. Present a problem to the students and ask them to build a model or simulate a product using computer animations or graphics that will solve the problem. After students are done with building models, each group is supposed to explain their proposed product to the rest of the class. The primary objective of this activity is to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills among the students.

8. Select from Alternatives

This activity can be used in computer science, engineering or any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) classes. Introduce a variety of alternatives such as different formulas for solving the same problem, different computer codes, product designs or distinct explanations of the same topic.

Form groups in the class and ask them to select the best alternative. Each group will then explain its chosen alternative to the rest of the class with reasonable justification of its preference. During the process, the rest of the class can participate by asking questions from the group. This activity is very helpful in nurturing logical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

9. Reading and Critiquing

Present an article from a journal related to any topic that you are teaching. Ask the students to read the article critically and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the article. Students can write about what they think about the article, any misleading statement or biases of the author and critique it by using their own judgments.

In this way, students can challenge the fallacies and rationality of judgments in the article. Hence, they can use their own thinking to come up with novel ideas pertaining to the topic.

10. Think Pair Share

In this activity, students will come up with their own questions. Make pairs or groups in the class and ask the students to discuss the questions together. The activity will be useful if the teacher gives students a topic on which the question should be based.

For example, if the teacher is teaching biology, the questions of the students can be based on reverse osmosis, human heart, respiratory system and so on. This activity drives student engagement and supports higher-order thinking skills among students.

11. Big Paper – Silent Conversation

Silence is a great way to slow down thinking and promote deep reflection on any subject. Present a driving question to the students and divide them into groups. The students will discuss the question with their teammates and brainstorm their ideas on a big paper. After reflection and discussion, students can write their findings in silence. This is a great learning activity for students who are introverts and love to ruminate silently rather than thinking aloud.

Read our next article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

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Thinking Classrooms: How To Promote Critical Thinking In Class

The Thinking Classroom is an approach to teaching that prioritizes the development of students’ critical thinking skills. In this type of classroom, the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than a traditional lecturer. Students are encouraged to actively engage with the material and collaborate with their peers.

The key to a Thinking Classroom is to focus on the process of learning rather than simply the acquisition of knowledge. This means that teachers must create opportunities for students to think critically, solve problems, and reflect on their learning.

We’ve rounded up the 14 practices of a Thinking Classroom below. 

What are the 14 Practices of a Thinking Classroom?

The fourteen principles of a Thinking Classroom are designed to promote a classroom environment that encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. 

Here’s a summary of each principle to help teachers create an engaging and effective learning environment:

1. Classroom Culture of Thinking

Create a classroom culture that values thinking, learning, and intellectual development. Start with thinking tasks that are separate from your curriculum. This eases the transition to everyday thinking classroom activities. It’s hard for students to think deeper and for longer periods, so this transition should be gradual. You can start with non-curricular tasks as an ice breaker at the beginning of the school year.

2. Opportunities to Think in Groups

Provide opportunities for students to think and engage in meaningful group learning experiences. The Thinking Classroom practices emphasize “visibly random groups” that change frequently. This reduces social anxiety in the group and decreases communication barriers. 

3. Vertical and Non-permanant Workspaces

You may have noticed that the traditional method of having students sit at their desks and take notes is only sometimes the best way to promote active thinking in your classroom. Recent research has shown that students are more engaged and productive when standing and working on vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPSs) like whiteboards, blackboards, or windows. The fact that the surface is non-permanent encourages risk-taking and experimentation, while the vertical orientation prevents students from disengaging. 

4. Room Layout

Research has shown that traditional, front-facing classrooms promote passive learning. At the same time, a more flexible, de-fronted setup—where students are free to face any direction—can be much more effective in promoting active thinking and engagement. So when designing your classroom layout, it’s essential to consider how the physical space can support the learning you want to see.

5. Answer Questions that Promote Thinking

You answer hundreds of questions each day in class. But not all of the questions encourage your students to keep thinking. Here are the common types:

• Proximity questions: Questions students ask because you’re close by and convenient.
• Stop-thinking questions: Questions students ask so they can mark a task complete. (i.e., Is this right?)
• Keep-thinking questions: Questions that help them along, so they can continue working through a task.

Answer only questions that keep students thinking.

6. Give Tasks in the Right Manner

Give tasks early in class while students are standing around a teacher. Give verbal tasks, and avoid visual cues that promote passive learning. This differs from the traditional manner of giving examples from the textbook or a worksheet.  

7. Homework

Stop giving homework and instead give students opportunities to check their understanding. Make it optional so students can freely engage with authentic practice. 

8. Promote Student Autonomy

As step 5 outlines, don’t solve problems for students. Let them struggle so they build confidence in their independence. This may mean asking a peer for help or looking around the room for a hint. When students are on their own, they take ownership of their learning. 

9. Give Support So Students Can Learn at Their Own Pace

Encourage students to learn at their own pace by creating hints, extensions, and practice that meets them where they are in their learning. This is different from the typical guided practice that occurs in most classrooms. 

10. Consolidate Lessons

Consolidation is crucial to help students combine different parts of a task or activity and ultimately form a more comprehensive understanding of the concept taught. Traditionally, teachers have relied on methods like showing, telling, or explaining to help students achieve their learning objectives.

In a thinking classroom, consolidation takes a different approach. Instead of relying on teacher-led instruction, consolidation works upward from the basic foundation of a concept. By drawing on the student work produced during their thinking on a common set of tasks, teachers can help students develop a deeper understanding of the concept.

To facilitate this process, teachers should provide open-ended questions, encourage peer-to-peer discussions, or engage in activities that allow students to explore and experiment with the concept taught.

11. Give Students Autonomy Over Notes

Only one in five students review their notes again after taking them in class. Give students the option of choosing which notes to take while learning. They are more likely to refer back to notes later.

12. Evaluate Values That Matter Most

If you want your students to participate, take risks, and persevere in the classroom, you should incorporate these values into evaluations. Assessment should go beyond curriculum knowledge. 

13. Bring Students into Formative Assessment

Your students need to understand where they are and where they need to be with their learning. This means that they need to be a partner in formative assessment . Like students taking the lead over homework, they need to take the lead on owning their success in formative assessment. 

14. Assessment Needs to Connect to an Outcome

Use assessments that measure and value thinking and understanding, not just rote memorization. This may look like standards-based grading. Students need to understand what they know and don’t know after they complete an assessment.

By implementing these principles, teachers can create a dynamic and engaging classroom that promotes deep learning and helps students develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

TeacherMade helps teachers infuse technology into their Thinking Classrooms.

TeacherMade does more than convert PDFs into online activities. Teachers use TeacherMade to promote critical thinking skills. You can incorporate the Thinking Classroom practices with TeacherMade:

• Every TeacherMade assignment is a non-permanent surface. Students can complete assignments again and again until they have reached mastery. 
• Create a culture of practice rather than homework and worksheets. With TeacherMade, you can choose to grade or not grade assignments. Students can complete practice as many times as they need.
• TeacherMade supports asynchronous learning so that students can learn at their own pace.
• Students are more involved with formative assessment when they receive instant feedback via auto-grading. 
• You can leave feedback, hints, and notes so that students fully understand their assessment results.

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Promoting and Assessing Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a high priority outcome of higher education – critical thinking skills are crucial for independent thinking and problem solving in both our students’ professional and personal lives. But, what does it mean to be a critical thinker and how do we promote and assess it in our students? Critical thinking can be defined as being able to examine an issue by breaking it down, and evaluating it in a conscious manner, while providing arguments/evidence to support the evaluation. Below are some suggestions for promoting and assessing critical thinking in our students.

Thinking through inquiry

Asking questions and using the answers to understand the world around us is what drives critical thinking. In inquiry-based instruction, the teacher asks students leading questions to draw from them information, inferences, and predictions about a topic. Below are some example generic question stems that can serve as prompts to aid in generating critical thinking questions. Consider providing prompts such as these to students to facilitate their ability to also ask these questions of themselves and others. If we want students to generate good questions on their own, we need to teach them how to do so by providing them with the structure and guidance of example questions, whether in written form, or by our use of questions in the classroom.

Generic question stems

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of …?
• What is the difference between … and …?
• Explain why/how …?
• What would happen if …?
• What is the nature of …?
• Why is … happening?
• What is a new example of …?
• How could … be used to …?
• What are the implications of …?
• What is … analogous to?
• What do we already know about …?
• How does … affect …?
• How does … tie in with what we have learned before?
• What does … mean?
• Why is … important?
• How are … and … similar/different?
• How does … apply to everyday life?
• What is a counterarguement for …?
• What is the best …and why?
• What is a solution to the problem of …?
• Compare … and … with regard to …?
• What do you think causes …? Why?
• Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What evidence is there to support your answer?
• What is another way to look at …?

Critical thinking through writing

Another essential ingredient in critical thinking instruction is the use of writing. Writing converts students from passive to active learners and requires them to identify issues and formulate hypotheses and arguments. The act of writing requires students to focus and clarify their thoughts before putting them down on paper, hence taking them through the critical thinking process. Writing requires that students make important critical choices and ask themselves (Gocsik, 2002):

• What information is most important?
• What might be left out?
• What is it that I think about this subject?
• How did I arrive at what I think?
• What are my assumptions? Are they valid?
• How can I work with facts, observations, and so on, in order to convince others of what I think?
• What do I not yet understand?

Consider providing the above questions to students so that they can evaluate their own writing as well. Some suggestions for critical thinking writing activities include:

• Give students raw data and ask them to write an argument or analysis based on the data.
• Have students explore and write about unfamiliar points of view or “what if” situations.
• Think of a controversy in your field, and have the students write a dialogue between characters with different points of view.
• Select important articles in your field and ask the students to write summaries or abstracts of them. Alternately, you could ask students to write an abstract of your lecture.
• Develop a scenario that place students in realistic situations relevant to your discipline, where they must reach a decision to resolve a conflict.

See the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) teaching tip “ Low-Stakes Writing Assignments ” for critical thinking writing assignments.

Critical thinking through group collaboration

Opportunities for group collaboration could include discussions, case studies, task-related group work, peer review, or debates. Group collaboration is effective for promoting critical thought because:

• An effective team has the potential to produce better results than any individual,
• Students are exposed to different perspectives while clarifying their own ideas,
• Collaborating on a project or studying with a group for an exam generally stimulates interest and increases the understanding and knowledge of the topic.

See the CTE teaching tip “ Group Work in the Classroom: Types of Small Groups ” for suggestions for forming small groups in your classroom.

Assessing critical thinking skills

You can also use the students’ responses from the activities that promote critical thinking to assess whether they are, indeed, reaching your critical thinking goals. It is important to establish clear criteria for evaluating critical thinking. Even though many of us may be able to identify critical thinking when we see it, explicitly stated criteria help both students and teachers know the goal toward which they are working. An effective criterion measures which skills are present, to what extent, and which skills require further development. The following are characteristics of work that may demonstrate effective critical thinking:

• Accurately and thoroughly interprets evidence, statements, graphics, questions, literary elements, etc.
• Asks relevant questions.
• Analyses and evaluates key information, and alternative points of view clearly and precisely.
• Fair-mindedly examines beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weighs them against facts.
• Draws insightful, reasonable conclusions.
• Justifies inferences and opinions.
• Thoughtfully addresses and evaluates major alternative points of view.
• Thoroughly explains assumptions and reasons.

It is also important to note that assessment is a tool that can be used throughout a course, not just at the end. It is more useful to assess students throughout a course, so you can see if criteria require further clarification and students can test out their understanding of your criteria and receive feedback. Also consider distributing your criteria with your assignments so that students receive guidance about your expectations. This will help them to reflect on their own work and improve the quality of their thinking and writing.

See the CTE teaching tip sheets “ Rubrics ” and “ Responding to Writing Assignments: Managing the Paper Load ” for more information on rubrics.

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact. 

• Gocsik, K. (2002). Teaching Critical Thinking Skills. UTS Newsletter, 11(2):1-4
• Facione, P.A. and Facione, N.C. (1994). Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric. Millbrae, CA: California Academic Press. www.calpress.com/rubric.html (retrieved September 2003)
• King, A. (1995). Inquiring minds really do want to know: using questioning to teach critical thinking. Teaching of Psychology, 22(1): 13-17
• Wade, C. and Tavris, C. (1987). Psychology (1st ed.) New York: Harper. IN: Wade, C. (1995). Using Writing to Develop and Assess Critical Thinking. Teaching of Psychology, 22(1): 24-28.

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How to Teach and Develop Critical Thinking of Your Students in the Classroom

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Teaching critical thinking skills to students is like planting the seeds of inquiry to help them develop analytical minds. It is essential to foster these skills amidst the overwhelming amount of information available today. Picture a classroom where students are not just absorbing facts but actively engaging in constructing their own knowledge of the world.

By incorporating activities like role-playing, Socratic questioning, and analyzing visual media, students can start to untangle the complexities of critical thinking. To further guide them on this journey of intellectual exploration, educators can provide support and encouragement in applying these skills to real-life situations and problems.

It is through this hands-on approach that students can truly enhance their critical thinking abilities and become independent thinkers.

Examples of critical thinking activities in the classroom

In my classroom, I like to engage students in activities that promote critical thinking. Role-playing helps students think in new ways, while using Socratic questioning encourages them to analyze more deeply.

By examining visual advertisements, debating current events, and participating in mind mapping exercises, students can develop their critical thinking skills effectively.

These activities not only foster creativity but also enhance students’ abilities to think critically and solve problems.

Role-Play Scenarios

Engaging students in role-play scenarios is a great way to help them think critically. Role-play simulations let students explore different perspectives and situations, pushing them to analyze and solve problems in a dynamic setting.

Here are four ways role-play scenarios can enhance critical thinking skills:

• Real-World Application : By applying what they learn in class to real-life situations, students can see how theory connects to practice.
• Decision Making : Role-play encourages students to make choices based on the information at hand, which helps develop their analytical thinking skills.
• Collaboration : Working together in role-play scenarios fosters teamwork and improves communication skills as students navigate challenges as a group.
• Creativity : Role-play pushes students to think creatively by exploring different solutions and outcomes, sparking their imagination.

Socratic Questioning Techniques

Implementing Socratic Questioning Techniques in the classroom is a practical and effective approach to fostering critical thinking skills in elementary and high school students. By incorporating inquiry-based learning methods, students are prompted to delve deeply into topics through thought-provoking inquiries. This technique stimulates critical analysis as students learn to assess information, explore various viewpoints, and express their ideas clearly.

Through the use of Socratic questioning, students enhance their problem-solving abilities by participating in conversations that challenge assumptions and promote logical reasoning. These interactive sessions not only enhance critical thinking but also aid in cognitive development by facilitating a profound comprehension of intricate concepts.

Analyzing Visual Advertisements

Studying visual advertisements in class is a great way to help elementary and high school students develop critical thinking skills. When students analyze ads, they learn to question, evaluate, and understand the messages in images.

By breaking down ads, students go beyond the surface to consider who the ads are targeting, what persuasive techniques are used, and any biases present. This process encourages students to think critically about how media influences society and helps them become savvy consumers of information.

Debating Current Events

Discussing current events in class helps elementary and high school students improve their critical thinking skills by analyzing, questioning, and evaluating real-world issues. Engaging in these discussions enables students to exercise critical thinking through debates.

By exploring different viewpoints on a subject, students can enhance their comprehension and broaden their perspectives. Through debates, students grasp the significance of evaluating arguments and substantiating their points with evidence and logic.

Teachers play a vital role in guiding students to form well-informed opinions by considering diverse perspectives and assessing the soundness of arguments presented. These classroom debates not only enhance critical thinking but also encourage active involvement with the world around them.

Mind Mapping Exercises

In my elementary and high school classroom, I often use mind mapping exercises to enhance critical thinking skills in students.

These exercises involve brainstorming strategies to encourage free idea generation, visual mapping techniques using colors and images to help organize information, interactive group activities to promote collaboration, critical analysis tasks to evaluate information and form opinions, and problem-solving challenges that require analytical thinking and collaborative solutions.

Evaluating Online Sources

When I teach my students about critical thinking, I also emphasize the need to assess online sources for accuracy and credibility. We talk about checking if the author is knowledgeable in the subject and if the information is backed by reliable sources.

Fact-checking becomes an engaging activity where students verify details from multiple sources to ensure they’re correct. It’s crucial to be aware of any personal, political, or commercial biases that might affect the information presented.

Researching online then becomes like a treasure hunt as we sift through different sources to find trustworthy information. We wrap up our lesson by highlighting the significance of relying on information that’s credible and dependable.

Creating Decision Matrices

When you create decision matrices in the classroom, you help students analyze options systematically, which boosts their critical thinking skills through hands-on practice. To conduct effective decision matrix activities, consider the following key aspects:

• Decision-Making Strategies : Encourage students to lay out clear steps for decision-making within the matrix. This helps them structure their thought process and approach the problem methodically.
• Critical Analysis : Prompt students to assess the significance and relevance of each criterion in the decision-making process. By evaluating these factors, students can make more informed and thoughtful decisions.
• Problem-Solving Techniques : Teach students how to accurately identify and define the problem before filling in the matrix. This foundational step ensures that the criteria and options align with the actual issue at hand.
• Logical Reasoning : Guide students in employing logical connections between criteria and options to make well-founded decisions. By emphasizing logical reasoning, students learn to make decisions based on sound judgment and analysis.

Solving Real-Life Problems

Incorporating real-life problem-solving scenarios into elementary and high school classrooms helps students develop critical thinking skills and apply their learning practically. By presenting case studies that require problem-solving, critical analysis, and decision-making, students can use their knowledge in real-world situations.

These activities encourage students to think critically, assess evidence, consider different viewpoints, and make informed choices. This approach deepens their understanding of the subject matter and its relevance to the world.

Engaging students in real-life problem-solving not only enhances their critical thinking abilities but also equips them to tackle challenges and make sound decisions in their future pursuits.

Reflective Journal Writing

Reflective journal writing is a valuable tool for helping elementary and high school students develop critical thinking skills. By engaging in reflective writing, students can analyze their thoughts, participate actively in class discussions, and deepen their understanding of various topics. Here are some ways in which reflective journal writing can enhance critical thinking skills:

• Writing Prompts : Giving students specific prompts helps them delve deeply into different subjects and encourages critical thinking.
• Thoughtful Analysis : By prompting students to analyze their own thoughts and ideas, reflective journal writing fosters a more profound comprehension of the material.
• Classroom Discussions : Using journal entries as a springboard for classroom conversations allows students to share and debate ideas, honing their critical thinking abilities.
• Self-Awareness Exercises : Reflective journal writing aids students in developing self-awareness and gaining insight into their own cognitive processes, which is crucial for critical thinking development.

Peer Feedback Sessions

Peer feedback sessions are a valuable tool for promoting critical thinking skills among elementary and high school students. By engaging in peer critique, students can provide constructive feedback to their classmates, fostering a culture of respect and growth.

Group analysis enables students to collaboratively evaluate each other’s work, encouraging diverse perspectives and stimulating critical discussions. Through collaborative assessment, students learn to work together to assess projects or assignments, promoting teamwork and development of analytical skills.

Additionally, team reflection allows students to reflect on their own work as well as their peers’, enhancing their ability to think critically about different viewpoints. Partner evaluation further encourages students to explore alternative approaches and strengthen their reasoning abilities through thoughtful assessment of their peers’ work.

These peer feedback sessions not only enhance students’ critical thinking skills but also promote a supportive and collaborative learning environment.

Collaborative Problem-Solving

Introducing collaborative problem-solving activities in the classroom is a powerful way to enhance students’ critical thinking skills through hands-on participation and teamwork. Here are some effective strategies to implement:

• Group brainstorming : Encourage students to share their ideas and build upon each other’s thoughts to collectively solve problems. This fosters creativity and encourages active participation from all group members.
• Team problem-solving : Assign tasks that require students to collaborate and leverage each other’s strengths to find innovative solutions. This approach promotes cooperation and communication among team members.
• Cooperative learning : Create a supportive environment where students work together, rely on one another, and strive towards common objectives. This not only enhances critical thinking but also cultivates important social skills.
• Collective decision-making : Engage students in discussions where they consider various perspectives before reaching a consensus as a group. This helps students learn to appreciate different viewpoints and make informed decisions collaboratively.

Practical ways to teach and develop critical thinking of your students in the classroom

Critical thinking is the ability to question, analyze perspectives, and solve problems.

To help students develop this skill, it’s essential to encourage questioning and open-mindedness.

By engaging students in problem-solving activities, they can practice and apply critical thinking in practical ways.

This approach nurtures their ability to think critically and enhances their problem-solving skills, preparing them for success in academics and beyond.

Define Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a crucial skill for students as it involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information effectively. It’s essential for cognitive growth and preparing students for future challenges. To teach and enhance critical thinking skills in elementary and high school students, educators should focus on the following aspects:

• Critical Thinking Strategies : Teachers should introduce various methods to help students think critically, such as problem-solving techniques and logical reasoning.
• Classroom Applications : It’s important to demonstrate how critical thinking can be applied across different subjects, showing students the practical relevance of this skill in real-world scenarios.
• Student Engagement : Creating an interactive and collaborative learning environment encourages active participation and discussion, fostering critical thinking skills through peer interactions.
• Analytical Skills Development : Emphasizing the development of students’ abilities to assess information critically equips them with the tools needed to make informed decisions and solve complex problems.

Encourage Questioning Skills

Encouraging students to ask questions is essential for developing their critical thinking skills. By fostering a classroom environment that values curiosity and inquiry, educators can help students think deeply and reflect on various topics.

Using inquiry-based learning methods can prompt students to ask meaningful questions, explore different viewpoints, and participate in analytical discussions. Teaching effective questioning strategies can ignite students’ curiosity and enhance their understanding of the subjects they’re studying.

Foster Open-Mindedness

In the classroom, fostering open-mindedness in students is crucial for developing their critical thinking skills. When educators promote open-mindedness, they help students embrace diverse perspectives, improve their analytical abilities, and encourage inquiry-based learning.

Here are four practical strategies to cultivate open-mindedness in students:

• Promote Respect : Encourage students to respect different viewpoints to create a safe environment for discussion and learning.
• Encourage Exploration : Inspire students to explore new ideas and perspectives, fostering a sense of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
• Challenge Assumptions : Teach students to question their own beliefs and assumptions, promoting self-reflection and personal growth.
• Provide Exposure : Introduce students to a variety of sources and materials to broaden their understanding of different viewpoints and experiences.

Analyze Multiple Perspectives

Incorporating multiple perspectives into classroom discussions challenges students to think critically and gain a broader understanding of complex issues. When students compare different viewpoints, they can see various angles on a topic, while contrasting perspectives help them identify significant differences.

Analyzing arguments enables students to break down the reasoning behind each perspective, empowering them to effectively critique opinions. Through evaluating beliefs, students can assess the strengths and weaknesses of different viewpoints, leading to a deeper comprehension of the subject matter.

Encouraging students to participate in these activities not only enhances their critical thinking skills but also promotes empathy and understanding towards others’ opinions, fostering a more inclusive and thoughtful learning environment.

Practice Problem-Solving Activities

When teaching critical thinking to elementary and high school students, it’s essential to engage them in practical problem-solving activities to enhance their analytical skills effectively. Incorporating these activities in the classroom can be done through various approaches:

• Encourage students to think creatively and work together by organizing brainstorming exercises and problem-solving challenges.
• Foster reasoning skills and logical thinking in a fun way by introducing critical thinking games and analytical puzzles.
• Provide real-world scenarios for analysis and solution by implementing inquiry-based learning and decision-making simulations.
• Push students to explore diverse solutions and assess their effectiveness through creative problem-solving tasks and logical reasoning activities.

Engage in Debates

Engaging students in debates is a powerful way to enhance their critical thinking skills in elementary and high school. By analyzing arguments, students learn to evaluate different perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of complex issues.

Exploring opposing viewpoints helps them cultivate empathy and broaden their perspective. Research skills are sharpened during debate preparation as students gather evidence to support their arguments. They naturally start questioning ideas and evidence presented, strengthening their ability to think critically.

When students are exposed to conflicting viewpoints, they’re challenged to articulate and defend their positions thoughtfully. Participation in debates not only improves critical thinking but also nurtures essential communication and analytical skills crucial for academic and personal development.

Stimulate Creativity and Curiosity

In elementary and high school classrooms, sparking creativity and curiosity plays a vital role in developing students’ critical thinking abilities. To accomplish this, I implement various effective strategies:

• Brainstorming Sessions: I encourage students to freely generate ideas, fostering their creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Creative Challenges: By presenting students with unique and open-ended tasks, I challenge their creativity and encourage them to think innovatively.
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Engaging students in hands-on investigations and research projects stimulates their curiosity and prompts them to ask insightful questions.
• Discovery Activities: Providing opportunities for students to explore new topics and interests expands their knowledge and nurtures a passion for learning.

Evaluate Sources and Information

In the classroom, igniting creativity and curiosity lays the groundwork for teaching students how to assess sources and information critically. I stress the importance of checking the credibility of sources by prompting students to consider the author’s expertise and any potential biases.

Evaluating information involves teaching students to question the accuracy and reliability of the content they come across. Through engaging activities, students are encouraged to delve deeper into the material, spotting logical fallacies and inconsistencies to enhance their critical thinking skills.

Fact-checking becomes a habit as students learn to verify information before accepting it as true. By engaging in research validation exercises, students develop the ability to differentiate between trustworthy sources and unreliable ones, cultivating a habit of seeking out reliable information.

Develop Decision-Making Skills

Incorporating real-life scenarios and role-playing activities effectively helps students develop decision-making skills, boosting their critical thinking abilities in elementary and high school settings. Students engage in various activities such as:

• Case studies : Students analyze real or hypothetical situations to make decisions based on available information.
• Group projects : Collaborative projects encourage peer discussion to reach a consensus or make collective decisions.
• Ethical dilemmas : Students confront moral challenges, prompting them to consider ethical principles in decision-making.
• Critical analysis : Students evaluate diverse perspectives and information to make well-informed decisions.
• Problem-solving simulations : Students tackle scenarios that require critical thinking to find effective solutions.

These activities not only enhance decision-making skills but also foster a deeper understanding of complex issues and promote teamwork among students.

Utilize Real-World Scenarios

Incorporating real-world scenarios into elementary and high school classrooms is crucial for enhancing students’ critical thinking skills. By presenting practical challenges that mirror everyday dilemmas, students are encouraged to think critically, analyze situations, and hone their problem-solving abilities.

These real-life scenarios prompt students to assess information, consider various viewpoints, and make well-grounded decisions. Through engaging in problem-solving tasks based on authentic situations, students not only enhance their critical thinking skills but also prepare themselves for applying these skills beyond the classroom.

Encourage Collaborative Discussions

Engaging students in collaborative discussions is a vital way to enhance critical thinking skills in elementary and high school classrooms. Through group activities like brainstorming and critical analysis, students can explore diverse perspectives and sharpen their analytical abilities.

Peer-led debates and problem-solving tasks help students develop the skills to think critically, assess evidence, and communicate effectively. Working together on collaborative projects encourages deep thinking as students tackle complex problems and explore a variety of ideas.

Interactive discussions challenge students to express their thoughts clearly and engage thoughtfully with their peers, promoting analytical thinking. Team-based challenges, paired with reflective questions, push students to critically analyze information and make well-informed decisions.

Enhance Logical Reasoning Abilities

Improving students’ logical reasoning skills in the classroom involves helping them analyze patterns, make connections, and draw well-founded conclusions based on evidence. To foster this development, I incorporate a range of activities designed to challenge their critical thinking abilities.

One way I enhance logical reasoning is by presenting students with real-life ethical dilemmas that require them to think critically and consider different perspectives. These challenges encourage them to weigh options, evaluate consequences, and make informed decisions.

In addition, I incorporate logical reasoning games like Sudoku puzzles to engage students in problem-solving tasks that require them to apply deductive reasoning and strategic thinking. These games help sharpen their analytical skills and enhance their ability to recognize patterns and make logical deductions.

Furthermore, I include analytical thinking tasks such as dissecting arguments to help students evaluate the validity of statements and identify logical fallacies. By analyzing the structure of arguments and evidence presented, students learn to construct sound reasoning and draw well-supported conclusions.

Moreover, I introduce problem-solving puzzles inspired by escape room scenarios to immerse students in interactive challenges that demand teamwork, creative thinking, and logical problem-solving. These activities encourage students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and apply logical reasoning to overcome obstacles.

Lastly, I incorporate creative thinking exercises like brainstorming innovative ideas to inspire students to think outside the box and explore creative solutions to complex problems. By encouraging divergent thinking and fostering creativity, students develop a well-rounded approach to logical reasoning that incorporates innovative thinking.

Integrate Technology Tools

Integrating technology tools in the classroom is a practical way to enhance critical thinking skills in elementary and high school students. By using digital resources, students can strengthen their analytical thinking.

Online platforms offer interactive activities that challenge students to develop problem-solving abilities. Virtual tools create a dynamic learning environment where students can engage with diverse educational materials, fostering cognitive growth.

Through the use of technology applications, students are prompted to think critically while tackling tasks and solving problems, thereby enhancing their reasoning skills. Embracing technology integration enriches the learning journey and equips students with vital skills for navigating an increasingly digital landscape.

Promote Active Listening Skills

Fostering active listening skills is crucial for developing critical thinking abilities in elementary and high school students. When students actively participate in discussions, they practice listening attentively, a skill essential for critical analysis.

Engaging in meaningful conversations and asking open-ended questions can help students enhance their critical thinking capabilities. In a classroom environment that encourages interactive discussions, students can share their perspectives and gain insights from their peers.

Encouraging thoughtful responses to inquiries and prompts further refines their critical thinking skills. Through active listening, students not only improve their communication abilities but also learn to consider different viewpoints, which enhances their problem-solving and decision-making approaches.

Emphasize Importance of Evidence

Understanding the value of evidence plays a crucial role in nurturing critical thinking skills among elementary and high school students. To effectively convey the significance of evidence, I emphasize the following key points:

• Examining Evidence : I encourage students to critically evaluate sources to determine their reliability and relevance to the topic at hand.
• Questioning and Analyzing : By teaching students how to question and analyze information effectively, they learn to distinguish between credible and questionable sources.
• Drawing Inferences : Guiding students in logical deduction helps them draw sound conclusions based on the evidence presented, fostering their ability to make informed decisions.
• Logical Thinking : By fostering rational thinking skills, students develop the capacity to think logically, assess information objectively, and arrive at well-founded conclusions. This enables them to navigate complex issues with clarity and coherence.

Teach Reflection Techniques

Reflective thinking is a powerful tool to enhance students’ critical thinking skills in the classroom. By incorporating techniques like keeping a reflective journal, using Socratic questioning, and creating mind maps, educators can help students deepen their understanding and problem-solving abilities.

For instance, students can write in a journal about a challenging problem they solved, explain their reasoning through Socratic questioning, or visually map out their thought processes for better organization and clarity. These techniques foster a culture of critical thinking, encouraging self-awareness, growth, and confidence in approaching academic challenges.

Provide Constructive Feedback

In the elementary and high school classroom, it’s crucial to provide constructive feedback to help students enhance their critical thinking skills. Here are some effective ways to do so:

• Peer Feedback : Encourage students to give constructive feedback to their classmates on assignments and class discussions. This peer critique helps students learn from each other and improve their critical thinking abilities.
• In-Class Guidance : During classroom activities, offer specific and actionable feedback to steer students in the right direction when it comes to critical thinking. This real-time feedback can help them understand and apply critical thinking concepts effectively.
• Self-Evaluation : Involve students in self-assessment activities where they reflect on their critical thinking processes. By evaluating their own work, students can identify areas for improvement and develop a deeper understanding of critical thinking strategies.
• Balanced Feedback : When providing feedback, focus on both areas that need improvement and strengths to motivate students. By acknowledging their strengths and offering constructive criticism, students are encouraged to work on enhancing their critical thinking skills effectively.

Teaching critical thinking skills to students is essential for their development. By incorporating interactive activities and encouraging meaningful discussions, educators can nurture this crucial ability.

Stay tuned for more valuable tips and effective strategies to foster critical thinking in the classroom.

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4 Strategies for Sparking Critical Thinking in Young Students

Fostering investigative conversation in grades K–2 isn’t easy, but it can be a great vehicle to promote critical thinking.

In the middle of class, a kindergartner spotted an ant and asked the teacher, “Why do ants come into the classroom?” Fairly quickly, educational consultant Cecilia Cabrera Martirena writes , students started sharing their theories: Maybe the ants were cold, or looking for food, or lonely. 

Their teacher started a KWL chart to organize what students already knew, what they wanted to know, and, later, what they had learned. “As many of the learners didn’t read or write yet, the KWL was created with drawings and one or two words,” Cabrera Martirena writes. “Then, as a group, they decided how they could gather information to answer that first question, and some possible research routes were designed.” 

As early elementary teachers know, young learners are able to engage in critical thinking and participate in nuanced conversations, with appropriate supports. What can teachers do to foster these discussions? Elementary teacher Jennifer Orr considered a few ideas in an article for ASCD .

“An interesting question and the discussion that follows can open up paths of critical thinking for students at any age,” Orr says. “With a few thoughtful prompts and a lot of noticing and modeling, we as educators can help young students engage in these types of academic conversations in ways that deepen their learning and develop their critical thinking skills.”

While this may not be an “easy process,” Orr writes—for the kids or the teacher—the payoff is students who from a young age are able to communicate new ideas and questions; listen and truly hear the thoughts of others; respectfully agree, disagree, or build off of their peers’ opinions; and revise their thinking. 

4 Strategies for Kick-Starting Powerful Conversations

1. Encourage Friendly Debate: For many elementary-aged children, it doesn’t take much provoking for them to share their opinions, especially if they disagree with each other. Working with open-ended prompts that “engage their interest and pique their curiosity” is one key to sparking organic engagement, Orr writes. Look for prompts that allow them to take a stance, arguing for or against something they feel strongly about. 

For example, Orr says, you could try telling first graders that a square is a rectangle to start a debate. Early childhood educator Sarah Griffin proposes some great math talk questions that can yield similar results:

• How many crayons can fit in a box?
• Which takes more snow to build: one igloo or 20 snowballs?
• Estimate how many tissues are in a box.
• How many books can you fit in your backpack?
• Which would take less time: cleaning your room or reading a book?
• Which would you rather use to measure a Christmas tree: a roll of ribbon or a candy cane? Why?

Using pictures can inspire interesting math discussions as well, writes K–6 math coach Kristen Acosta . Explore counting, addition, and subtraction by introducing kids to pictures “that have missing pieces or spaces” or “pictures where the objects are scattered.” For example, try showing students a photo of a carton of eggs with a few eggs missing. Ask questions like, “what do you notice?” and “what do you wonder?” and see how opinions differ.

2. Put Your Students in the Question: Centering students’ viewpoints in a question or discussion prompt can foster deeper thinking, Orr writes. During a unit in which kids learned about ladybugs, she asked her third graders, “What are four living and four nonliving things you would need and want if you were designing your own ecosystem?” This not only required students to analyze the components of an ecosystem but also made the lesson personal by inviting them to dream one up from scratch.

Educator Todd Finley has a list of interesting writing prompts for different grades that can instead be used to kick off classroom discussions. Examples for early elementary students include: 

• Which is better, giant muscles or incredible speed? Why?
• What’s the most beautiful person, place, or thing you’ve ever seen? Share what makes that person, place, or thing so special. 
• What TV or movie characters do you wish were real? Why? 
• Describe a routine that you often or always do (in the morning, when you get home, Friday nights, before a game, etc.).
• What are examples of things you want versus things you need? 

3. Open Several Doors: While some students take to classroom discussions like a duck to water, others may prefer to stay on dry land. Offering low-stakes opportunities for students to dip a toe into the conversation can be a great way to ensure that everyone in the room can be heard. Try introducing hand signals that indicate agreement, disagreement, and more. Since everyone can indicate their opinion silently, this supports students who are reluctant to speak, and can help get the conversation started. 

Similarly, elementary school teacher Raquel Linares uses participation cards —a set of different colored index cards, each labeled with a phrase like “I agree,” “I disagree,” or “I don’t know how to respond.” “We use them to assess students’ understanding, but we also use them to give students a voice,” Linares says. “We obviously cannot have 24 scholars speaking at the same time, but we want everyone to feel their ideas matter. Even if I am very shy and I don’t feel comfortable, my voice is still heard.” Once the students have held up the appropriate card, the discussion gets going.

4. Provide Discussion Sentence Starters: Young students often want to add their contribution without connecting it to what their peers have said, writes district-level literacy leader Gwen Blumberg . Keeping an ear out for what students are saying to each other is an important starting point when trying to “lift the level of talk” in your classroom. Are kids “putting thoughts into words and able to keep a conversation going?” she asks.

Introducing sentence starters like “I agree…” or “I feel differently…” can help demonstrate for students how they can connect what their classmate is saying to what they would like to say, which grows the conversation, Blumberg says. Phrases like “I’d like to add…” help students “build a bridge from someone else’s idea to their own.”

Additionally, “noticing and naming the positive things students are doing, both in their conversation skills and in the thinking they are demonstrating,” Orr writes, can shine a light for the class on what success looks like. Celebrating when students use these sentence stems correctly, for example, helps reinforce these behaviors.

“Students’ ability to clearly communicate with others in conversation is a critical literacy skill,” Blumberg writes, and teachers in grades K–2 can get students started on the path to developing this skill by harnessing their natural curiosity and modeling conversation moves.

A Crash Course in Critical Thinking

What you need to know—and read—about one of the essential skills needed today..

Posted April 8, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• In research for "A More Beautiful Question," I did a deep dive into the current crisis in critical thinking.
• Many people may think of themselves as critical thinkers, but they actually are not.
• Here is a series of questions you can ask yourself to try to ensure that you are thinking critically.

Conspiracy theories. Inability to distinguish facts from falsehoods. Widespread confusion about who and what to believe.

These are some of the hallmarks of the current crisis in critical thinking—which just might be the issue of our times. Because if people aren’t willing or able to think critically as they choose potential leaders, they’re apt to choose bad ones. And if they can’t judge whether the information they’re receiving is sound, they may follow faulty advice while ignoring recommendations that are science-based and solid (and perhaps life-saving).

Moreover, as a society, if we can’t think critically about the many serious challenges we face, it becomes more difficult to agree on what those challenges are—much less solve them.

On a personal level, critical thinking can enable you to make better everyday decisions. It can help you make sense of an increasingly complex and confusing world.

In the new expanded edition of my book A More Beautiful Question ( AMBQ ), I took a deep dive into critical thinking. Here are a few key things I learned.

First off, before you can get better at critical thinking, you should understand what it is. It’s not just about being a skeptic. When thinking critically, we are thoughtfully reasoning, evaluating, and making decisions based on evidence and logic. And—perhaps most important—while doing this, a critical thinker always strives to be open-minded and fair-minded . That’s not easy: It demands that you constantly question your assumptions and biases and that you always remain open to considering opposing views.

In today’s polarized environment, many people think of themselves as critical thinkers simply because they ask skeptical questions—often directed at, say, certain government policies or ideas espoused by those on the “other side” of the political divide. The problem is, they may not be asking these questions with an open mind or a willingness to fairly consider opposing views.

When people do this, they’re engaging in “weak-sense critical thinking”—a term popularized by the late Richard Paul, a co-founder of The Foundation for Critical Thinking . “Weak-sense critical thinking” means applying the tools and practices of critical thinking—questioning, investigating, evaluating—but with the sole purpose of confirming one’s own bias or serving an agenda.

In AMBQ , I lay out a series of questions you can ask yourself to try to ensure that you’re thinking critically. Here are some of the questions to consider:

• Why do I believe what I believe?
• Are my views based on evidence?
• Have I fairly and thoughtfully considered differing viewpoints?
• Am I truly open to changing my mind?

Of course, becoming a better critical thinker is not as simple as just asking yourself a few questions. Critical thinking is a habit of mind that must be developed and strengthened over time. In effect, you must train yourself to think in a manner that is more effortful, aware, grounded, and balanced.

For those interested in giving themselves a crash course in critical thinking—something I did myself, as I was working on my book—I thought it might be helpful to share a list of some of the books that have shaped my own thinking on this subject. As a self-interested author, I naturally would suggest that you start with the new 10th-anniversary edition of A More Beautiful Question , but beyond that, here are the top eight critical-thinking books I’d recommend.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark , by Carl Sagan

This book simply must top the list, because the late scientist and author Carl Sagan continues to be such a bright shining light in the critical thinking universe. Chapter 12 includes the details on Sagan’s famous “baloney detection kit,” a collection of lessons and tips on how to deal with bogus arguments and logical fallacies.

Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments Into Extraordinary Results , by Shane Parrish

The creator of the Farnham Street website and host of the “Knowledge Project” podcast explains how to contend with biases and unconscious reactions so you can make better everyday decisions. It contains insights from many of the brilliant thinkers Shane has studied.

Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World , by David Robert Grimes

A brilliant, comprehensive 2021 book on critical thinking that, to my mind, hasn’t received nearly enough attention . The scientist Grimes dissects bad thinking, shows why it persists, and offers the tools to defeat it.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know , by Adam Grant

Intellectual humility—being willing to admit that you might be wrong—is what this book is primarily about. But Adam, the renowned Wharton psychology professor and bestselling author, takes the reader on a mind-opening journey with colorful stories and characters.

Think Like a Detective: A Kid's Guide to Critical Thinking , by David Pakman

The popular YouTuber and podcast host Pakman—normally known for talking politics —has written a terrific primer on critical thinking for children. The illustrated book presents critical thinking as a “superpower” that enables kids to unlock mysteries and dig for truth. (I also recommend Pakman’s second kids’ book called Think Like a Scientist .)

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters , by Steven Pinker

The Harvard psychology professor Pinker tackles conspiracy theories head-on but also explores concepts involving risk/reward, probability and randomness, and correlation/causation. And if that strikes you as daunting, be assured that Pinker makes it lively and accessible.

How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion , by David McRaney

David is a science writer who hosts the popular podcast “You Are Not So Smart” (and his ideas are featured in A More Beautiful Question ). His well-written book looks at ways you can actually get through to people who see the world very differently than you (hint: bludgeoning them with facts definitely won’t work).

A Healthy Democracy's Best Hope: Building the Critical Thinking Habit , by M Neil Browne and Chelsea Kulhanek

Neil Browne, author of the seminal Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, has been a pioneer in presenting critical thinking as a question-based approach to making sense of the world around us. His newest book, co-authored with Chelsea Kulhanek, breaks down critical thinking into “11 explosive questions”—including the “priors question” (which challenges us to question assumptions), the “evidence question” (focusing on how to evaluate and weigh evidence), and the “humility question” (which reminds us that a critical thinker must be humble enough to consider the possibility of being wrong).

Warren Berger is a longtime journalist and author of A More Beautiful Question .

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Ask a Psychologist

Helping students thrive now.

Angela Duckworth and other behavioral-science experts offer advice to teachers based on scientific research. To submit questions, use this form or #helpstudentsthrive. Read more from this blog.

Teachers Want to Create a Classroom Learning Culture. Here’s How It’s Done

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How do I create a culture of learning?

What you don’t do is as important as what you do. Here’s something I wrote about the topic for Character Lab as a Tip of the Week :

If I had a plan for doing well in 7th grade, it was this: Memorize and regurgitate.

But my English teacher, Mr. Gibbons, wasn’t very cooperative. He would assign an Emily Dickinson poem and ask the class, “What does it mean?” I didn’t know the answer, and he wouldn’t feed it to us. He would wrinkle his brow and say, “Hmmm,” like he was wondering what the poem meant, too.

After a while, my classmates and I began asking questions. Over time, we got to practice figuring things out rather than just reciting what we had been told.

Research shows that creating a learning culture , like Mr. Gibbons did for my class, can help middle schoolers grapple with what they don’t understand and grow as a result.

What are the hallmarks of learning cultures? They value intellectual humility and curiosity. They put understanding above getting a top grade, feeling comfortable, or looking smart.

In the research study, teachers who created learning cultures were more likely to have students who, at the end of the school year, could admit what they didn’t know—they grew in intellectual humility. And the effects lasted beyond that year and into the next. This means that learning cultures didn’t just change students in the moment—they changed them in the long run.

Why is it important to have intellectual humility? Students who are unembarrassed to reveal when they’re confused tend to be more persistent and show more resilience. They’re also more tolerant of people with views that differ from their own and resist either/or thinking—something most of us are trying to work on and practice.

Don’t ask only easy questions or rush to give answers.

Do create a learning culture in your family or classroom. At dinner, talk about something new you learned today. At school, encourage students to show what they don’t know (yet). After all, you can’t learn what you already know.

The opinions expressed in Ask a Psychologist: Helping Students Thrive Now are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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