Critical Thinking 2

Critical Thinking

Significance:

  Critical thinking is an active state of mind in which the learner asks himself some inner questions to reach the solution to a problem.  Such questions start with the following questions words ( what, who, why, how, how come, where, when....).

Let's transfer from the stages of comprehension, knowledge and applicability to other high levels of thinking like analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Bloom's taxonomy:

1. If You Build it…

This team-building game is flexible. You simply have to divide students into teams and give them equal amounts of a certain material, like pipe cleaners, blocks, or even dried spaghetti and marshmallows.

Then, give them something to construct. The challenge can be variable (think: Which team can build the tallest, structurally-sound castle? Which team can build a castle the fastest?).

You can recycle this activity throughout the year by adapting the challenge or materials to specific content areas. Apart from critical thinking students also learn to collaborate and to work in groups.

2.   Think–Pair–Share

In this activity first asks students to consider a question on their own, and then provide them an opportunity to discuss it in pairs, and finally together with the whole class. The success of such activities depends on the nature of the questions posed.

This activity works ideally with questions to encourage deeper thinking, problem-solving, and/or critical analysis. The group discussions are critical as they allow students to articulate their thought processes.

Advantages of the think-pair-share include the engagement of all students in the classroom (particularly the opportunity to give voice to quieter students who might have difficulty sharing in a larger group), quick feedback for the instructor (e.g., the revelation of student misconceptions), encouragement and support for higher levels of thinking of the students.

3. The Worst Case Scenario

Construct a scenario in which students would need to work together and solve problems to succeed, like being stranded on a deserted island or getting lost at sea/jungle/town. Ask them to work together and come out with a solution that ensures everyone arrives safely.

You might ask them to come up with a list of 10 must-have items that would help them most, or a creative passage to safety. Encourage them to vote everyone must agree to the final solution.

4. Go for Gold

This game is similar to the “If you build it” game: Teams have a common objective, but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials.

For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity.

5. Keep it Real

This open-ended concept is simple and serves as an excellent segue

into problem-based learning. Challenge students to identify and

cooperatively solve a real problem in their schools or communities.

6. Gap Fill In

Students are shown a picture, projected in the front of the room, if possible. At the top of their paper, students should write: "What is happening in this picture?"

At the bottom of the page, they should answer with what they

believe is happening in the photo simply in 1-2 sentences or

according to the age/grade this activity is being done with.

In the middle of the page students write down all of the steps

they took to arrive at that answer. Students are encouraged

to write down the evidence they see that supports their conclusion.

This activity not only uses evidence, but supports Meta cognition

skills by asking what prior knowledge brought you to your

conclusion. This is a good activity to Bell Work or "Do Now."

7. Fishbowl

Set up an inner circle and an outer circle in your classroom.

Students should not be sitting in this setup yet, but rather in their regular classroom seats. The class should be presented with a question or a statement and allowed to reflect individually for a few minutes.

During this reflection period, count the class off into small

groups by 3s, 4s, or 5s.

Students should now transition to the fishbowl setup.

In the numbered groups, have students facilitate a conversation

while others on the outside observe without comment.

(For example, a teacher may have all 1s go to the fishbowl,

while the rest of the class sits in the outer ring.)

Once the inner group has discussed for a bit, have the outer group

evaluate two things: Their process is they actually listened to one

another and their content from knowing whether they are providing

evidence or just opinions.

8. Big Paper - Building a Silent Conversation

Writing (or drawing) and silence are used as tools to slow down

thinking and allow for silent reflection, unfiltered. By using silence

and writing, students can focus on other viewpoints. This activity

uses a driving question, markers, and Big Paper. Students work

in pairs or threes to have a conversation on the Big Paper.

Students can write at will, but it must be done in silence after

a reflection on the driving question. This strategy is great for

introverts, and provides a ready made visual record of thought

for later.

9. Barometer—Taking a Stand on Controversial Issues

When posed with a thought-provoking prompt, students line

themselves up along a U-shaped continuum representing where

they stand on that issue. The sides of the U are opposite

extremes, with the middle being neutral. The teacher starts a

discussion by giving equal opportunity for individuals in each

area of the continuum to speak about their stand.

The students use “I” statements when stating their opinion.

10. Journal Data Goals

1-Venn Diagram:

A-Down, a diagram where learners can learn about synthesis:

B-Down, a diagram where learners can find the similarities and differences between 2 things, 2 characters or 2 phenomenon.

2-Subsequent events series:

Learners can use it in talking about a story events in its natural times subsequently. 

Example:

(Prisoner of Zenda), Chapter 1. The chapter "Feed back":

1- First,...................................the first event..................................

2-Next,....................................the second event.............................

3-Next,....................................the third event.................................

4-Then,...................................the fourth event...............................

5-Later,...................................the fifth event..................................

6-Finally,.................................the last event...................................

3-The range of solving problems:

Solving problem Exercise:

1-Situation 1:

“A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug.

The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later.

But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it.” So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's laboratory to steal the drug for his wife.

2-Situation 2:

There is a trolley coming down the tracks and ahead, there are five people tied to the tracks who are unable to move. The trolley will continue coming and will kill the five people. There is nothing you can do to rescue the five people except that there is a lever.

If you pull the lever, the train will be directed to another track, which has only one person tied to it. You have two choices:

1. Do nothing and the five people will die
2. Pull the lever and save the five people, but let one person die.

Did you make your choice?

Situation 3:

There is a trolley coming down the tracks and ahead, there are five people tied to the tracks who are unable to move.

The trolley will continue coming and will kill the five people. However, in this situation, you are standing on a bridge above the train tracks and you can see the train coming.

There is a man standing next to you, who is so enormous and heavy that if he places himself in front of the oncoming train, it will hit and kill him but the train will stop.

So you have two choices

1. Do nothing and the five people will die.
2. Push the big guy down the bridge. He will be killed but will stop the trolley and save the five people.