Strategies & Methods for Incorporating Critical Thinking

into Your Classroom

By

Bob Schoenberg

Overview

• Some Critical Thinking Skills

• Criteria for Strategies

• Demonstration of Strategies

Some Critical Thinking Skills

• Critical Thinking Questions

• Assumptions

• Frames of Reference

• Seeking Evidence/Proof (building an argument)

• Metacognition – thinking about one’s thinking (can include any critical thinking skill)

Criteria for Strategies

• Simple

• Effective

• Practical

Critical Thinking QuestionsQuestions that:

• Probe for Reason and Evidence

• Clarify

• Challenge Assumptions

• Identify Frames of Reference

• Focus on Implications or Consequences

• Question questions

Critical Thinking Questions

Require one to think critically!

Some Critical Thinking Questions

• Questions that Probe for Reason and Evidence

Can you give me an example?

How do you know that?

What makes you think that is true?

Do you have any evidence or proof?

Clarifying Questions

What do you mean when you say … ?

What’s your main point?

Could you explain that another way?

Questions Regarding Assumptions

Is that an assumption or a fact?

What are you assuming?

How do you know that to be true?

Questions about Frames of Reference

What might someone from a different perspective think?

What might someone who disagrees say?

How might other groups of people respond? What would influence them?

More Questions

Questions about implicationsWhat are you implying?

If that were to happen, what else might happen?

Questions about QuestionsHow can we determine this?

Does this question assume anything?

Rank Order Strategy

How to do it:• Pick 3 topics• Have students rank

them in order of important

• No comment or discussion until all rankings are posted

Follow up:• Post all rankings on

the board• Ask for comments• Use Critical Thinking

Questions• Allow students to

explain their rankings

Examples

• Which do you think is more important?

English: novel, prose, poetry

Science: ohm, watt, volt

Music: eighth, quarter or sixteenth note

Computer: CPU, hard drive, RAM

Math: decimal, fraction, whole number

Chemistry: molecule, atom, protein chain

Rank Order (continued)

Did you use any particular Frame of Reference in your Rank Order?

?

Either/Or Strategy

Use to identify assumptions, frames of reference, provide reasons/evidence.

Guidelines:

1. No “right” or “wrong” answer

2. Begin with a “neutral” issue

3. Allow all students to make a choice before any comments are made

4. Divide room into 2 halves, based on topic

Either/Or Strategy (Continued)

Ask students to explain their choices

Ask students on both sides of the room

Use different locations in the room for each exercise (front/back, right/left)

Alternative: Use hand signals

Examples of Either/Or Strategies

Chemistry: neutron/proton

Physical Therapy: muscle/ligament

Anatomy: dendrite/neuron

English Composition: verb/pronoun

History: feudalism/socialism

Music: band/orchestra

Critical Thinking: Metacognition/Asking Questions

Follow Up Questions Either/Or Strategy

• What evidence do you have to support your position?

• How do you know that this is true?

• Are you assuming anything?

Either/Or Strategy

• Your turn!

• In groups of 2-3, create a couple of either/or strategies.

1. Identify your course

2. Pick 2 topics

3. Opportunity to test it …

Either/Or Demo

Critical Thinking

Which do you prefer:

Either /Or Strategy or Rank Order Strategy?

Palm facing me – Either/Or

Palm facing you – Rank Order

Written Assignment

Explain what the term means and/or continue discussing the topic or concept in a group

Give 2-3 examplesPresent their findings (including examples) to

the other groupEach student writes a brief paragraph that

includes 1) an explanation of the term, 2) some examples, and 3) reasons why or why not this is a useful/important term.

Example of Worksheet (to be used as a follow-up to the Either/Or Strategy)

1. Name or topic of term: ________________2. Explain in your own words, what this

term/concept means. You may use your book and work together to come up with a "working " definition. But explain it in your own words.

3. Give 2-3 examples. (If each person in your group gives one example, you will have plenty of them).

Additional Strategies

• Public Interview – critical thinking questions

• Group Work (collaboration)

• Written Assignment – follow up

Summary

• Some Critical Thinking Skills

• Criteria for Strategies

• Critical Thinking Questions

• Rank Order

• Either/Or

Evaluation

• Please complete the evaluation survey

• Thank you for attending this session.

Bob Schoenberg – Training Specialist

Email: Criticalthinking@mail.com