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 Questions
Questions 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 implications
What are you implying?
If that were to happen, what else might happen?
Questions about Questions
How 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
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use to identify assumptions, frames of
reference, provide reasons/evidence.
Guidelines:
No “right” or “wrong” answer
Begin with a “neutral” issue
Allow all students to make a choice before
any comments are made
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 examples
Present their findings (including examples) to
the other group
Each 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
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•
•
•
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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