Teaching Thinking
Skills in Junior
Liberal Studies
—Hui Kwai Yin,
Shau Kei Wan Government Sec. Sch.
1
Liberal Studies
-started in September 2005 as an
independent subject in Secondary 1
Junior Level
Senior Level
Geography
Chinese History
History
EPA Liberal Studies
Economics
2
Lesson Allocation
S1&2
 3 double lessons per cycle (10-day)

- 2 parallel session
- 1 non-parallel session
1
collaborative preparation lesson per
cycle (formally fitted into teachers’
timetable)
 S3
 2 double parallel lesson per cycle
 1 collaborative preparation lesson
3
Curriculum

Personal development
 S1-2:成長新動力
 S3: Personal development & Interpersonal
relationships

Current issue discussion

Module
 S1 – S2: 2 modules per term
 S3: 1 module per term
4
S1 Modules
1st term
 生活在「一國兩制」下的香港

2nd term
Our Neighbouring Environment
 Disease and Public Health in Hong Kong

Religion and Society in Hong Kong
S2 Modules
當代中國
 Rich and Poor in Hong Kong
1st term

2nd term
 Mass Media and Society in Hong Kong

Technology and Society in Hong Kong
1st term

Sustainable Development & Hong Kong
2nd term
 Globalisation & Hong Kong
S3 Modules
5
Teaching Thinking Skills
To enable students to develop multiple
perspectives on issues in different
contexts
 To help students become independent
thinkers
 To develop in students skills for life-long
learning

6
Teaching Thinking Skills
Set clear goals for learning tasks
 Apply to cases

 less
abstract
Discuss in lesson
 Consolidate the skills in writing
assignment
Students are ready and able to think

7
Secondary 1

Module “Religion & Society in Hong Kong”
+ a workshop
-Critical thinking skills
: classifying, organising, analytical
8
S1 Liberal Studies
?
Workshop :
Questioning Skills
9
9
A knowledge
knowledgeable person
Knowledge is Power; wonder is the
essence of knowledge! -F. Bacon 培根
每事問歌
陶行知
發明千千萬，起點是一問。
禽獸不如人，過在不會問。
智者問得巧，愚者問得笨。
人力勝天工，只在每事問。
10
10
Bloom’s Taxonomy 布林母 知識分類法
- a classification of levels of intellectual behaviour in learning
Evaluate 評估 weigh, judge, decide
綜合 Synthesize combine & create
Analyze 分析
Apply 應用
Understand 理解
Know 得知
classify, examine
make use of it
know why
know the
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facts
11
Why is questioning skills
important?
To get more
information
than others
do!
To know
the truth
faster !
?
To train our
high order
thinking
skills - we get
cleverer!
12
12
There are four kinds of questions:
Do you agree ….
What is your view
about…
Imagine.., Suppose..
If....,then…, Predict
Why? How?
In what ways?
Who? What?
Where? When?
4. Opinion Questions
3. Idea Questions
2. Why Questions
1. Fact Questions
13
13
Workshop on Questioning Skills
 Student Worksheet 1
: note taking
 Student Worksheet 2
: application
 Student Worksheet 3
: synthesis & evaluation
14

Religion & Society in Hong Kong
Lesson 2 – Project Preparation
:Project Instruction Sheet
:Student Assignment Sheet
15
Secondary 1

“Our neighbouring Environment”
-Critical thinking skills
: analytical (causal relationship)
Enquiry Question: What is the quality of the
environment of our neighbouring districts?
16
Enquiry Process
Lesson 1
Input of related concepts and knowledge
: the quality of the environment, level and
types of pollution
17
Lesson 2
Preparation for field study
: briefing
: field study skills
18
Lesson 3
Field work
: data collection
 evidence
19
Lesson 4
Data Analysis for the Field Study Report
: The relationship between the quality of the
environment and level & types of pollution
 Land use
20
Lesson 5
Presentation of field study report
: a summary report to other groups
21
Lesson 6
Generalizations on the findings of the
four study areas:
: The relationships between the quality
of the environment, level and types of
pollution and land use.
22
Intended Outcomes
1. Students understand their neighbouring
environments on their own.
2. Students are able to find out the relationship
between quality of the environment, level and types
of pollution and land use.
3. Students are able to make generalizations on the
quality of the environment, level and types of
pollution and land use.
4. Students are able to acquire learning skills e.g.
observation, recording, presentation and report
writing.
23
Lesson 4: Data Analysis for the
Field Study Report

organise the data collected in the field
study (Lesson 3)
- a summary map 1
- a summary map 2
All the data are marked in the summary
map for easy use in the analysis.
24

relate the quality of the environment and
level & types of pollution
- a warm-up exercise at the
beginning of the lesson
- learning outcome
 Students are given direction for
analysing the data.
25

To prepare students analyse the data for
the field study report
- a graphic organiser in the worksheet
- introduce the concept of land use to help
land use students to make generalizations
on the quality of the environment, level of
pollution and land use
 Students are guided to do the analysis.
26

get familiar with report writing format
- Project Instruction Sheet
 Students are able to write the report in
a proper way.
27
Lesson 6: Generalizations on the
findings of the four study areas

Organise the data of the four areas
- a group worksheet
 All the data are shown in the tables for
easy reference
28

Generalize the findings of the four study
areas
- a group worksheet
 students are given directions to make
generalisations on the quality of the
environment, level and types of pollution
and land use
29

Get familiar with report writing format
- Project Instruction Sheet
 Students are guided to analyse the
findings
30
Secondary 2

“Mass Media & Society in Hong Kong”
-Critical thinking skills
: fact + opinions, identify fallacies
31
Mass Media and Society in Hong
Kong

Concepts about mass media
Identifying facts and opinion
 Interpreting data
 Identifying fallacies and logical flaws in news
reporting
 Evaluating news and making value
judgements about mass media

32
Mass Media & Society in HK
Thinking Skills

Group similar or different ideas under meaningful
categories

Identify cause-effect relationships

Distinguish between fact and opinion

Use multiple perspectives

Identify fallacies
33
Lesson 2
Data Interpretation in News Report
34
Case Study

The wallet of one of your
classmates was stolen by
someone in the classroom during
lunchtime yesterday.
 Who
was the thief?
35
Student A
Student A always bullies his classmates, he must
be the thief!!
Valid or Invalid statement? Why?
Invalid
—Making wrong assumption
assumption: Bullying = Theft
Student A likes bullying classmates
doesn’t mean that he steals things from
others as well.
36
Student B
I saw student B stayed in the
classroom during lunch time. She
must be the thief!!
Valid or Invalid statement? Why?
Invalid
—Insufficient supporting reasons given in
the argument
Not enough evidence to show that student
B was the only student in the classroom.
There might be other students as well.
37
Student C
She told me she would like to buy a new bag as
schoolbag when we were having lunch in a restaurant.
She brought a new famous brand name bag as
schoolbag today. She must be the thief!
Valid or Invalid statement? Why?
Invalid
--Inconsistent argument
Student C was having lunch with other
classmate outside school but the theft took
place in the classroom.
38
Student D
Student D took out a wallet from his
pocket in the garden after school.
Valid or Invalid statement? Why?
Invalid
--Irrelevant information
Student D’s action is not related to the
theft that happened in the classroom
during lunch time.
39
Conclusion
In order to construct valid statements, the
following principles should be met:
Avoid making wrong assumptions
Consistency of the arguments
Sufficiency of the supporting reasons
given in the arguments
Relevancy of the arguments
40
Student Worksheet
: Reading material
: Worksheet
41
Secondary 3

Modules “Sustainable Development &
Hong Kong” & “Globalisation & Hong Kong”
: consolidate thinking skills learnt in S1 & 2
: more sophisticated
42
Secondary 1-3
Current Issue Discussion
Example 1: multiple perspectives
Secondary 1 – 校本驗毒計劃

請選擇以下兩類持份者，並對「校本驗毒計劃」
的「以強制作為原則」這一做法作出回應。
持份者：(1) 教育局 (2) 禁毒處 (3) 警方 (4) 學校
(5) 中學生家長 (6) 學校社工 (7) 有吸毒習慣的學
生 (8) 未嘗接觸毒品的學生
43
Secondary 2 - To revive, or not to revive?

Should the government revive the home
ownership scheme? How do you think the
following stakeholders would respond to this
proposal?
Stakeholders: The government, Private land
developer, Public housing residents,
Sandwich-class
44
Secondary 3 - Liberal Studies Textbooks

1. Should schools use a textbook for Liberal
Studies? How do you think the following
stakeholders would answer this question?
Choose any four from below.
Education Bureau Officer, Publishers, Professor of
Liberal Studies, School Head, Liberal Studies
Teachers, Parents
45
Example 2 : analysis
Secondary 1 - 香港無車日

資料二提及本港近年越來越多人購買大馬力汽
車。試解釋其中的原因
46
Secondary 2 - Internet subsidies

Can an annual $1300 subsidy help students
from low-income families to access the
internet? Discuss.
47
Secondary 3 – The Influence of Public
Figures

Why do people in general have higher
expectations for the behaviours of civil
servants and politicians than that of
celebrities? Give examples to support your
answer.
48
Example 3: Evaluation
Secondary 1- 人類豬流感疫苗

人類豬流感疫苗接種計劃實施後，接連發生懷
疑吉巴氏綜合症的個案。若政府擴大疫苗資助
計劃的接種群組至小學生，你會否贊成你的弟
妹接種呢？請參考資料二、三，解釋你的立場。
49
Secondary 2 - Drunken Driving

Do you think the guilty driver’s loss of his
driving license will deter other drivers from
driving dangerously? Explain.
50
Secondary 3 – Post 80’s generation

Some claim that improving the economy
can relieve the grievances of the Post-80’s
generation. Do you agree?
51
Reflection- Teaching Thinking Skills
Collaboration within LS Department
 School support
 Students’ ability

52
-Thank You -
53