Critical Thinking Skills Teacher Resources

Accompany your classroom's reading of Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis with a 17-lesson unit designed to spark critical thinking, dialogue, and stretch writing muscles. The EngageNY collection goes beyond pupils' reading...

Established by Congress, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a nonpartisan institution whose goal is to "increase the nation's capacity to manage international conflict without violence." The 15 USIP resources in the...

Election season is a great opportunity to hone critical thinking skills in the classroom. Teach young citizens about the ins and outs of the American political system, provide information about current and historical presidential...

If you're reading The Lightning Thief with your class, check out these reading quizzes! There are six altogether that span throughout the novel. Use one or several. They are meant simply to test if a student has completed the required...

Ads no longer target just teens and adults. Kids from eight to 12 have become the focus of a whole new generation of advertisers. A collection of four resources help tweens develop the critical thinking skills they need to understand...

The National Constitution Center offers this collection of informative and entertaining videos intended to start conversations and develop critical thinking skills. Viewers learn about the rights granted by the constitution, about the...

Young historians study the Angel Island Immigration Station with activities examining primary and secondary source materials, maps, and websites. The unit begins with individuals creating a map of Angel Island, labeling sites on the...

The first series of lessons in this unit module examines George Washington's contributions to the Revolutionary War and as the first president of the United States. Scholars also consider Washington as a slaveholder and discuss attitudes...

What if the people of the United States started over and, knowing what we know now about how things are working, redesigned the government created by the founding fathers? That's the central premise of the 11 resources in the American...

Analysis of complex texts requires close reading. The six lessons in the first unit of Module 1 teach readers how to annotate text, as well as how to conduct evidence-based discussions, and produce evidence-based writing, the skills they...

There are upstanders, bystanders, and whistle-blowers when it comes to dealing with dilemmas. The four lessons in this unit module ask young scholars to think about injustice and how to resolve difficult situations. Learners research...

Project-based learning. What is it? What are the benefits? The pitfalls? What preparation is necessary? Skills? Tools? This collection of articles, apps, worksheets, lesson/units plans, and project suggestions will get you started on the...

What better way to develop an awareness of the power of presidential campaigns ads than by analyzing them? The resources in this collection ask class members to develop criteria for evaluating effective ads, and to examine the claims,...

The internet as well as the popularity of and availability of personal electronic devices equipped with social media has changed journalism forever. Here's a collection of resources that provide student journalists the tools they need to...

With all the hyperbole of an election year, it can be difficult to find the facts, just the facts about candidates, issues, and ballot measures. Young political scientists, with the help of 21 resources from a nonpartisan, information...

What to do with environmental hazards and where to put toxic waste is a global concern. The eight resources in the Environmental Justice collection ask young ecologists to consider how to incorporate environmental justice in future waste...

Eight lessons make up a collection designed to help high schoolers make sense of an election year. Class members learn about voting rights, the importance of a free press, and civic participation. The focus is on the 2020 presidential...

Green chemistry and sustainability are the focus of a unit module that asks young scientists to use the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry to assess how green a product’s chemicals, reactions, or processes are. Class members engage in...

The 10 lessons in the In Sync Personal Development unit module encourage high school sophomores to take personal responsibility for the changes in their lives and develop tactics to deal with these changes. Individuals set goals and...

Innocent man or traitor to France? That is the question addressed in a five-lesson unit that looks at multiple interpretations of the Dreyfus Affair. As young historians examine primary sources, they also consider the bias that history...

In this three-unit module, juniors examine literary and nonfiction text, observing how authors develop their central ideas. In Units 1 and 2, scholars practice close reading, annotating text, and evidence-based discussions and writing....

Seven lessons make up a unit on African-Americans who served in the United States Congress from 1870 to 2007. Young historians read contextual essays, engage in activities, examine primary source images, and artifacts to gain an...

Viewers take a Crash Course in Media Literacy. They watch 12 videos that take them through media history, the positive and negative effects of media, and regulations and policies affecting media producers. The series aims to help viewers...