Website
Other

Criticalthinking.org: Develop Critical Thinking Skills

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site provides a wealth of material tailored to the needs of primary and secondary educators interested in developing their own critical thinking skills and those of their students. Content includes numerous articles focused on the...
Lesson Plan
Yale University

Detective Fiction: Focus on Critical Thinking

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Through the use of reading crime fiction, this lesson plan helps to refine critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies which are important for the development of 21st century skills.
Website
Other

The Critical Thinking Community: Index of Articles

For Students 9th - 10th
Listed here is a wealth of information and articles all pertaining to the idea of critical thinking. Much of the information here can be useful in understanding what critical thinking is and how to apply it to your classroom.
Activity
Other

Fcps Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment: Activity #1: Making Predictions

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This activity focuses on making predictions through critical thinking. Students read the title and view a few pictures from a story prior to reading it and record their predictions. After reading the story, students then compare their...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Using Egg Drop Activity to Promote Critical Thinking and Analysis Skills

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For this multi-lesson hands-on inquiry activity, students will develop their critical thinking skills by designing and constructing an apparatus that will permit an egg to survive a nine foot fall. Given limited materials, they will...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: A Directed Listening Thinking Activity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Lesson which requires young scholars to listen to The Tell-Tale Heart read aloud, answer prediction questions during the reading, and write written responses after. Excellent for beginning a mystery unit.
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: Who Knows What?

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, you'll start to explore how examining the same event from different perspectives can result in drawing varied conclusions surrounding that event. You will be answering questions about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius based...
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You Ask?

For Students 9th - 10th
Your job in this activity is to assemble the best research team possible to most deeply understand the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Choose a discipline you believe is best suited to understand the eruption and defend your choice. A link to...
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: Easter Island Mystery

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, you'll look at a single event-the collapse of the population on an island-from different points of view. You're going to try to make sense of what happened there, and you'll do this using an interdisciplinary approach....
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Hand Towing a Car: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this active learning activity, students will find a technique to move a car with one hand. Students are given only a tow strap, so the students must apply angular force to successfully move the car with one hand.
Activity
Other

Harvard University: Project Zero: Artful Thinking

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Find engaging ways to integrate visual art and music into regular classroom instruction and strengthen cognitive thinking skills and abilities to reason creatively from multiple perspectives. Get great classroom questioning tips, case...
Lesson Plan
University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury: Cs Unplugged: Community Activities

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
A collection of hands-on, physically-active lessons for students ages five to twelve revolving around various computer science concepts.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Historical Thinking Interactives

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Six interactive activities are presented that walk students through how to use their critical thinking skills in the analysis of historical artifacts and documents. The sixth one explains how to balance the various perspectives that...
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Read Write Count"

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. Activity allows students to build their critical thinking skills, as well as math concepts and the relationships between reading, writing, and thinking.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Read Write Count"

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. Activity allows students to build their critical thinking skills, as well as math concepts and the relationships between reading, writing, and thinking.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "I Am Me"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes promoting students' understanding of themselves through self-expression, critical thinking skills, and creative writing and thinking skills...
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Picture Stories"

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. This activity focuses on students' critical thinking, creative, and comprehension skills. Good resource.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Picture Stories"

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. This activity focuses on students' critical thinking, creative, and comprehension skills. Good resource.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Decisions!"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes helping students develop decision-making skills, promote critical thinking skills, and reflect on their beliefs. Good site.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "I Would Invent"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes encouraging students to develop an interest in science, to promote critical thinking skills, and to enhance reading and writing skills.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Cause & Effect"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering young scholars to become better learners. This lesson plan includes promoting an interest in science for students, to use critical thinking skills, and to use graphic organizers.
Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Old Wisdom"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes motivating students to read, encouraging students to use inferential and critical thinking skills, and promoting an understanding and appreciation...
Activity
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Two Sides"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes promoting the love of reading, helping students understand different points of view, different genres in literature, and critical thinking skills....
Activity
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Ed "Interpreting Maxims"

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes motivating students to read, encouraging students to use critical thinking skills, cooperative learning and shared experiences, and appreciation...