Building one idea at a time. Scholars complete a close read and multiple activities related to Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon to build upon their understanding of central ideas and motifs. They participate in meaningful...

Scholars read an excerpt from the short story "The Bonfire" by Kunikida Doppo as well as a nonfiction passage about handcycling. Next, they answer comprehension-based multiple-choice questions. Additionally, they respond to short-answer...

Get those pencils sharpened—it's time to see what the class knows! Using the resource, scholars complete a four-part English examination. They read passages and respond to multiple-choice comprehension questions. They also complete two...

Designed to be included in the fourth lesson in the "Learning and Teaching of Critical Thinking Skills" series, this presentation models for viewers how to use the Decision Making worksheet to weight factors.

Critical to responsible decision making is becoming aware pre-conceived notions and biases that influence our perceptions. A colorful slide presentations asks viewers to consider these mental models that factor into their assumptions and...

Teach teens how to protect themselves from hackers, scammers, and online predators. First, class members examine their own digital footprints think critically about their online profile. Groups then generate lists of "do" and "don't do"...

Recognize risky behaviors and avoid them! That's the big idea behind two activities designed to teach middle schoolers to think critically about online safety. After reading background articles about protecting online identity,...

Great Expectations can prove to be a challenge for instructors who choose to use Dickens's novel as required reading. Here's a curriculum guide that includes lessons that address some of these challenges. The first lesson in critical...

A 14-slide presentation showcases a social media post featuring Disney's Elsa from the movie, Frozen. The seemingly harmless post received lots of attention, raising the question, how do we know posts are factual? Scholars go through...

Georgia's law S.B. 202 is at the center of a lesson that asks young scholars to examine what critics say are Georgia's attempts to limit voting access to Black voters. Groups then investigate the voting laws in their own state, as well...

Twelfth graders discuss centrifugal force, frictional force, and critical speed as it relates to the popular amusement park ride, the Gravitron.

In this critical reading exercise, students read a selection entitled "The Choking Dog." Students answer ten multiple choice questions about the selection.

Learners develop critical thinking skills while exploring new ideas about success, discuss people they consider to be successful, and identify how they measure or define their own personal success.

Students practice media awareness. In this media awareness activity, students analyze print and electronic media messages. Students discover how advertisers use re-imaging to manipulate photographs and discuss how they can become...

Middle schoolers practice evaluating art by creating a research project and presentation. They use the Internet and library to discover a piece of art or artist whom they feel has an impact on the world of art. Next, they create a...

Commercial advertising—we can't get away from it, but do we realize just how often we are being advertised to? With this lesson, scholars analyze mass media to identify how its techniques influence our daily lives. Learners browse...

Critically apply intervals of increasing and decreasing. Pupils watch a video to see how finding a critical point and finding intervals of increasing and decreasing work together to identify local extrema. Scholars use the first...

Media texts convey both overt and implied messages. As part of their study of media, class members analyze the language, form, techniques, and aesthetics in a variety of media texts.

To gain an understanding of how images and sounds are used to influence viewers, class members analyze these features in Presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2012.

Use proportions to determine the travel distance in a given amount of time. The 10th installment in a series of 33 uses tables and descriptions to determine a person's constant speed. Using the constant speed, pupils write a linear...

Can budding writers accept constructive criticism? Learners work with their peers to gain feedback about their argumentative essay drafts. Peers give one another constructive criticism to revise their work better. Using a Peer Review...

Creative kids read, discuss, play-act, and sketch to examine the cultural significance of Old Man Coyote. They listen to several stories involving Coyote, analyze the Harry Fonseca painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo, and write Coyote...

Upper graders examine the clichés that accompany this political cartoon, depicting how various people handle the national debt. They review several clichés quoted in recent times and write a 1-2 paragraph analysis of each. 

Upper graders use this worksheet to hone their analysis skills and gain a deeper understanding of various constitutional amendments. There are two cartoons to analyze, background information, additional resource links, and three...