Critical Thinking and critical thinking exercises exercises for elementary education

1. Critical Thinking and exercises for
elementary education

2. What is a Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking can be defined from many points of view:
Robert Ennis defines it as a reasonable and reflective thinking that is
focused on deciding what to believe or to do.
Next, Matthew Lipman sees Critical thinking as a skillful and
responsible thinking that is conducive to good judgment because it is
sensitive to context, relies on criteria, and is self-correcting.
Also, it can be defined as a process of Gathering and assessing
information in a logical balanced and reflective way to reach
conclusions justified by reasoned argument based on available evidence.

3. Critical thinking is an active mode of thinking. Instead of just receiving
messages and accepting them as they are, we consider what they are saying.
We ask if messages are well-supported. In other words, we act on the
messages before we take action based on them. When we enact critical
thinking on a message, we engage a variety of skills including: listening,
analysis, evaluation, inference and interpretation.

4. The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and
include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference,
explanation, problem solving, and decision making.
Specifically we need to be able to:
1. Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.
2. Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.
3. Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.
4. Recognize any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence
or argument.
5. Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.
6. Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to
make.
The skills we need for Critical Thinking

5. Traits of Critical Thinkers
1. Open-mindedness: Critical thinkers are open-minded and receptive to all ideas and arguments,
even those with which they may disagree. Critical thinkers reserve judgment on a message until
they have examined the claims, logic, reasoning, and evidence used.
2. Analytic Nature: Critical thinkers are interested in understanding what is happening in a
message. Critical thinkers ask questions of the message, breaking it into its individual
components and examining each in turn. Critical thinkers dissect these components looking for
sound logic and reasoning.
3. Systematic by Method: Critical thinkers avoid jumping to conclusions. Critical thinkers take
the time to systematically examine a message. Critical thinkers apply accepted criteria or
conditions to their analyses.
4. Curiosity: Critical thinkers are curious by nature. Critical thinkers ask questions of what is
going on around them and in a message. Critical thinkers want to know more and take action to
learn more.

6. Traits of Critical Thinkers
5. Judicious: Critical thinkers are prudent in acting and making judgments.
Critical thinkers are sensible in their actions. That is, they don’t just jump on the
bandwagon of common thought because it looks good or everyone else is doing
it.
6. Truth Seeking: Critical thinkers exercise an ethical foundation based in
searching for the truth. Critical thinkers understand that even the wisest people
may be wrong at times.
7. Confident in Reasoning: Critical thinkers have faith in the power of logic and
sound reasoning. Critical thinkers understand that it is in everyone’s best interest
to encourage and develop sound logic.

7. Two of the biggest barriers to critical thinking are:
1. Not keeping in mind that we can be wrong or make
mistakes!
2.Assuming that mistakes and being wrong is simply a
bad thing!

8. Methods to Improve Critical Thinking:
1. Actively listen/look.
2. Ask questions.
3. Follow evidence.
4. Be curious and relate.
5. Be flexible and creative.
6. Assume the positive criticism.
7. Be responsive.
8. See a lesson in everything.
9. Work together.
10. Laugh and enjoy change.

9. The Process of Critical Thinking

10. 1. Inform and describe: It involves clarifying of
• What you need to know.
• What you already know.
• Information you have about the issue.
2. Discover and explorer: It involves:
• Look at your issue more closely.
• Start to be more directed and purposeful in seeking information.
3. Negotiate & Cooperate: It involves:
• Consider different perspectives.
• Engage in discussion.
The Process of Critical Thinking

11. 4. Test & Revise:
• Weigh the evidence.
• Test out different ideas.
5. Integrate & Apply:
• Bring together various ideas.
• Reinforce and articulate new understandings.
The Process of Critical Thinking

12. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Asking questions
Asking questions, especially open-ended questions, gives elementary
school students a chance to apply what they’ve learned and build on
prior knowledge. It also allows them to problem-solve and boosts self-
esteem by providing an opportunity for students to express themselves
in front of their peers.

13. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Encourage decision-making
Since a large part of teaching critical thinking skills revolves around
applying knowledge and evaluating solutions, elementary school
teachers should encourage decision-making as much as possible. This
enables students to apply what they’ve learned to different situations.

14. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Work in Groups
Group projects and discussions are another excellent way for elementary
school teachers to encourage critical thinking skills. Cooperative
learning not only exposes students to the thought processes of their
classmates, it expands their thinking and worldview by demonstrating
that there’s no one right way to approach a problem.

15. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Incorporate different points of view
Some of the very best critical thinking exercises for elementary school
students involve exploring a concept from multiple perspectives. This
tactic not only establishes that an idea should be assessed from different
points of view before an opinion is formed, it gives students a chance to
share their own viewpoints while listening to and learning from others.

16. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Connect different ideas
Connecting different ideas is key to teaching critical thinking. For example,
elementary school teachers can ask students if they know anyone who has to take a
bus to work, and if so, why it would be important for that person to also have a train
schedule. Questions like these help children consider different situations (delayed
buses, for example) and potential solutions (taking the train instead)

17. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Inspire creativity
Imagination is the key to teaching critical thinking in elementary school.
Teachers should seek out new ways for students to use information to
create something new. Art projects are an excellent way to do this.
Students can also construct inventions, write a story or poem, create a
game, etc.

18. Critical thinking exercises for elementary education
Brainstorm
Brainstorming, a time-honored tradition in elementary education, is an
excellent learning tool. It’s also an excellent critical-thinking exercise,
especially when paired with visual elements that bring original thinking
and classroom discussions to life.

19. Developing of Critical Thinking
In order to develop the critical thinking, students need to develop their
skills of thinking in:
1. Interpreting : understanding the importance of data and to clarify its
meaning .
2. Analyzing : breaking information down and recombining it in
different ways .
3. Reasoning : creating an argument through logical steps .
4. Evaluating : judging the worth, credibility or strength of accounts.

20. Thank you for listening