Critical+Thinking


 * ** Developing Thinking Skills ** ||

 The following are definitions of critical thinking provided in the reading. For each one I have added some examples of Language activities, while keeping in mind the requirements outlined in the Achievement Chart.

 //What to believe//: students can draw their own conclusions about the moral correctness of a character's behaviour in a story. Deciding //what to do// could also refer to the planning involved in completing any writing assignment. These two activities fall under the critical thinking and planning areas outlined in the Achievement Chart.
 * Reflective and reasonable thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do (Robert Ennis, quotedin Presseisen, p. 24)

Providing evidence: when students are responding to a story or poem, they must provide evidence to support their point. //Requesting evidence from others// is a very important part of critical thinking. Students should be encouraged to ask critical questions. This can be modeled by the teacher.
 * The disposition to provide evidence in support of one's conclusions and to request evidence from others before accepting their conclusions (Hudgins and Edelman1986, p. 333)

The first thing that comes to mind is teaching advertising. One activity might be to examine the credibility of the messages in advertising that students are bombarded with daily. Another activity is to explore reliable websites and sources of information before beginning any research project.
 * The process of determining the authenticity,accuracy and worth of information or knowledge claims(Beyer 1985, p. 276).