Stage 5 Critical Thinking

Kinds of thinking involved in critical thinking:

• Analysis - pulling things apart and understanding them
• Evaluation - deciding how good or bad something is
• Inference - using logic and your own knowledge to work things out
• Explanation - clearly giving reasons for what you think
• Problem solving - finding solutions

Scenarios

In a group of 3-5 people, discuss one of these scenarios and try to find a solution. Use the kinds of thinking listed above.

Make notes of the discussion and show which kinds of thinking were used.

1. School Fundraiser - decide whether to do a bake sale or a carwash to raise funds.
2. Environmental initiative - decide whether or not to start a school recycling program. (This one is best for students who have already been involved, as they know the challenges that came with it)
3. Community service project - choose from one of these 3 options: a town clean-up day, volunteering at a food bank, or mentoring younger students at study sessions.
4. Changing school hours - should school run from 9 to 3:20 as it does now, or change to 10:30 to 4:50?

Present your scenario and your thinking and your solution to the rest of the class.