How to Use These Resources:
For Teachers: Create lessons that introduce critical thinking concepts and guide students in discussions and activities.
For Students: Use case studies and problem-solving strategies as inspiration for your own projects.
Introduction to Critical Thinking
Resource Type: Articles and Research Papers
Purpose: Provide teachers and students with foundational knowledge on critical thinking, its importance, and how it can be applied in various educational settings.
Integrating Critical Thinking Into the Classroom (Education week)
This article offers strategies for incorporating critical thinking into classroom activities. It discusses methods such as Socratic Seminars and debates, which help students explore multiple perspectives and engage in deeper analysis of real-world issues.
Read the full article
Developing Critical Thinking” (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
This article highlights the growing importance of critical thinking in today’s information-rich world. It stresses the need for students to question information and develop reasoning and evidence-based thinking skills.
Read more
The Importance of Critical Thinking for Kids” (CCEI Online)
This article uses Bloom’s Taxonomy to explain the development of critical thinking, from memorization to deeper understanding. It provides educators with practical tips for encouraging critical thinking in young learners through activities like journaling and creative projects.
Read the article here
Steven C. Reinhart’s “Never Say Anything a Kid Can Say!”
This article emphasizes student-centered learning, encouraging teachers to facilitate discussions and ask questions that lead students to discover answers themselves. It’s a powerful strategy for fostering deeper comprehension and critical thinking in students.
ERIC – Never Say Anything a Kid Can Say
NCTM – Never Say Anything a Kid Can Say
Problem-Solving Strategies
Resource Type: Teacher Guide/Interactive Toolkit
Purpose: Equip students with practical strategies for identifying problems and working through solutions step-by-step.
Five-Step Problem-Solving Process (Stanford d.school)
Stanford’s Design Thinking framework is a widely used approach that encourages creativity and critical thinking. It walks students through the stages of empathizing, defining the problem, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing.
Access the process and resources here
De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats method allows students to explore different perspectives on problem-solving by metaphorically “wearing” different thinking hats—logical, creative, emotional, etc. It’s especially useful for group work.
Case Studies and Real-World Applications
Resource Type: Case Studies
Purpose: Provide examples of real-world problems solved with critical thinking, helping students see how these skills can be applied in everyday contexts.
K-5 Examples:
The Recycling Challenge
Students brainstorm ways to reduce waste in their school and categorize materials for recycling.
How to Implement:
Ask: “What happens to the trash we throw away?”
Analyze: Sort items into categories (plastic, paper, glass).
Solution: Encourage students to create recycling programs.
Building the Tallest Tower
A STEM challenge where students use everyday materials to build the tallest possible tower, learning about balance and structure.
How to Implement:
Ask: “What shapes can make your tower stronger?”
Test and modify designs based on results.
The Mystery Box
Students use sensory clues to guess what’s inside a sealed box.
How to Implement:
Ask: “What clues can help us figure out what’s inside?”
Make educated guesses and test them.
The Egg Drop Challenge
Students design a contraption to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height.
How to Implement:
Ask: “How can we protect the egg?”
Test and refine designs based on results.
Middle and High School (6-12) Examples:
Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Grade Level: 9-12
Students explore Einstein’s thought experiment and how it led to the Theory of Relativity.
Source: Macat Critical Thinking Examples
Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Students explore how Darwin’s observations challenged established ideas and led to the theory of natural selection.
Source: Mindvalley Critical Thinking Examples
Marie Curie’s Discovery of Radium and Polonium
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Students analyze how Marie Curie applied critical thinking to her scientific experiments.
Source: Macat Famous Critical Thinkers
Galileo Galilei’s Defense of Heliocentrism
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Students learn how Galileo used evidence to defend the heliocentric model of the solar system.
Source: Macat Famous Critical Thinkers
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Students analyze King’s use of rhetoric and critical thinking to advocate for civil rights.
Source: Mindvalley Critical Thinking Examples
Isaac Newton’s Discovery of Gravity
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Students explore how Newton’s observations and logical reasoning led to the theory of gravity.
Source: StudiousGuy Critical Thinking Examples