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43 Thinking Critically

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Thinking Critically Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Write the word "critical" on the board and ask students to offer definitions. List each as it is offered. Then show students these definitions of "critical":

  1. Crucial or decisive: a critical decision

  2. Vital or key: a critical habitat

  3. Likely to criticize: a critical review

  4. Using careful judgment or evaluation: a critical analysis

  5. Sufficient to cause a chain reaction: a critical mass

Ask students what all of these definitions have in common. (All are important or key.) Ask which definition best fits the idea of critical thinking. (Definition 4) Then point out that even though Definition 4 most closely matches the kind of thinking they will study in this chapter, all of the definitions apply. Critical thinking is crucial, decisive, vital, key, likely to criticize, and sufficient to cause a chain reaction—as well as focusing on careful judgment and evaluation.

Think About It

“It's sort of a mental attitude about critical thinking and curiosity. It's about a mindset of looking at the world in a playful and curious and creative way.”

—Adam Savage

Page 368 from Write Ahead

Becoming a Better Thinker

Critical thinking can't be just turned on and off. Students who learn to think critically throughout their lives will much more easily think critically in class and on the job as well.

Present this page as a poll, asking for a show of hands for each item:

  1. "Which of you would describe yourselves as patient?"

Afterward, lead a discussion about patience and how it improves critical thinking. Ask students what they could do to become more patient. Then ask for a show of hands for the next item:

  1. "Which of you would describe yourselves as focused?"

Again, discuss. Present the rest of the numbered items in a poll, with discussion following.

Afterward, ask students to choose two of the tips on the page and write a paragraph about how they will use these tips to improve their thinking. 

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Page 369 from Write Ahead

Using Facts and Opinions

Students often struggle to differentiate fact from opinion. They will praise their favorite rapper, saying he is "the best of all time, and that's a fact." No, that's an opinion. The rapper may have had more #1 singles than any other and may have sold more records, but perhaps another rapper has better rhymes, or has made a deeper impact on culture, or is more original. Though facts can support the person's opinion, they cannot prove it outright, and many people will still disagree.

Similarly, students may struggle with the idea of facts as provable statements, thinking everything is an opinion. Our age of "alternative facts" does not help in this regard. However, facts  can be objectively demonstrated and so are not opinions. Facts are measurable and provable. As Patrick Moynahan once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."

Use the explanations and examples on this page to help students understand the difference between opinions and facts. 

 

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Page 370 from Write Ahead

Using Logic to Persuade

Lead your students through the five simple steps on this page to help them construct an argument. They need to (1) research the topic, (2) form an opinion, (3) write an opinion statement, (4) support the opinion with provable facts, (5) and organize facts effectively.

For a more indepth process, direct students to "Building Arguments" on pages 199–204.

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Page 371 from Write Ahead

Avoiding Logical Fallacies

Whether students have learned their argument skills on playgrounds and streets or by listening to politicians and media, they are likely to use a number of thinking short-cuts that compromise their logic. The ancient Greeks first recognized these logical fallacies millennia ago, and they still persist.

Lead your students through the explanations and examples on this page and the next. Then challenge students to find some of their own examples in speeches, tweets, and articles about modern politics.

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Avoiding Logical Fallacies (Cont.)

Lead your students through the rest of the explanations and examples on this page. For more on logical fallacies, direct students to "Avoiding Logical Fallacies" on page 204.

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Page 373 from Write Ahead

Solving Problems

Some problems seem insoluble. Students have no idea where to begin or how to make progress. Help them understand that they don't have to solve a problem all at once. Instead, if they take a series of smaller steps, they can work at the problem until it is solved. Help them (1) name the problem, (2) analyze the problem, (3) consider solutions, (4) evaluate solutions, (5) apply the best solution, and (6) evaluate the solution. This process works for simple problems (what should we eat tonight?) or complex ones (how do we send people to Mars?).

Afterward, model the process with students. Write a school or community problem on the board, for example, "The cafeteria is too crowded." Then lead a discussion, having students go through each step of the problem-solving process to come up with a solution.

At the bottom of the page, introduce students to this acronym for the scientific method, which is one version of problem solving.

 

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Page 374 from Write Ahead

Making Good Decisions

Students may not have ever thought about the decision-making process. They just choose whatever they want. However, by breaking decision making into its steps and analyzing each one, students can gain more control over their decisions.

Help students (1) name the decision, (2) list choices, (3) research choices, (4) consider pros and cons, and (5) decide. As the example at the bottom of the page shows, this process is especially helpful when the student must decide between two desirable options (or two undesirable ones).

Download and distribute the Pro-Con Chart and have students use it to make a decision of their own. They should start by writing down the decision they need to make and listing the two main options at the top of the two columns. Then they should list pros and cons under each, marking them with Xs or check marks. Finally, they should make their decisions.

Have volunteers share the process they followed and the decision they made.

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Page 375 from Write Ahead

Asking Thoughtful Questions

A question asks for information. It therefore opens a space that needs to be filled with answers. Small questions open up small spaces, and big questions open up big spaces. That's why students need to use a variety of effective questions to inspire their research and learning.

Use the material under "Problems," "Policies," and "People" to demonstrate the kinds of questions that will help students think more deeply about different topics. Also, have students flag this page so that they can return to it whenever they are writing assignments with subjects like these.

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Page 376 from Write Ahead

Critical Thinking in Action

Download and distribute the Critical-Thinking Skills checklist, which students can use as a baseline measure of their abilities. Then challenge your students to improve their thinking over the rest of the semester. At the end of the semester, hand out the checklist again and have students rate themselves. Ask them to compare their thinking scores with their previous answers and note any places where their thinking has changed. Have them write a sentence to explain each change. Finally, have them reflect on what they will do going forward to make improvements.

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