Overview For Teachers

CRITIAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING: The ability to analyze facts and use a logical approach to form an accurate, objective decision or plan of action; recognize and clearly define a problem, determine the cause, identify, prioritize, and select alternatives for a solution, then implement the solution even for difficult or complex issues; evaluate and monitor progress and revise the plan as needed; the ability to identify resources needed to solve a problem; generate new ideas; consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one; discover a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and apply it to a new situation or when solving a problem; the ability to “think on one’s feet”, assess problems, and find well-thought out solutions within a reasonable time frame; the ability to think critically and creatively, share thoughts and opinions; the ability to understand framework for sound ethical decisions.

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PURPOSE: Upon completion of this module, the student will understand the importance of being a critical thinker and problem solver and the role they play in being successful. In addition, the objectives listed below should be met.

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OBJECTIVES:

 Ability to use critical thinking skills on a daily basis

 Ability to follow the specific steps to solve a problem

 Ability to recognize the importance of critical thinking and problem solving

 Ability to recognize how critical thinking and problem solving apply to work

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OVERVIEW:

This module focuses on teaching students the importance of critical thinking and problem solving. Students will work to improve these skills through activities and guided discussions with their class. They will discuss aspects of critical thinking and problem solving such as the steps to take to become a critical thinker, the specific steps to solve a problem, and the importance of utilizing these skills in all aspects of life.

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TEACHERS: WHAT ARE YOU OBSERVING?

What does critical thinking & problem solving look like in the classroom or in school in general? A great way to answer this and get things going is through engagement with the students. Ask your students these questions:

1. What does critical thinking and problem solving look like in school?

2. How do your critical thinking and problem solving skills affect people around you? Example: teachers, classmates, teammates, family, etc.

3. What does critical thinking and problem solving look like within your learning?

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RELEVANCY OF CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING:

In a recent study, critical thinking and problem solving were identified as some of the most important skills needed for job success, and skills that are lacking in today’s workforce. They were also rated as the top skills of increasing importance over the next five years.

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LESSON:

How Do I Become a Critical Thinker?
Time Allocation: 20  minutes
Materials/Resources: computers/tablets/smartphones with internet access, paper, pens/pencils, whiteboard, markers, poster board, tape/stapler, copies of Sudoku puzzle

ANTICIPATORY SET IDEA:

 Print a Sudoku puzzle from the following here for students to work on either individually or with a partner.

 When finished, have a short discussion about the challenges to complete this puzzle and why it was difficult.

 Discuss the ideas of critical thinking and problems solving and why they are important.

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WATCH THE VIDEO:

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

 Have students read the following article: “How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills.”

 When they finish, put them in groups of two and have them discuss their thoughts about the article with their partner

GUIDED ACTIVITY:

 As a class, have students share their thoughts on the article.

 Have students brainstorm steps they can take to improve their critical thinking skills. Write their responses on the whiteboard. Include the steps listed in the article, and encourage students to come up with additional ideas. Here are some examples:

     o Seek out ideas – old and new

     o Take action – try something

     o Be open minded and flexible

     o Research what others are doing

     o Be curious o Write down ideas – regardless of how crazy they may sound

     o Understand that no one thinks critically 100% of the time

 Narrow the list down to 4-5 steps to take to improve critical thinking skills and have students create a poster to hang in the

    classroom.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:

 Technology Use: Create a survey, poll, or questionnaire to send to the students that will give you immediate feedback about the student’s level of understanding. You can use Survey Monkey, Google Forms, or any other survey platform you prefer.

 Non-Technology: Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Students will demonstrate their level of understanding by giving a thumbs up or thumbs down. Students with thumbs down will need more clarification.

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ETHICAL SCENARIO--Optional (if not using, skip  to "review and closing")

The Ethical Choice Scenarios have been developed to provide teachers with the ability to make the material applicable to real-life and relevant to the students. Within this guide, directions and prompts for the teacher will be in BLUE for ease of facilitation.

 

READ THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO OUT LOUD TO THE STUDENTS: 

THEATRE GROUP DILEMMA

You are a member of a theatre group in a nearby city. Singing and acting is your passion and you truly value the opportunity to be a part of this group. Lately, there has been some talk going around that some members of the group have been exempt from auditioning for the last few productions, mostly the well-known actors and actresses who have the most experience. You know that situations like this sometimes happen in the “real world” but this is a local theatre group where everyone should be given a chance to prove him or herself. Tryouts for the next production are scheduled for the following week, but today the director called you into his office. He told you that you were in for one of the main singing parts; you were ecstatic to hear this! This was the role you’ve been wanting more than anything and have had your heart set on. Then, you realized the director meant that you didn’t have to audition. He explained that there wasn’t enough time to see every performer’s audition. Since you’ve been in previous productions and he knows how talented you are, you didn’t need to audition. Now you are feeling conflicted – what are you going to tell the other actors and actresses who wanted that same role? How can you explain this to them? Should you share your thoughts and opinions with the director about everyone deserving a chance to audition for the role? How are you going to solve this problem?

ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (display them to the class if necessary)

1. How many of you have already been faced with this scenario in real life?

2. What are the possible courses of action you could take?

3. What are possible positive or negative consequences for you, depending on your decision?

GUIDED DISCUSSION: ASK STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATION AND HOW THEY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.

NOTE 1 : To help facilitate discussion, share any personal experiences you may have encountered with this same sort of issue.

NOTE 2 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students, “How important is it to stand by what you believe, even if it means losing something you really want?”

NOTE 3 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students , “ What values do you think are in tension here, why is it an ethical dilemma?”

CLOSING DISCUSSION: ASK THE STUDENTS, “AFTER CRITICALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS SITUATION, WHAT IMPACT COULD YOUR DECISION HAVE ON YOUR LONG-TERM REPUTATION?”

REVIEW AND CLOSING:

 Post the following quote for a closing discussion with the class:

 “We must prepare people to be nimble enough to adapt to an ever-evolving marketplace. And we must help them develop skills that will be valued no matter what tomorrow’s jobs are – skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.” –Tae Yoo

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CORRELATION TO OBSERVATION TOOL: The Frequency Observation Tool (FOT) has a category where students will be observed and rated on their critical thinking and problem solving skills. These lesson will give students the opportunity to define steps they can take to become a better critical thinker.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IDEAS:

-Visual: Visual learners will benefit from having the poster hanging in the classroom for a constant reminder.

-Auditory: Auditory learners will benefit from the partner and the class discussions.

-Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learners could benefit by writing down any important information.

-ESL: ESL students would benefit from having a partner to assist them in the writing activity in case they have questions or need clarification.

-At-risk: At -risk students will benefit from the interaction they have with their group to help keep them focused and on task.

-Advanced: Advanced learners could benefit from helping other students write down their schedules, or by assisting ESL or At -risk students who may need additional help .