Q3 Week 8 What is critical thinking?

Welcome to week 8 in quarter 3!  This week, I would like to investigate critical thinking in grades K-3. 
When a student uses critical thinking, they are wondering, making connections, and interacting with new vocabulary.  

Critical thinking is when a thinker analyzes, assesses, and breaks apart a topic to better understand it.  This comes easily to some learners but others need more modeling.  Below you will find videos, suggested blog posts, and freebies to help support critical thinking in your classroom.  

Watch this video from Oxford Discover: 
How to use Critical Thinking

How to improve critical thinking? 

 Let's watch this video from:  

TedED & Samantha Agoos. 

Heidi's Songs has some very simple ways to increase critical thinking with young learners.  

Click the image to visit her site: 

More ideas for the classroom:

Mystery Box

Use a mystery box to introduce new ideas for the classroom & support inferencing! 

A Mystery Box is a great way to introduce a science concept or a theme.  Students could even create their own mystery boxes for research projects.  I also like to use this idea to help students learn to make inferences.  Show them the contents of the box and encourage them to make inferences about the connections between the objects. 

  Read more about:

The Inspired Apple

Teach problem-solving with wordless videos! 

 Wordless picture books and videos are perfect for getting the brain thinking and analyzing. 

Visit Speech is Beautiful for some awesome videos to get your students critically thinking! 

Learn to add depth and complexity to your lessons by visiting Melissa over at Teacher Thrive. 

Grab her FREE Critical Thining Cheat Sheets and bookmarks. 

I love these sticky note bookmarks!  

Grab a Free copy from Melissa over at Winged One!

12 Powerful Words!

GRAB this FREE Google Slideshow:  
12 Powerful Words of the Day!