Critical Thinking
Whether via classroom discussions, analysis of written text, higher-order questioning, or other strategies, learn and share ways to help students go deeper with their thinking.
Embrace the Blank Page
Research supports regularly asking students to recall information from memory, and to do that you don’t need a worksheet—just a plain piece of paper works great.Using Picture Books to Teach Children About Large Numbers
These strategies help elementary students grapple with the very large numbers involved in talking about time and space.Your content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Exploring Before Explaining Sparks Learning
New elementary science teachers can build student engagement and enhance learning by using the explore-before-explain approach.Your content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Adapting Socratic Seminars for Elementary
With a few key modifications, teachers can make a complex academic discussion into an excellent learning opportunity for younger students.Activating Prior Knowledge With Hexagonal Thinking
By creating a visual web of knowledge, students can demonstrate what connections they have already made about a topic, and where they might need additional clarification and support.59.7kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.7 Ways to Get Math Students to Show Their Thinking
Math isn’t just about answers—the process matters, too. These strategies spotlight reasoning and reveal student thinking.88.4kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.6 Routines to Get Students Unstuck
When students are grasping at straws, these self-directed strategies help them to pause, make a plan, and pivot more effectively.18.6kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Building Students’ Number Sense in Elementary Math
To get an internal sense of how numbers relate to each other, students can practice working with number lines.How to Use Hexagonal Thinking in Any Content Area
This engaging activity supports students in organizing their thoughts in a multidimensional way, helping to cement their understanding.4.6kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Helping Students Understand the Logic Behind Literary Analysis
A high school teacher describes how she teaches her students that disciplinary literacy is more than ‘fancy’ vocabulary.4.4kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.16 Variations on Think-Pair-Share to Keep Students Engaged
Teachers and students use this classic learning strategy often. To keep it from getting stale, try these tweaks.Helping Students Build Productive Academic Habits
Simple instructional shifts can help students learn and practice behaviors that help them more actively engage with content.2.7kYour content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Using Supreme Court Cases in Middle School Social Studies
Students can use evidence-based reasoning to evaluate the law while building their ability to collaborate and communicate effectively.862Your content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Teaching CER in Middle School Science With a 5-Day Structure
The claim, evidence, reasoning framework is a lot of thinking all at once for middle school students. Here’s a way to break it down.231Your content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.Using the 5 Whys Approach to Deepen Student Thinking
Teachers can use a questioning strategy originally from the business world to guide students to confidently develop and defend their thinking.
