10 Great Critical Thinking Activities That Engage Your Learners
How can learners own their learning with critical thinking activities they’ll really love? Allowing our learners to take stands on issues that matter to them engages the classroom in a way that fosters great critical thinking.
Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? When they can relate these questions to themselves and exercise personal self-reflection, we build community and “heart-centered” learning.
Let’s get to the critical thinking skills that really matter. Here are some amazing critical thinking activities that you can do with your learners.
(These activities are originally from www.facinghistory.org but they are no longer available online. We present their outlines here for you to expand upon in your own creative ways.)
10 Great Critical Thinking Activities
Attribute Linking—Building Community by Taking Perspectives
Learners pair up according to similar physical attributes determined by the facilitator. These include hair color, eye color, hand size, and height. For each attribute, learners discuss times when they were discriminated against because of it. They then take on the roles of victim, perpetrator, or bystander and discuss.
Barometer—Taking a Stand on Controversial Issues
When posed with a thought-provoking prompt, learners line themselves up along a U-shaped continuum representing where they stand on that issue. The sides of the U are opposite extremes, with the middle being neutral. The teacher starts a discussion by giving equal opportunity for individuals in each area of the continuum to speak about their stand. The learners use “I” statements when stating their opinion.
Big Paper—Building a Silent Conversation
Writing (or drawing) and silence are used as tools to slow down thinking and allow for silent reflection, unfiltered. By using silence and writing, learners can focus on other viewpoints. This activity uses a driving question, markers, and Big Paper (poster-sized is best). Learners work in pairs or threes to have a conversation on the Big Paper.
Learners can write at will, but it must be done in silence after a reflection on the driving question. This strategy is great for introverts and provides a ready-made visual record of thought for later.
Body Sculpting—Using Theatre to Explore Important Ideas
Learners are given time to consider their feelings on a thought-provoking abstract or concrete image. Next, they come up with words that describe their reactions—trapped, free, angry, joyful, etc. They are then paired up and one person is the sculptor, while the other is the “clay.” The sculptor poses the clay into a form that artfully displays the word they wish to portray. Here are some guidelines:
Sculptors can either physically mold the “clay” or act as a mirror for them to show the “clay” the position/image they want.
Images can be concrete or abstract.
Sculptors must treat their clay with gentleness and respect (very important!).
There are no wrong answers; whatever image you get is fine.
All body sculpting must be done in silence.
Café Conversations
Understanding different viewpoints is a great way to delve deeply into a topic. 5 to 10 learners are given character sheets. These might include gender, age, family status (married, single, how many children, etc.), occupation, education level and significant life events. The group is also given a historical event or similar topic.
Learners can create identity charts in collaboration with each other to determine their character’s viewpoint. When they can adequately represent their character, what follows is a “cafe conversation.” Don’t forget to go over guidelines on how to respectfully disagree! Allow at least 20 minutes for a conversation.
Other Critical Thinking Activities
Jigsaw—Developing Community and Disseminating Knowledge: Learners take on the role of “experts” or “specialists” of a particular topic. Then a panel of experts is assembled to get the larger picture.
K-W-L Charts—Assessing What We Know/What We Still Want to Learn: Charts to document “What I Know” and “What I Want to Know” and after learning has occurred, “What I Learned.”
Think, Pair, Share—Facilitating Discussions in Small and Large Groups: A classic tool to guide learners in relevant and meaningful discussion, and to build community.
Town Hall Circle: Like a real town meeting, individual learners are “given the floor” and a time limit to express their views.
Reader’s Theater: In groups, create a dramatic script based on the ideas within a given text. Do not script word for word. The idea is to get off the page and represent the idea in the learner’s own words.
Get Learners’ Brains Active
Critical thinking exercises like the ones we shared here play a crucial role in fostering intellectual growth and preparing learners for the complexities of the modern world. Through group discussions, debates, and problem-solving tasks, learners are encouraged to question assumptions, examine multiple perspectives, and seek evidence-based solutions.
Allowing learners room to think deeply and discuss openly during critical thinking activities is the key to them taking true responsibility for the learning. Through these kinds of activities, we foster real thinkers and life-long learners.
