List of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills and Relevant Activities

Useful websites http://earlychildhoodmsu.blog http://earlychild hoodmsu.blogspot.my/2015/08 spot.my/2015/08/malaysian-ece /malaysian-ece-curriculum-in -curriculum-international.h ternational.html tml http://www.emas.go!.my/inde".php/en/premise/child-guidance-centre-tabia #en$amin #loom %1&5'( de!eloped a classification of le!els of intellectual beha!ior in learning. )his ta"onomy contained three o!erlapping domains: the cogniti!e* psychomotor* and affecti!e. +ithin the cogniti!e domain* he identified si" le!els: nowledge* comprehension* comprehension* application* analysis* synthesis* and e!aluation. )hese domains domains and le!els are still useful today as you de!elop the critical thining sills of your students. ,ritical )hining ,ritical thining in!ol!es logical thining and reasoning including sills such as comparison* classification* seuencing* seuencing* cause/effect* patterning* webbing* analogies* deducti!e and inducti!e reasoning* forecasting* planning* hypothesiing* and critiuing. ,reati!e thining in!ol!es creating something new or original. t in!ol!es the sills of fle"ibility* originality* fluency* elaboration* brainstorming* modification* imagery* associati!e thining* attribute listing* metaphorical thining* thining* forced relationships. )he aim of creati!e thining is to stimulate curiosity and promote di!ergence. +hile critical thining can be thought of as more left-brain and creati!e thining more right brain* they both in!ol!e thining. +hen we tal about )3 higher-order thining sills we4re concentrating on the top three le!els of #loom4s )a"onomy: analysis* synthesis* and e!aluation. nowledge

collect

describe

identify

list

show

tell

tabulate

define

e"amine

label

name

retell

state

uote

enumerate

match

read

record

reproduce

copy

select

Examples: dates* e!ents* places* !ocabulary* ey ideas* parts of diagram* 5+s

,omprehension

associate

compare

distinguish

e"tend

interpret

predict

differentiate

contrast

describe

discuss

estimate

group

summarie

order  

cite

con!ert

e"plain

paraphrase

restate

trace

conseuence* e"amples Examples: find meaning* transfer* interpret facts* infer cause 6 conseuence*  7pplication

apply

classify

change

illustrate

sol!e

demonstrate

calculate

complete

sol!e

modify

show

e"periment

relate

disco!er

act

administer

articulate

chart

collect

compute

construct

determine

de!elop

establish

prepare

produce

report

teach

transfer

use

Examples: use information in new situations* sol!e problems

 7nalysis

analye

arrange

connect

di!ide

infer

separate

classify

compare

contrast

e"plain

select

order  

breadown

correlate

diagram

discriminate

focus

illustrate

infer

outline

prioritie

subdi!ide

points out

prioritie

Examples: recognie and e"plain patterns and meaning* see parts and wholes

3ynthesis

combine

compose

generalie

modify

in!ent

plan

substitute

create

formulate

integrate

rearrange

design

speculate

rewrite

adapt

anticipate

collaborate

compile

de!ise

e"press

facilitate

reinforce

structure

substitute

inter!ene

negotiate

reorganie

!alidate

Examples: discuss what if situations* create new ideas* predict and draw conclusions

!aluation

assess

compare

decide

discriminate

measure

ran

test

con!ince

conclude

e"plain

grade

$udge

summarie

appraise

criticie

defend

persuade

$ustify

reframe

support

Examples: mae recommendations* assess !alue and mae choices* critiue ideas

 7ffecti!e 9omain

9omain 7ttributes: interpersonal relations* emotions* attitudes* appreciations* and !alues id accepts

attempts

challenges

defends

disputes

$oins

contributes

praises

uestions

shares

supports

!olunteers

$udges

 7cti!ities for ach e!el of #loom4s )a"onomy #loom4s )a"onomy* created by educational psychologist #en$amin #loom in 1&5;* is a si"-tier pyramid of learning le!els beginning with nowledge as the basis of learning. nowledge is built upon by comprehension* application* analysis* synthesis and e!aluation* with each sill increasing a student4s conceptual understanding of a topic or field of study and e"perience. nowledge •

)he first le!el of #loom4s )a"onomy refers to basic nowledge through defining* memoriation* duplicating and listing. 7cti!ities that e"emplify this le!el include reciting the 7#,s* tracing letters o!er dotted lines* copying down the definitions of !ocabulary words* listing spelling words repeatedly* writing basic facts onto flashcards for memoriation* copying teacher notes during class* reciting a poem or listing characters4 names from a story or boo.

,omprehension •

,omprehension is the understanding of material through discussions* e"planations* classification* descriptions* identification and reporting. ,omprehension acti!ities include matching letters to words that begin with the letter* writing sentences that e"emplify the correct usage of !ocabulary words* summariing a story e!ent !erbally or in written form* identifying which formula to use to sol!e a math problem and determining which locales are north* south* east or west.

 7pplication •

 7pplication means that a student can apply his nowledge. ,lassroom acti!ities such as illustrating or acting out a scene from a story* charading a !ocabulary word* answering a multiple-choice uestion based on a graph* writing a boo report* creating a diorama that demonstrates an animal4s habitat or a biome and using a graphic organier to brainstorm the plot of a fiction story e"emplify ways students can apply nowledge.

 7nalysis

•

 7nalying reuires students to distinguish* compare* contrast* e"amine and e"periment to understand similarities and differences. 7cti!ities include implementing
3ynthesis •

3ynthesis refers to the e!aluation le!el of learning. 7cti!ities that implement e!aluation include class debates which reuire students to tae a stance and defend a position with facts. +riting fact-based persuasi!e essays using research such as statistics and persuasi!e !ocabulary add to e!aluation. 3tudents can support and defend the hypothesis of a science e"periment or math probability uestion through a presentation* charted outcomes or written essays. 3tudents can create drawn or acted-out ad!ertisements for a product or campaign or can create a play or puppet show that e"plores a gi!en topic* fictional idea or historical e!ent.

!aluation •

)he e!aluation step of #loom4s )a"onomy refers to a student4s ability to use all le!els of nowledge gained to create* assemble or construct. 7cti!ities that e"emplify this le!el include graphing the responses to a sur!ey uestion using !arious t ypes of graphs* writing an article on a gi!en topic with research-based information and a bibliography* maing a map of historical trade routes and e"plaining the effect and implication of each route* creating wind-powered mo!ement using fans and matchbo" cars to show a more economical and green form of energy and defending or speaing against a school or societal practice on a panel* through debate or a written essay.

3tory )ime •

,ritical thining occurs when teachers challenge their students. )eachers can teach higher-orderthining sills to their preschoolers through the uestions they as after reading a story during circle time -- uestions lie* +hich part of the story did you lie best* followed by ow come= 7nother uestion to challenge your preschool students is* ,an you t hin of another way the story could ha!e ended= or 9o you lie the way the story ended= )hese uestions encourage a deeper le!el of thining while eeping the acti!ity age-appropriate and in line with the curriculum.

oop >ame •

?reschoolers can easily understand the concept of the hoop game* although finding a solution to the problem reuires deeper thining and woring with their classmates. )ry to brea your students into groups no larger than si". ?lace two hula hoops side by side on the floor. nstruct your students to put all of their orange dinosaurs inside one hoop and all the )-@e" dinosaurs in the other hoop. 3tudents will meet their challenge when they disco!er that one of the dinosaurs is an orange )-@e". isten to the ideas your students come up with. ncourage their communication and suggestions without directing. 7s your students* without gi!ing the answer* if they can thin of a way to put both hoops together so the orange )-@e" is in both hoops. f needed* show them how to do this.

+hich ne4s Aissing •

)his game is best played one-on-one or in small groups. 7nother alternati!e is to di!ide your class into small groups and play as teams. ?lace fi!e or si" ob$ects such as colorful ducs or toy cars in a

row on the table. a!e your students study the ob$ects for about ;0 seconds. nstruct them to close their eyes and tae one ob$ect away. 7s students impro!e* tae more ob$ects away. ?ush the ob$ects closer together to close the gap. )he students4 $ob is to tell you what is missing and where in line it was. ?atterns •

Aaing patterns is an e"cellent thining acti!ity and can be used with indi!idual students or an entire group. f students become confused during the process* repeat the pattern then as* Bow what= ,olorful wooden blocs can be set up for students to continue the pattern* or !erbal directions can be gi!en to mae a pattern with blocs. 3tudents can create their own patterns and !erbalie them to you. )hey can wor in small groups to create comple" patterns. +orsheets can be used to color patterns. Celt boards with colorful shapes wor well* too. 3tudents can also create  $ewelry patterns with multi-colored beads. )hese can ser!e as a wonderful gift for mom.