Bridge to Critical Thinking

Conversations with your classroom volunteer about critical thinking

We finished reading that story.

Volunteers are new to teaching.

A short conversation can clarify what you’d like the volunteer to do.

SYNTHESIZINGANALYZINGCREATINGPREDICTINGASKING QUESTIONSGIVING EVIDENCE

Critical thinking isn’t exclusive to the classroom.

Volunteers, teachers, students, children…we all use critical thinking

skills in our personal lives.

Why does this matter?

• reading articles• discussion and debate• using maps• sorting equations

Which activities require deeper thinking?

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels

Recall

Strategic Thinking

Skill/Concept

Extended Thinking

1

2

3

4

Level One: What did the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Dorothy each want?

Level Two: What are some examples of irony in the Wizard of Oz?

Level Three: How does the Wizard of Oz compare to European fairy tales, such as those by the Brothers Grimm?

Level Four: What are the ways in which the characters and political dynamics in Oz could be likened to real-life people and political dynamics during the author’s time and during our current time?

Be a question asker (instead of an answer giver).

Focus students’ attention where it can do the most good.

Bridging

Analyze the purpose of the structure of the united states government.

What is the structure where you work? What would happen if it were different?

Director

Manager

Employee

Employee

Manager

Employee

Employee

What is the central idea or theme in this passage?

What is a song that you like? What is it about? How do you know?