critical thinking lessons for middle school

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Middle school teachers of all subjects are interested in fostering critical thinking in their classroom, but it’s not always an easy task to incorporate in the never-ending quest to match lesson plans to state learning standards. Here are seven resources that will easily add critical thinking to your lesson plans.

The Critical Thinking Community

The Critical Thinking Community is a resource site designed to encourage critical thinking in students. There are teaching strategies, a glossary of important terms, as well as articles by thought leaders in critical thinking, such as one by Bertrand Russell on the importance of developing critical thinking skills. Visit the site.

Here are some recommended pages for critical thinking strategies for the middle school classroom.

• Teaching tactics : Strategies teachers can use to encourage critical thinking in class. For example, asking students to read the instructions of an assignment and then repeat them in their own words. Visit the page.
• Remodeled lessons: How to take a routine lesson plan and remodel it to foster critical thinking. The page has five standard lesson plans, a critique of why they should be changed, and suggestions for improving the lesson plan. Visit the page.
• 35 dimensions of critical thought: Strategies are organized into three groups: Affective, Cognitive Macro-Abilities, and Cognitive Micro-Skills. Each strategy details its importance for student development. Visit the page.

Success story: tips for teaching critical thinking

KIPP King Collegiate High School has developed 10 ideas for teaching critical thinking. These methods are applicable for middle school aged students, giving them exposure to thinking critically before arriving to high school. One notable technique from KIPP is to teach students to constantly ask questions. Visit the page.

Critical thinking in the 21 st century

Microsoft Education offers material for teaching critical thinking for the 21 st -century student. What’s special about this guide is its focus on thinking critically on the Internet. Lesson plans focus on fine-tuning search skills, how to evaluate discoveries and then incorporate findings in student work. Visit the site.

Creative and critical thinking activities

On teachers.net Gazette, a teacher named Emmy recommends five specific activities that are easy to use, take little preparation, and stimulate creative thinking. The most popular feature of this site is its teacher collaboration. Visit the page.

Back to basics

This site details the basics about critical thinking: what it is, the characteristics, and why it should be taught. It also provides several differing perspectives about critical thinking for readers to consider. Different teaching strategies are also discussed, plus links to helpful resources. Visit the site.

Riddle me that

BrainDen.com has a large number of critical-thinking riddles and brain teasers that can be used in the classroom. The answers are provided for the teacher as well as tips for stimulating further discussion on the topic. Teachers can use the exercises as warmup activities at the beginning of class, or at the end of class on days when work is unexpectedly completed early. Visit the site.

Brain boosters

Discovery Education has a “Brain Boosters” section listing specific logical thinking challenges and brain teasers that students love. The activities can be done with groups or individually. The answers are provided for the teacher. Visit the site.

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19 Short Stories and Questions For Critical Thinking

Apr 2, 2024

There have been rumblings in different online teacher groups recently about replacing novels with short stories and informational articles in middle and high school English classrooms. I have to admit I was shocked when I first read the comments because I am a book lover at heart, but since then, I’ve considered that there are several pros and cons to this approach.

Short stories and other smaller texts can provide a briefer timeline to complete tasks, and this process is helpful when there is already SO MUCH curriculum to cover. Short stories and related activities can also be more engaging for our students because of the exposure to diverse voices and themes! Using short stories and lessons provides students with amazing choices to meet their needs and preferences!

On the other hand, incorporating mainly short stories and other shorter passages means students’ already-pressed attention spans (as a result of social media influences and pervasive sources of technology) are reinforced. Plus, students miss out on the more complex stories within longer pieces of fiction that are, dare I say, life-altering! A novel can provide opportunities for sustained reading and layers for analysis that shorter pieces of literature like short stories and related texts cannot offer.

Ultimately, no matter where you find yourself on the issue, I think we can all agree that short stories and their counterparts can be vital, effective, and helpful in the modern classroom!

Continue reading for 19 Short Stories and Questions For Critical Thinking!!

Need help with Test Prep ?  Check out this  FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities  to help students achieve success on standardized tests!

Table of Contents

19 Short Stories and Questions – Suggestions for Teaching Them

You don’t need to remove all novels to be able to include short stories and smaller passages like vignettes, articles, and narratives; there’s a time and place for all genres! But if you’re thinking about ways to include more short stories and fun activities, check out this list of 19 varied short stories and critical thinking questions as well as suggestions for teaching them in middle school and high school.

1.  “The Most Dangerous Game” 

“The Most Dangerous Game” is one of my absolute favorite short stories and overall plots to teach! This suspenseful short story by Richard Connell follows the harrowing ordeal of Sanger Rainsford, a skilled hunter who becomes the prey of a deranged aristocrat named General Zaroff. Stranded on Zaroff’s secluded island, Rainsford must outwit the cunning general in a deadly game of survival, where the stakes are life and death. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING:

• You could focus on the setting (description of time and place) and examine how the setting changes throughout the story.
• Students could learn about the plot (major events in the story) and list the major events and evidence as they read.
• Define foreshadowing (hints for what will happen by the end of the story) and encourage students to hypothesize about what will happen after every page.
• Analyze the character development (how a character changes over time) of Rainsford and highlight his traits/actions as you read along.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:

• How does the setting contribute to the tension and suspense in the story?
• How does the author use foreshadowing? How does the author hint at the danger Rainford is facing?
• What inferences can you make about the main character and the changes he undergoes from the beginning to the end of the story?

If you want to teach plot elements and plot analysis , check out this lesson bundle for the story , which includes comprehension quizzes and a variety of activities!

2.  “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

Ambrose Bierce’s story is a gripping tale set during the American Civil War, where a Southern civilian named Peyton Farquhar faces execution by hanging after attempting to sabotage a Union railroad bridge. As Farquhar falls through the trapdoor, time seems to stretch, and he experiences a surreal moment, only to realize his grim reality. 

Integrating historical texts with other short stories and passages like “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” will make history come more alive and relevant for our students!

• Teach about irony (when the opposite occurs from what is expected) and how it plays a role throughout the story.
• Explain the term characterization (how a character is depicted) by looking at direct and indirect references while reading with your students.
• Discuss the major themes (messages) of the story and how they connect to our modern era within a Socratic Seminar.
• How does the author use characterization to convey Peyton Farquhar’s thoughts, emotions, and motivations?
• What is the purpose of irony in this story? How does its use affect the reader’s interpretation and understanding of events?
• What is the significance in our contemporary/real world of the themes of the story, including reality and fantasy, the passage of time, and the consequences of actions?

Ensure students’ understanding of the story with this set of reading questions that are perfect for state test prep, too !

3.  “The Masque of the Red Death”

This chilling tale from Edgar Allan Poe is set in a secluded abbey where Prince Prospero and his wealthy guests attempt to escape a deadly plague known as the Red Death. Despite their isolation efforts, the guests are confronted with their own mortality as a mysterious figure in a blood-red mask appears.

If you have not read any short stories and poems from Poe, this story is a perfect journey into the horror genre!

• The setting (description of time and place) plays a MAJOR role in the story, so following the Prince from room to room and highlighting the imagery (description that connects to the five senses) is very important when reading.
• If you have not introduced mood  (emotion intended for the reader to experience), this story is PERFECT for delineating its progression from start to finish.
• As students read, you might guide them through identifying various examples of  symbolism  (object, person, or place that represents something else); each room, objects within, and the “antagonist” is symbolic in some way!
• How does the author convey the tone of the story? How would you, as the reader, describe the story’s mood?
• What role does the plot structure (focus on the different rooms) play in shaping the reader’s understanding of the story?
• What is the purpose of the symbolism in the story such as the clock and the masked figure?

Check out this EASY-TO-TEACH bundle , you can practice with your students, so they will feel more confident analyzing higher-level language in “The Masque of the Red Death!”

4.  “The Cask of Amontillado”

Another chilling tale from Poe is the classic story “The Cask of Amontillado.” This one is set during Carnival in an unnamed Italian city. The plot centers on a man seeking revenge on a ‘friend’ he believes has insulted him. If your students are anything like mine, they will relish the ending particularly!

This is just one more of Poe’s short stories and tales that will capture the mind of every reader!

•  As you plan for this short story, be sure to encourage your students to analyze the changing setting (description of time and place); following Fortunato from scene to scene will help your students track what is really going on.
• This story is the perfect moment to teach about dialogue (conversation within someone=internal and/or between someone and someone/thing else=external); Montresor certainly means more than what he SEEMS to say!
• You might also offer a mini-lesson on the 3 types of irony and how each plays a role in the story: verbal (when a person says the opposite of what is really intended), situational (an action occurs that is the opposite from what the reader expects), and dramatic (a character expects a result, but the opposite occurs and the audience can tell what will happen)!
• Describe Montresor. What are his motives and personality?
• What inferences can you make about Montresor’s mindset based on his dialogue?
• What is the purpose of the family’s motto and the carnival atmosphere? 

Check out this Short Story Activity & Quiz Bundle for Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” which contains questions and answers modeled after various reading standardized tests as well as pre-quiz reading comprehension questions, graphic organizers, and a writing activity to get students thinking critically about this classic short story involving REVENGE!

Want 7 more teaching ideas for one of Poe’s epic short stories and questions to go with it? Click below!

5.  “To Build a Fire”

This story by Jack London describes the treacherous journey of a man through the harsh Yukon wilderness during extreme cold. Despite warnings and the company of a loyal dog, the man’s arrogance and underestimation of nature’s power lead to a tragic end.

Short stories and ideas related to survival in nature are still relevant today! Who knows when you might get lost on a hike or crashland in no man’s land?

• This story is PERFECT for a bit of  literary analysis  (examining the impact of various ideas, elements, or themes within a piece of literature); you could hone in on literary devices, characterization, theme, etc.!
• Integrating clips from survival shows will help students see connections to the world and extend their thinking by comparing (recognizing similarities) and contrasting (recognizing differences) varied experiences!
• Write a short narrative about surviving 24 hours in a different setting (description of time and place).
• How does the author use irony? Provide an example and explain. 
• What real-world connections can be made between this story and our contemporary life? 
• What is the story’s message about preparedness and respecting nature?

Grab these engaging short stories and activities to make teaching this Jack London story stress-free!

6.  “The Cactus”

Told from the point of view of a young man at his former lover’s wedding, the narrator retells their story. Like most of O. Henry’s short stories and texts, this one has a twist that involves the titular cactus plant.

The ending will end in a bit of fun for your students!

• Introduce diction (word choice) and its impact within the story by hyperfocusing on specific words within the story . Students can look up definitions, locate synonyms, create their own sentences, replace the words, etc.
• Investigate twist endings (unexpected finish to a story); before reading the end of the story, ask students to guess why the girl “rejected” him. Some students may know the answer before reading it!
• Describe the main characters. What similarities and differences are evident? How does this affect the story’s action?
• What inferences can you make about Trysdale and his feelings about love and marriage?
• What are the real and symbolic meanings of the cactus?

This resource packed with questions and answers, graphic organizers, and writing activities is sure to get your students thinking about this love story driven by misconceptions.

7.  “After Twenty Years”

This tale of friendship and betrayal focuses on the reunion of two old friends after twenty years apart on a New York City street corner. As they reminisce, something is revealed that demonstrates the reality of their bond as well as the choices they’ve made in life.

If you have not read O. Henry’s short stories and incorporated character analysis yet, this is your chance! The story is not long and can be completed in one to two class periods!

• Sometimes, we ask students to visualize (create a picture) in their minds, but why not give them the opportunity to use their artistic skills to draw the two characters?
• As students read, annotate for a description of each character; then, students can do a character analysis (investigation of the characters’ similarities and differences).
• What type of irony is used in the story? How does its use affect your interpretation and understanding of the story?
• How does the urban setting contribute to the mood of the story?
• What is the story’s message about friendship and loyalty?

Examine the links between loyalty and duty with this set of resources designed specifically for this O. Henry story.

8.  “The Lottery”

“The Lottery” is the quintessential short story for middle school or high school English! Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” tells the story of an annual ritual that takes place in a seemingly idyllic town. When the townsfolk gather for the lottery drawing, a shocking turn of events demonstrates the dark side of human nature and their ties to (outdated) traditions.

• Introduce the terms suspense (uncertainty and/or excitement leading up to a major event) and tension (anxiety or uneasy feelings experienced by characters). While reading, identify evidence that relates to each of these concepts and chat/write about their impact on meaning and plot.
• Teach title (the name of the text) analysis. The title of “The Lottery” is perfect for teaching the impact of the title and audience expectations. Before reading, students may write what they believe the story will be about based on the title. After reading, students can complete a quick write responding to their previous expectations! You can do a text analysis for all short stories and poems!
• What role does the plot structure play in building suspense and tension? (Consider the revelation of the lottery’s ‘prize’ in particular.)
• What social commentary is being made through the story and its characters?
• Describe Mr. Summers, Tessie, and Old Man Warner. What does the story reveal about their role in the community and their feelings about the lottery?

Give yours elf a breath of fresh air with this NO PREP curriculum that integrates test prep within the teaching of literature by using Shirley Jackson’s quintessential story!

9.  “The Pedestrian”

This Ray Bradbury story follows a lone walker in a futuristic society in which everyone else is consumed by technology, particularly the television. One evening, the walker encounters a police car that questions his unusual behavior and the end is quite unexpected! (Most of Bradbury’s short stories and texts connect to the future and technology in some way!)

• This story exemplifies Dystopian Literature (texts that include a supposedly perfect future society marred in some way by governmental or societal oppression). Using this story to introduce this type of literature is always fun for students because they will easily make connections to other dystopic short stories and poems!
• Teach about mood (the emotional impact of a story’s description/action). The goal is to get students to deepen their critical thinking skills by recognizing how the mood changes and the purpose for that change!
• How does the author use foreshadowing and suspense to build the mood of the story?
• What is the central theme of the story? How might it connect with our current world?
• What similes and metaphors does Bradbury use to describe the community and its members? What is notable about these comparisons?

With this resource about Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian,” you can just print and teach the lesson and activities with EASE! 

10.  “The Gift of the Magi”

This 1905 story by O. Henry relays a tale about a couple struggling to make ends meet. Throughout the story, they both figure out gifts to buy one another for Christmas and realize what love truly means!

• Review character traits (how a character is depicted internally and externally). Log the traits of each character within the story and how they are important to the meaning of the story.
• Extend (move beyond the text) critical thinking skills by encouraging students to think and write about other people. If they had $1,000 to spend on someone else, how would they spend the money and why?

• How would you describe Della and Jim, and their relationship?
• What values do the characters have, when you consider their actions and decisions?
• Explain how dramatic irony is used in the story. Is it necessary? Is it effective? Why or why not?

This tale is a great addition to your short stories and questions unit around the winter holidays! Save yourself time at that time of the year with this lesson bundle . 

11.  “The Monkey’s Paw” 

“The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic horror story about the White family who come into possession of a mystical monkey’s paw that grants three wishes. Despite warnings, they use it and then face devastating consequences as a result.

• Teach about the elements of the horror/suspense genre (Ex. Scary movies are typically dark, stormy, surprising, morbid, etc.).
• Create a thematic statement (message relayed by the text in a complete sentence). There is no perfectly created theme (message) unless it is directly stated by the author; however, students can create a theme by supporting their ideas with evidence from the story!
• What is the main theme of the story? Or how does the author communicate the themes of greed or fate? Is one stronger than the other?
• Are Mr. and Mrs. White more alike or different from one another? How do you know?
• Should we be afraid of the unknown? What message does the story share? Do you agree or disagree?

Examine W.W. Jacobs’ classic story with this set of questions and answers along with rigorous reading and writing activities . While it is ideal for a spooky season, the story is valuable for its ability to hook readers any time of year!

12.  “Lamb to the Slaughter” 

This classic story with a killer plot twist is about a woman who kills her husband and gets away with murder thanks to cooking a leg of lamb!

• You could introduce the plot elements (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), encourage students to identify major events to fit each element and write down textual evidence to support their ideas.
• Complete a film analysis (examination of film techniques and their effects) to compare/contrast the short story with the classic Alfred Hitchcock television episode.
• What is Mary Maloney’s state of mind? Does it remain the same or does it change throughout the story? Explain.
• Is the resolution of the story satisfying? Why or why not? Why do you think the author ended it as he did?
• How does irony contribute to the theme of deception in the story? Explain.

Spice up your middle school English or high school English class with this short stories and activities bundle for Dahl’s famous story!

13.  “The Tell-Tale Heart” 

Poe’s classic psychological thriller is narrated by an unnamed protagonist who insists on their sanity while recounting how they murdered an old man. The narrator is haunted by the sound of the victim’s beating heart, which ultimately drives him to confess to the crime despite not originally being a suspect. 

• Teach symbolism (object, person, or place that represents something else) by focusing on the heart and eye . The author used these symbols in various ways!
• Investigate psychology (the study of the human mind) as a part of the story. Determine what is fact and what is fiction within the narrator’s mind.
• What does the story reveal about the human psyche?
• What is the deeper meaning of the two key symbols in the story – the beating heart and the eye of the old man?
• What role do the narrator’s inner thoughts play in the development of the plot?

This Short Story Comprehension Bundle offers quick (and effective!) ways to assess students’ learning and understanding of the story. It’s easy to use and will no doubt save you time too!

14.  “The Scarlet Ibis” 

Emotional short stories and their counterparts have a place as well in English classrooms! This short story by James Hurst about two brothers is a heartbreaking must-read. Through flashbacks, the unnamed narrator tells the life story of his younger sickly brother William Armstrong, who is nicknamed Doodle. And the end…well, you’ll see.

• Define and explain the purpose of a flashback (referring back to the past within a story). Think about the implications of never thinking back on the past or always thinking about the past.
• Complete a comparison chart between Doodle and the Ibis as you read along. Then, students can create a visual of each after they have ready by using their own evidence!
• What is the meaning of the story’s title and the presence of a scarlet ibis in the story?
• What is the central theme of the story? How do the events of the story support this chosen theme?
• How does the author use personification for the storm? What effect does this have on the story?

This flexible resource features critical thinking questions and answers as well as writing and reading activities for students to explore Hurst’s heartbreaking story.

15.  “The Veldt” 

This science fiction story by Ray Bradbury was first published as “The World the Children Made” and it is quite fitting as a title! The story focuses on a futuristic world in which a video screen can be controlled and it turns out to be more than simple virtual reality! By the story’s conclusion, the world the children made is the downfall of their parents. 

• Compare and contrast “The Veldt” with “The Pedestrian,” two short stories and dystopic texts by Ray Bradbury. Analyze the similarities and differences of both short stories and create a thematic statement that connects to both texts!
• Make connections to our current reality in the 21st century. Locate research about the implications of technology on young people and integrate this information as you discuss this short story.
• How does the author address the theme of technology versus humanity in the story? Do you agree with this commentary? Why or why not?
• How does the nursery reflect the personalities of Wendy and Peter in this story?
• Do you know the story of Peter Pan and his friend Wendy? What connections can you make between it and this story by Ray Bradbury?

Ray Bradbury’s classic short stories and similar passages are the BEST to teach in middle and high school English! With so much to dive into, they are sure to be a hit with your students. Grab this set of activities to extend your students’ engagement with rigorous reading and writing activities about “The Veldt.” 

16.  “The Necklace” 

A woman who longs for a life of luxury and elegance beyond her means faces consequences when she loses a borrowed necklace. Guy de Maupassant’s story ends with a twist that has the reader question the value of material possessions. 

• I love comparing this short story with O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi.” You might choose to focus on the theme, characterization, setting, etc.
• Summarize (writing about the main idea with details) each chunk of the story as you read with your students. Instead of asking students to write a paragraph, you could ask students to create each summary in only one sentence.
• The story explores vanity, deception, and the consequences of striving for social status. Which theme do you think is the most important? Explain with support from the story.
• Is Mathilde Loisel a likable character? Does this change during the story? Does it matter if the reader likes her? Why or why not?
• What clues does the author provide throughout the story that foreshadow the twist at the story’s end?

Focus on the standards with this Short Story Lesson Bundle for “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant!

Need help with implementing activities for “The Necklace?” See below!

17.  “A Vendetta” 

Guy de Maupassant’s late-19th-century story is all about REVENGE. A mother is obsessed with creating a plan to avenge her son’s murder and she then puts the plan into action with a morbid outcome.

• There are so many texts that involve REVENGE! Why not use this concept as a focus for a thematic unit (texts linked to a similar concept and/or message)? You could read “A Poison Tree,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “Lamb to the Slaughter” as well as “A Vendetta” with the intention of writing about all 4 for a comparison/contrast paper, presentation, or seminar.
• Analyze the development (how a character changes over time) of the mother and the dog throughout the story; you might annotate for similarities and differences as well as their motivations!
• What comment is the story making about the nature (or need) for justice? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
• What similes and metaphors does the author use to communicate the main character’s feelings about the vendetta?
• How does the author use details to explain the main character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivation?

Add these activities for this lesser-known work to your short story plans. It’s sure to keep things fresh for your short stories and activities unit! 

18.  “Thank You, Ma’am” (also known as “Thank You, M’am”)

This heartfelt story by Langston Hughes tells the story of Luella, an older woman in the neighborhood, who is nearly robbed by a young man named Roger. In response to Roger, Luella brings him back to her home and treats him with an abundance of kindness, which has a profound effect on Roger.

This tale is at the top of the list for the BEST short stories and passages for upper middle and younger high school students!

• Introduce perspective and/or point of view (how a story is told: 1st, 2nd, 3rd omniscient, 3rd limited, 3rd objective). Students might rewrite the story from another perspective or extend the story using the perspective of one of the main characters.
• Review plot elements with a focus on the exposition (introduction to the characters, setting, and conflict), climax (highest point of interest/turning point of the story), and resolution (how the story is concluded and/or resolved in some way.) You could assign an activity surrounding each concept: visualization of the scene, a journal response to the event, or a short response focused on how the element is important to the overall theme!

• Do you believe in second chances? What does the story say about second chances? 
• How might the climax of the story also be seen as the turning point in Roger’s life?
• How would you describe Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones? Are her actions expected or unexpected in the story? Consider from Roger’s and the reader’s point of view.

Click to check out all of the details for this BUNDLE with differentiated options , which includes a Test Prep Quiz (with varied options), Venn Diagrams, Graphic Organizers, and Writing Responses!! 

19.  “Click Clack the Rattle Bag”

This short story by Neil Gaiman is creepy and fun in the best ways possible! The narrator is taking care of his girlfriend’s little brother and walking him to bed when the child asks for a story. Instead of the narrator sharing a story, the boy shares about the Click Clacks who drink their prey and leave behind rattling bodies. The end is too good to be missed!

Short stories and plots like those in “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” will most certainly engage even your most struggling learners!

• We all know that test prep can be tough as many reading passages are, well, boring! Why not accomplish some test prep with your students and incorporate 5 standardized test-related questions ? You could focus on theme, structure, order of events, characterization, etc.!
• Help students make inferences (acknowledging and hypothesizing about the impact of details that are not directly referenced or stated) as the scene moves along. Students can analyze the change in the setting, the little boy himself, the story the boy is telling, and specific phrases from the story.
• What details in the story contribute to its eerie atmosphere or mood? Or what figurative language devices does Neil Gaiman use to create a sense of suspense in the story? 
• How does the author use ambiguity in the story? Is it effective or not? Explain.
• What inferences can you make about the relationship between the narrator and the young boy?

This “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” Quiz Pack for middle and high school students uses the Common Core standards and contains questions and answers modeled after various state standardized tests! Make teaching this amazing short story by Neil Gaiman SIMPLE & EASY!

Why should we incorporate more short stories and activities in our teaching?

While I would never advocate replacing all novels with short stories and smaller texts, there is still something to be said about spending quality time with short stories and excerpts. 

Including short stories and standards-based activities is an ideal option to improve reading comprehension and develop skills, especially in middle and high school English classes!

SHORT STORIES AND ACTIVITIES RESOURCES: 

This  Short Stories and Test Prep Questions ULTIMATE BUNDLE with Lessons, Quizzes, and Activities uses the Common Core standards with reading comprehension QUESTIONS and ANSWERS for 18 short stories such as “The Most Dangerous Game,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “After Twenty Years,” “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Veldt,” “The Lottery,” “The Pedestrian,” etc. modeled after various state reading exams.

Make teaching short stories and activities SIMPLE & EASY!

Just PRINT & TEACH with engaging short stories and lessons!!

Need more fun ideas for teaching short stories and corresponding activities? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep !

Hi, I’m KRISTIN!

I primarily focus on  integrating multiple disciplines and subjects. The goal is to make teaching simplified and effective!

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10 Fun Critical Thinking Activities for Middle School Students

Last Updated on October 11, 2022 by Editorial Team

Wouldn’t it be exceptional to see your children learning from games? That’s what activities usually ensure by giving them hands-on experience. While we see academic lessons thriving through activities, can teaching an idiosyncratic concept like critical thinking through activities be possible?

Critical thinking can be boosted at any age. However, being a part of overall development in students, schooling systems today are paying auxiliary attention to it. But, how do you inculcate critical thinking in middle schoolers? 

Just like grown-ups, middle schoolers would love some activities that hit at the right spot to help them think logically and rationally. In this post, we will dive into what critical thinking is, its benefits for middle schoolers, and finally, some cool activities to preach it better. 

Critical Thinking- What it actually is?

Appropriate thinking is imperative if it comes to the pinch. Purposeful thinking, decision making, and appropriate problem solving make a person a critical thinker. 

By Definition, Critical thinking is the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” This definition stipulates you have some crucial attributes. We have talked about this essential trait in our previous posts , but what aspects of critical thinking should middle schoolers be aiming at?

Aspects of critical thinking

You need to comprehend crucial attributes that form a critical thinking mix for middle school students with the definition. These are:

• Quick Thinking

Critical thinkers attribute quick thinking in the first place. It is vital for making quick judgments regarding problems. Recognizing and remembering things is the basis for quick thinking. Identifying a problem, and thinking promptly yet logically about the solution makes a student an avid thinker. 

• Creative Aspect

Being creative requires you to think broadly about the logic and reasons behind every problem. Additionally, it can bring out multiple perspectives, making solutions easier. Moreover, a person needs to visualize the given challenge and distinguish it to infer better to be creative.

• Analytical Aspect

The final aspect is Analytical thinking . This includes taking proper inference, analyzing, and synthesizing the challenge. This not only is for a problem but even for data. This aspect of critical thinking typically succors students during examinations, where a student needs to analyze questions to draft an exemplary answer. 

Critical thinking activities- A virtue for middle schoolers

Based on the above-discussed aspects, some activities inculcate the best critical thinking characteristics that help students in the most quintessential ways. Lending a hand to middle schoolers and indulging them in critical thinking activities would give the students a taste of a better future; other benefits of these activities include-

• Critical thinking activities make students understand the challenges so that they can plan for a solution. Ultimately, fearing and running away from challenges is not healthy.
• Activities improve the student’s problem-solving ability. Brainstorming and getting out of the situation ultimately boosts the diagnostic and investigative spheres, which helps the child think logically, rationally, and critically.
• Decision-making skills make an individual ardent and capable of mighty things. Practices and tasks that enhance critical thinking ensure students become independent during and after school. 
• Activities help students perform better in school. This results in an improved academic performance as these activities also make them self-reliant learners.  

Critical thinking activities for middle school students

1. mind squeeze .

In this activity, the teacher would choose a set of 5 words for every student. The whole process revolves around the teacher showing these words for a few seconds and then hiding them; later, the student would recite the words aloud by remembering them. 

A lot like the memory game, Mind Squeeze tests the recalling ability of the students while giving them a chance to improve their memory. Thus, this is a good recognizing and recalling activity for middle schoolers.  

2. Anonymous Passage

Practising passages would be a great routine to develop reading habits in students. It also helps them retain crucial details. To start with, the teacher makes a passage and a set of questions. The teacher reads the passage aloud so that all the students can hear it. Now, a few questions are asked on the basis of the passage. 

The activity stipulates the students to remember the whole passage so that they can answer the questions being asked later. This game helps students improve their recalling memory, as the whole game is about remembering the passage. Moreover, the communication and understanding skills of the students are put to the test as their answers would wholly depend on it.  

3. The Scene Setting

Creativity is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. To be creative, students need to be good at visualising scenes too. The teacher shows a prop in this game—any object like a pencil, bird, or ball. Students need to create a scene and story around it. This game gets interesting as the prop gets unique. For instance, asking students to write a story around a needle can explore the depth of their creativity. 

At first, it might seem like a challenging and daunting task. But later, it becomes quite fun, and students gather ideas of how to present their prop in front of the whole class. This not only boosts their creativity but also appraises their communication skills. 

4. Touch On The Error

The students can know about their abilities to distinguish by this activity. The teacher gives children a chance to play with letters here. For instance, the teacher provides children with a sentence where some letters are replaced with ‘Z.’ Now, children may be asked to distinguish the errors and find out the right answers for the same. 

The activity’s primary purpose is to form a pattern which the students can notice and later identify the actual word or sentence. For example, The teacher might give words like- BZG, CZT, ZND, ZPPLE. The common letter here is ‘z’; now, the students need to figure out what this Z stands for. 

Teachers may also mark off all vowels or cross 3rd word of each sentence. By increasing the difficulty level of these words, the teachers can help students brainstorm, which would ultimately add to their critical thinking skills. 

5. Settle the Confusion

Critical thinkers seldom get bewildered. In fact, they make the right inferences from gathered information. Students are offered a confusing question to ensure the same. This way, they can infer and conclude better. In this activity, the teacher can read out a story or play a video for the students. Later, confusing and challenging questions can be asked for the kids. This helps them think harder and answer rationally based on their understanding. 

The questions might look baffling at first, but when a child pushes the right buttons, the complexity would not look like a stumbling block.

6. Award the Winner

Here a student is called upon and asked to judge traits of peers. To prop up this, they asked to choose one peer whom they wanted to award. It doesn’t end here; they need to offer reasons behind their choice. To make it more exciting, teachers can take the call of pairing two extremely unlike students together and give them some time to know some crucial things about each other. Later, they can award each other based on their impression given during the few minutes. 

This shows and improves their judgment skills and, ultimately, critical thinking. 

7. One in Million Sentence

Great for helping students get a new idea about the day-to-day objects, this activity would start with each student asked to write a small phrase on a piece of paper and put them in a box.  Once everyone is done with it, the teacher shuffles them up and hands one slip to each student; Later, the whole class is divided into small groups of 5-6 members. Now, each group is asked to arrange their slips to make a meaningful sentence. 

The way students unjumble the sentences to make them look the most meaningful would showcase a lot about their capabilities. Such activities also put their cognition capacity to the test.

8. Make Out Utilities

Creative thinker analyses an object or challenge in multiple dimensions. Making out Utilities can help students to do the same. In this activity, students are provided with an item—say vegetables. They have to mention five ways to use them. Thinking about the five uses of vegetables can bewilder students and encourage them to think hard. This activity teaches students how to take multiple inferences from day-to-day properties.  

Teachers must give unique words to students. Words that have easily thinkable 5 uses should be avoided. This will make them deliberate through, which will ultimately impact their creative and critical thinking, 

9. One day President 

The ultimate agenda of a critical thinker is to put things together for a solution. The activity, One day president, makes every student take the position of a president. Now, each of them should state what changes they can make in the country in three aspects: financial, educational, and people. Other than brainstorming, a lot of the child’s general awareness too can be judged by this activity. 

This game would be riveting if the children are aware of their surroundings and know what’s happening around the globe. As a president in the activity, they will also experience being a leader, which is crucial for free thinking.

10.  Adventure time

As the name implies, Adventure time activity lets students explore. In this, the entire class is divided into groups of 2-3 students. Each group is given a topic on which they have to make a board game. The best board game is the winner.

This activity makes students think about every aspect of the given topic. For instance, if the topic is forest, students will explore what can be the challenges they would face in a forest— wild animals, weather, and many more.

Being a critical thinker can be far-reaching and make the students more decisive, insightful, and coherent. They can be a cut above when mastered at a tender age. 21st-century kids need essential critical thinking skills to apply knowledge and solve unconventional problems. These distinct skills are not limited to an inborn attribute but can be grasped through relevant practices. Personal practices accompanied by activities can give astounding outcomes; thus, the same should be ingrained in students. Ponder the activities above to see if they make a remarkable change.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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How to teach Critical Thinking: Lesson plans for teachers

Knowing how to teach critical thinking is not always clear. These critical thinking lesson plans will help teachers build the critical thinking skills that their students need to become better engaged and informed global citizens.

The plans were developed in collaboration with psychology and brain researchers at Indiana University and with teachers across the country. All of our lesson plans are free to download, use and share. Primarily for middle schools, the topics range from cognitive biases to common logical fallacies, to subject-specific lessons in math, sciences, and social studies. 

We invite you to check out our library of lessons, to share any thoughts and feedback that you might have

Teaching about control groups

Teaching about the confirmation bias

Teaching about the cognitive bias called overgeneralization

Using Unit Rates and Math to teach critical thinking

Critical Thinking and Statistics

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills

Social Media and the Confirmation Bias

Experimenter Bias in Science

Critical Thinking About Science News

Common Logical Fallacies in Science (Grades 6-8)

Common Logical Fallacies in Math (Grades 6-8)

Using Questions to Foster Critical Thinking in Science (Grades 6-8)

Teaching About Common Biases & Fallacies Using Social Studies (Grade 6)

TEACHING ABOUT COMMON BIASES & FALLACIES USING MATH (Grade 6)

TEACHING ABOUT COMMON BIASES & FALLACIES USING MATH (Grade 5)

Teaching About Common Biases & Fallacies Using Social Studies (Grade 4)

Teaching About Common Biases & Fallacies Using Math (Grade 4)

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Educircles.org

Critical Thinking Lesson Plans PDF for Middle School / High School vs ChatGPT

CRITICAL THINKING LESSON PDF – March 11, 2024: ChatGPT makes it so easy not to think.

Sure, we can ban ChatGPT from schools. But how will we learn how to think critically about artificial intelligence if we’re not exposed to it?

Critical Thinking involves helping students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information objectively so they can form an informed perspective.

Help your students out with these 24 fun lessons on critical thinking.

They’ll learn how to spot fake news and wrong information, so they can make smart choices and solve problems in the real world.

Here are 24 critical thinking lessons to engage your Middle School and High School Students!

• Where does bias come from?
• What is fake news?
• How reliable are citizenship journalism posts on social media?
• Can we trust Mainstream Media (MSM Traditional News)?
• Should we trust state-funded news organizations to tell the truth?
• When is social media better than the news?
• Are alternative news sources trustworthy?
• Can students take the time to see things from different perspectives?
• BONUS: Should ChatGPT be allowed in schools? Or, is this cheating?

FREE, NO-PREP Chat GPT debate lesson

ChatGPT has completely changed the game.

Did you know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) sometimes “hallucinates” and says things that are completely made up?

The problem is that the AI chatbot doesn’t realize it’s hallucinating until you point out the error (if you’re able to spot the fake news!)

This just means we have to double check the things ChatGPT and AI tells us.

• Even lawyers don’t realize that ChatGPT can invent information (i.e. AI hallucinations).

What about our students? Will our students realize that AI can completely make up answers?

Here’s a FREE NO PREP Chat GPT debate lesson on YouTube so you can have an informed debate with your students.

Yes, ChatGPT can be exciting and scary. Should we panic? No.

Watch the video lesson on YouTube .

Should Chat GPT be allowed in schools? Or is this cheating?

• ChatGPT Critical Thinking Debate
• Writing Reflection Assignment

As easy as 1, 2, 3:

• Print the worksheets : You can get the worksheets here .
• Watch the video lesson on YouTube.  There are two versions: 1) a  SHORTER  version and 2) a  FULL LESSON  with handout instructions.
• Moderate Class Discussion

Hi, I’m Mike! Your Virtual Support Teacher

The Virtual Support Teacher video lesson provides all the information your students need to have an informed debate.  

• No independent research is required.
• Play the video in class and then moderate the discussion.

CHAT GPT and Google Magi (artificial intelligence) has completely changed the way students can learn and cheat.

But a lesson on ChatGPT is really about developing  21st-century learning skills  and  social-emotional learning skills  to survive and thrive in a changing world.

It’s not enough to say don’t cheat. We need to help students understand how to use this tool.

After all, you’re at a competitive disadvantage if you can’t keep up with major technological revolutions.

Critical Thinking Topics explored by the FREE YouTube video lesson

• What is Chat GPT?
• Explain like I’m five years old: How well can Chat GPT summarize and find the main idea from complex texts?
• Include this list of personal information into your answer: Can Chat GPT really produce creative writing with personal examples?
• The Google Search Algorithm has learned to be sexist (and what you can do about it.)
• Should I panic about Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence?
• Should I trust my robot friend?

Students fill out worksheets to document their learning  at multiple points in the lesson: (beginning, middle, and end)

• Evidence  from the text
• Explain  their own thinking

The ChatGPT debate lesson gives students an opportunity to collaborate and participate in small group and whole class conversations to develop a deeper understanding of the issue.

• These conversations can provide multiple opportunities to listen to students to see what they understand. (Anecdotal observation / assessment.)

Students brainstorm criteria to decide if Chat GPT should be allowed in schools or is this cheating. (Worksheet 5)

• What’s the point of school?
• What does cheating mean?

The long version of the video walks students through a FOUR CORNERS debate .

Finally, students fill out a written response: Should Chat GPT be allowed in schools? An optional rubric is included.

• Explain  how the evidence from the text proves their point using criteria.

The video lesson is FREE on YouTube

The optional worksheet handouts are on sale for $1.00 for a limited time. (The price will increase on Monday May 8, 2023)

Download the ChatGPT lesson handouts.

PS. Save time and money. The ChatGPT handouts have been added as a bonus in this 6Cs Critical Thinking unit .

It’s not April Fools anymore, but it’s still a good Critical Thinking Lesson

Now is the perfect time to do this April Fools’ Critical Thinking Lesson… Why? Because if you did this lesson on April 1, 2023, your students would be too suspicious.

Now, you can see if they notice the clues in the media text to determine if this is fake or not.

Can your students figure out if this is a real Google™ product?

60 minutes of engaging content divided into two parts:

• Part 1: Fake News vs Tulips + Exit Ticket (30 min)
• Part 2: Taking up the Answers + Student Reflection (30 min)

CRITICAL THINKING LESSON

Slideshow lesson teaches critical thinking concepts.

• Use the Five Ws (who, what, when, where, why/how) to analyze the video.
• Ask “Why” or “How” questions for deeper understanding.

EXIT TICKET

• Assessment for students to demonstrate their understanding.
• Marking Guide includes sample “look-fors.”
• Generic rubric categories for easy adaptation to different grades.

Check out the April Fools’ Joke and critical thinking lesson here .

We live in a time of fake news, misinformation, and school-yard gossip!

This means, students need to think critically pretty much all the time.

• They did what?!
• Is this true? Did it really happen like that?
• Does that even make sense? Am I in an echo chamber where my friends just agree with me?

What do our students do when they

• See viral posts on social media,
• Read a “fact” in a textbook or website,
• Hear rumors about classmates!

How can we use logic and reason to form opinions? What can we do to make decisions and solve problems in a controversial world?

Critical Thinking and making informed decisions is part of Social Emotional Learning.

This SEL resource includes Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF), a detailed script, discussion questions, and sample student answers… you get it all!

Fake News Versus… A new series of Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (Middle School / High School)

I’ve just launched the first lesson in a series I call “Fake News versus”

The first one is called “Fake News vs The Five Ws.”

• I published it on March 28, 2022 and it will be free for a limited time.
• It’s been downloaded over 739 times!
• You can get it here .

Fight Fake News using the Five Ws!

Use the Five Ws (who, what, when, where, why/how) to think critically about the story  behind  the message.

60 minutes of content:

• Part 1:  Fake News vs The Five Ws & Exit Ticket  (30 min)
• Part 2:  Taking up the Answers & Student Reflection  (30 min)

Exit ticket assessment  gives students a chance to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson.

Marking Guide  includes sample “look-fors.”

• Incorrect answer
• Simple / straightforward answer
• Answers demonstrating increasing complexity
• A list of “Next Steps” is included on the exit ticket. You can choose one for the student, or they can self-select what they think they need to work on.

Generic rubric categories are used instead of numbers or marks:

• Epic, Great, Good, Okay, Needs Improvement, Major Misunderstanding.
• This way, you can use this activity with different grades – just shift the benchmark where you attach your grades.

The “Taking up the Answers” slideshow

• shows students how to take a simple answer and create a more complex idea using “idea volleyball.”

Social-Emotional Learning is built directly into the lesson and assessment:

The exit ticket is designed to help students develop  self-awareness skills .

After students see the correct answer, the “Taking up the Answers” slideshow walks students through the goal-setting process to improve:

• What did you do well?
• What ideas did you miss this time?
• What is your goal for next time?
• What might help you to improve?

The “Taking up the Answers” slideshow gives students examples of actions they can take to improve:

• Use a different  Strategy
• Apply more  Effort .
• Optimize  results (by looking at previous work to see if there are patterns.)
• Tinkering  with new ideas

Transferrable learning skills can help students make informed decisions to solve problems

(even when angry or when things aren’t fair).

We live in crazy times. People have very strong opinions on both sides of controversial issues:

• Systemic racism
• Religious freedom
• Freedom of speech
• Gun control
• Woke politics
• Parental rights in Education vs Gender Identity
• ChatGPT in Education

Before, we lived in a world where people might not have all of the facts. Or, the facts were inaccurate. (We call this mis information.)

Now, we live in a world where people are actively putting out propaganda and intentionally incorrect information. (We call this dis information.)

And then we have Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) that can hallucinate and completely make up facts… and tell you with confidence that these facts are true… until you point out to the AI why it’s incorrect.

And this is the world right now.

Our students will be facing a completely different world when they grow up.

We’re already seeing hints of what that world will look like with ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence powered Search Engines

And this chat based model with artificial intelligence is the way the world is heading.

• Microsoft Bing is powered by ChatGPT integration with current search results.
• Google has Gemini

The way we use the internet is changing and we need to think even more critically about the information we get from the internet gatekeepers – search engines.

Of course, Google has been exploring AI. But they haven’t implemented AI fully in their search engine. Why? Because AI results were generated false and biased statements.

 In recent years, Google has used large language models to improve the quality of its search results, but held off on fully adopting A.I. because it has been prone to generating false and biased statements. Source: New York Times – Google Devising Radical Search Changes to Beat Back A.I. Rivals

Can Google and ChatGPT be sexist or discriminate?

Machine Learning algorithms have been shown to give false information and sexist.

• Make sure to sign up for the Educircles Club newsletter.
• I have an incredible Chat GPT critical thinking video and lesson coming out.
• And you like freebies , don’t you?

Now, more than ever, we all need to understand how to think critically about the information we get.

Students need to have some basic tools to help them decide what’s right and wrong (for them.)

This Critical Thinking unit has everything to do with ChatGPT, Covid controversies, conspiracy theories, illegal occupations, war propaganda, and woke politics… without having anything to do with them.

• The critical thinking worksheets and lessons focus on transferrable skills without using examples from current controversies.
• There’s no mention of ChatGPT, Ottawa Protests, George Floyd, January 6, the war in Ukraine, or woke politics.
• That makes this resource timeless.

New and Improved UPDATE to my 6Cs Critical Thinking Curriculum Unit

Based on teacher feedback, I’ve made it a lot easier to find the files you need.

Make sure to look at the product preview for each resource. You can see full screenshots of exactly what you get in each critical thinking lesson package.

A. Lost at Sea (FREE!)

Download the FREE resource

Help students develop critical thinking skills by prioritizing a list of 15 items to help them survive if lost at sea.

• 5 pages of handouts,
• 23-page detailed critical thinking lesson plan (PDF).

Lost at Sea is a classic activity that can be found all across the Internet.

The original activity comes from  PACE , which published the “Lost at Sea” activity in the public domain. 

Instead of relying solely on emotional, intuitive responses, I’ve adapted this activity to highlight the importance of criteria-based thinking (critical thinking).

Ultimately, the goal is to begin a conversation about critical thinking and how to use criteria to make informed decisions.

B. Thinking about Thinking

Download the resource

Help students improve Self-Awareness and Social Awareness. Guide them through this series of Social Emotional Learning activities!

• By becoming aware of who we are,
• we can begin to think more critically to understand the perspectives of others –
• especially those from different backgrounds or points of view.

Students explore three activities to understand better how our emotions, thoughts, and values can influence our point of view.

Section B has 108 slides, 14 pages of handouts, and 30 pages of Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF format)

C. Search Engine Bias Experiment

Help students improve Social Awareness and Responsible Decision-Making by understanding how search engines influence our bias and behaviour!

Students analyze an informational text (Google™ search engine results) and develop critical thinking internet skills!

• Should online dictionaries give the same definition for a given word?
• Should Google and other search engines give the same results for a given search phrase?

Search engines provide personalized results that can reinforce our point of view and bias. We know Netflix gives us personalized suggestions of what to watch next.

But did you know Google personalizes our results as well? 

We live in an invisible “search bubble” that filters the results we find on the internet.

• Search engine algorithms filter what shows up at the top of the list.
• Becoming aware of this search bubble is a way for students to think more critically.

Informational texts are things based on facts.

• In ELA, we often look at biographies, historical accounts, or textbook articles.
• But, a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is also an informational text.
• Students explore the text form to analyze and identify potential bias.

In this 9 lesson package, students conduct experiments to see what happens if different people search for the same thing on the internet.

Section C has 117 slides, 14 pages of handouts, and 36 pages of detailed script and Critical Thinking Lesson Plan PDFs

D. Fake News

Help students improve Social Awareness and Responsible Decision Making by exploring fake news from multiple points of view!

Students compare the reliability of information from Social Media and Traditional News Media. 

Three critical thinking strategies help students make more informed decisions.

Students also reflect on how their attitudes change as they learn more information. 

In this lesson package, students try to

• be OPEN-MINDED  as they explore different points of view and examples.
• become FULL-MINDED  and explore how money is made online through ads before learning about Fake News websites during the Trump election.
• USE CRITERIA  to determine if local news anchors reciting the same script about the dangers of social media is an example of Fake News.

Media skills and understandings are embedded throughout the Common Core State Standards rather than treated in a separate section.

In this lesson, students will

• Cite the evidence  that supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly and implicitly.
• Determine and analyze different points of view.
• Analyze a case  where multiple sources provide conflicting information on the same topic (Sinclair incident.)

In this 6 lesson package, students explore how their perspective of social media and traditional news media might change as we learn more information about the Sinclair Script incident. (Essentially, a bunch of local news anchors read the exact same script word-for-word about the dangers of social media and fake news.)

Section D is hands down one of my favourite lessons because it walks students through different sides of a “fake news” issue.

There are 186 slides in the slideshow lesson. You also get 15 pages of handouts. Finally the Critical Thinking Lesson Plan PDFs walk you through 59 pages of detailed scripts and discussion points.

E. Videos F. Consolidation / Review

Help students improve Self-Awareness and Responsible Decision Making skills by using critical thinking to think about critical thinking!

Students analyze four videos to explore critical thinking: 12 cognitive biases, online filter bubbles, and unconscious bias.

After each video, students brainstorm strategies to 1) trick people and 2) help us think critically.

The slideshow lesson reviews three strategies to analyze the videos.

• Be OPEN-MINDED.  Consider alternate points of view.
• Be FULL-MINDED.  Seek out high-quality information.
• USE CRITERIA  to make an informed opinion.

Students also watch a fourth video  about critical thinking to explore other critical thinking strategies.

They then compare strategies  to develop a deeper understanding of how to trick people and think more critically. 

In the Consolidation/Review section, students use a vocabulary-building graphic organizer (Frayer model) to explore critical thinking.

Students brainstorm examples, non-examples, features, and must-have criteria.

Section E/F is the consolidation chapter of this Critical Thinking Unit. It has 50 slides, 12 pages of handouts. You also get 50 pages of Critical Thinking lesson plans PDF FORMAT.

Teach students HOW to think critically to solve problems

We live in a world filled with news media and social media focus on sensational topics.

This is especially true today with new information constantly coming to us about Coronavirus (Covid-19)

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’re constantly overloaded with information.

Also, it’s easy to get caught up and respond emotionally.

We all need to be able to think critically when we’re drawing conclusions.

How many of your students get caught up in these situations:

• something goes viral on social media.
• someone spreads a rumour on the school yard.
• something scary happens in the world.
• something unfair happened to them.

A lot of people might say that critical thinking skills and strategies are really just common sense.

But, as we all know from teaching in the classroom, there’s nothing common about common sense.

Explicitly teaching strategies help provide a foundation for critical analysis of everything we see, hear and learn.

Social-Emotional Learning includes critical thinking – whether we’re talking about

• helping students with responsible decision making
• figuring out how to resolve conflict and develop relationship skills
• having self-management skills to set (and work towards) personal goals
• being open-minded and embracing social awareness to ensure we have lots of high-quality information instead of relying on stereotypes
• having self-awareness and examining who we are, and how that might introduce prejudices, biases, and filter the way we see the world.

Sometimes, the News, Social Media, or Artificial Intelligence / ChatGPT can give us a skewed view of the world.

Critical Thinking skills help students work to use logic and reason instead of emotion and fear when making decisions or drawing conclusions. This is a lesson students need but don’t often realize they need.

Critical thinking lesson plans can help teachers empower students to make informed decisions in everyday life independently.

We can do this by giving students specific strategies on how to think critically in multiple situations. Whether you are:

• dealing with fake news
• trying to make an opinion or drawing conclusions
• trying to be fair

Teach students to have opinions based on high-quality information and to seek out opposing points of view to make an informed decision.

• Use criteria
• Be Full minded.
• Be Open minded

(Psst, want a free taste of these 3 critical thinking strategies? Check out this free slideshow lesson and worksheet package .)

Students are often told to find different points of view on an issue or in a story. But, students don’t always recognize that simply identifying the missing point of view is not the same as figuring out what that missing point of view would say.

This lesson package helps students to recognize different aspects of their identity, points of view that might be different from theirs, and the need to figure out those viewpoints to help us make an informed decision.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize we need to think critically!

Here’s an example:

Students often know we need to use the critical thinking process to make informed decisions about the information we receive.

But, did you know we also need to think critically about the information we are fed in the first place?

Notice how that sentence says “the information we are fed” and not “the information we find”?

That’s because computer algorithms are “curating” the content we receive:

• Search engines personalize your results.
• Social media personalizes your feed.
• Streaming media like Netflix personalizes suggestions for other shows you might like to see.

This means, we get information we want to see and not necessarily other points of view.

(Here’s a lesson to help teach students about this search bubble .)

Teaching critical thinking strategies to students is especially important right now to help students solve problems.

This can be in your language arts class, your homeroom, or beyond!

Critical Thinking High School – English

This lesson package would work well in a 9th Grade or 10th Grade English class.

I used to teach 8th Grade in a grade 7-12 High School. Here’s what I often heard from my secondary colleagues:

• Students coming up from elementary school often don’t know the basics.
• Their paragraph structure might be weak.
• Independent grammar and spelling skills have gone by the wayside in an era of spellcheck and Grammarly.
• Students often can’t infer deeper meaning and hidden points of view in a text.

The Common Core State Standards recognizes the importance of informational texts across subjects as students progress from elementary to middle to high school.

Good critical thinking skills are key in academic success as well as to help out when we are drawing conclusions in everyday life. Critical thinking strategies are transferable.

• Teach students HOW to think critically about search engines, news media or social media by putting the focus on the critical thinking strategies we use. Explicitly focus on different strategies…
• Then, when we teach subject-based content or explore informational texts in our English language arts classes, we can refer to these critical thinking strategies and draw back on our prior experiences when we analyzed search engines or debunked fake news.

Critical Thinking Middle School – English Language Arts / Homeroom / Advisory

These critical thinking activities for middle school work well if you teach in a 7th or 8th grade English Language Arts class. (Also, 6th grade if you teach at a grade 6-8 middle school or junior high school.)

Middle school is a great age! Students are old enough to delve into more complex issues, but still young enough to care. (They’re like giant marshmallows! Tough on the outside, but still sweet on the inside!)

Making the critical thinking process meaningful to students is one way to drive student engagement and participation in class.

• The search bubble lesson is interesting because students are collecting real-time data and comparing results. This isn’t a simple web quest where the answers are in the teaching manual. This is a real-world analysis of search results.
• The fake news lesson is a great way to teach point of view. The lesson walks middle school students through different perspectives of the Sinclair Script incident where 193 local news anchors said the exact same script about fake news.
• The invisible lens / thinking about thinking lesson is fun because students get to explore who they are and how that filters the world they see. Plus, your middle school students will be completely shocked that they’ve missed the bear . (Unless they’ve seen it before.)

Critical Thinking for Elementary Students

There’s a lot that older elementary students can get excited about.

One of my favourite parts in the critical thinking lesson plan (PDF) is when students analyze the differences between social media and traditional news media.

We often think that because citizen journalism in social media can be heavily biased because, well, anyone can post on social media.

Then the slideshow lesson asks students to analyze this video :

Crazy, right?

The critical thinking lesson plan PDF file provides a detailed script to help your students make an informed decision about social media vs traditional media.

Usually, we use the critical thinking process to help students realize not to trust everything they see on social media.

But, to be fair, we need to use that same critical thinking process regardless of where we get our information!

Critical Thinking Strategies When Reading

This critical thinking lesson unit ties in nicely with critical thinking reading strategies .

Sometimes students have difficulty using critical thinking strategies when reading.

But we evaluate stuff all the time in real life!

So, if we start our reading strategy lessons first by showing how we think critically all the time in real life, then we just tell our students that we use the same strategies when reading!

Here’s a free YouTube video lesson on the evaluating Comprehension Reading strategy. It goes nicely with this critical thinking unit:

5 weeks of Critical Thinking Lessons (ELA)

We spent over 120 hours of research and lesson development on this product so you wouldn’t have to. 

IMPORTANT: You will have to spend a little bit of time going through the slides and handouts to tweak them to fit your specific needs.

The teaching slideshow has been split into 6 smaller slideshows for each mini-unit.

This would be ideal for teaching critical thinking in English Language Arts as you get more options to divide the content throughout the year.

Note, the critical thinking lesson plans (pdf) include screenshots of each slide as well as slide numbers to help you get oriented. It’s a big file.

Slides 1 – 539: ALL

• Slides 1– 80: Lost at Sea
• Slides 81 – 189: Thinking about Thinking (Teaching Point of View in English Language Arts)
• Slides 190 – 306: Search Bubbles
• slides 307 – 492: Fake News
• slides 493 – 520: Videos
• slides 521 – 539: Understanding 

IMPORTANT DIGITAL LEARNING NOTE:

Digital learning – designed for google classroom (english language arts).

The lessons on hidden search engine bias (Slides 190 – 306: Search Bubbles) have been broken apart into smaller files that can be easily uploaded to separate Google Classroom assignments. 

In the Critical Thinking Search Engine Bias Informational Text section, you would set up 9 assignments. Each assignment would have 

• a lesson ( Google Slides file with the appropriate slides) – you share this VIEW ONLY
• a work handout (Google Doc) – you set the Google Classroom assignment to make every student their own copy of the work handout.

YOU GET 5 WEEKS (24 days) of Language Arts lessons  to do with your class to help them think more critically by using strategies: USE CRITERIA, BE OPEN MINDED, BE FULL MINDED.

IN THE ZIPPED FILE, you get…

• 543 slides  in GOOGLE SLIDE format
• 24 Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF) – approx 45 min per lesson
• LOST at SEA activity ( CRITERIA BASED thinking )
• THINKING about THINKING activity (The invisible gorilla, The invisible lens, Aspects of Identity)
• Should SEARCH ENGINES and ONLINE DICTIONARIES give us the same results? (Two online experiments exploring filter bubbles)
• BREAKING NEWS examples on social media
• The MONEY behind FAKE NEWS (How websites make money online and what this had to do with FAKE NEWS in the US election.)
• LOCAL NEWS media and the Sinclair script from 6 different POINTS of VIEW. (Oh, not sure what the Sinclair script is?  Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair made local news anchors recite the same script, word for word . Check out  this video that went viral .)
• Vocabulary Building Graphic Organizer HANDOUT
• Critical Thinking Learning Skills SELF-EVALUATION handout
• Critical Thinking Review Assessment – What did you learn? (12 short answer questions and answer key)

If you want to teach CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, we just saved you an incredible amount of prep work!

Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF) Curriculum – Table of Contents

24 DAYS of Critical Thinking Lessons in 5 WEEKS.

You can use this Critical Thinking Curriculum as part of your English Language Arts class, homeroom / advisory / guidance class, or if you teach a Critical Thinking class.

PART 1. EXPERIENCE

• DAY/LESSON 1 – Introduction / Lost at Sea (slides 1-35) – 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 2 – Lost at Sea continued (slides 36-80) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 3 – Thinking about Thinking (slides 81-102) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 4 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 103-145) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 5 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 146-170) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 6 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 171-189) 45 MINUTES
• DAY/LESSON 7 – Sources of Information (slides 190-225) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 8 – Online dictionary experiment (slides 226-233) 45 MINUTES
• DAY/LESSON 9 – Online dictionary experiment cont (slides 234-236) 40 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 10 – Search engine experiment (slides 237-276) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 11 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 277-302) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 12 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 303) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 13 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 304-306) 40 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 14 – Fake News (slides 307-334) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 15 – Fake News continued (slides 335-363) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 16 – Fake News continued (slides 364-398) 55 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 17 – Fake News continued (slides 399-430) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 18 – Fake News continued (slides 431-455) – 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 19 – Fake News continued (slides 456-492) – 50 MIN

PART 2. WATCH

• DAY/LESSON 20 – Part 2 Videos (slides 493-500) – 55 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 21 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 501-509) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 22 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 510-520) – 50 MIN

Part 3 UNDERSTAND

• DAY/LESSON 23 – Vocabulary Builder (slides 521-537) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 24 – Self Evaluation / Review – (slides 538-539) – 50 MIN

This is the good stuff. No, seriously.  Check out the preview PDF to see everything that you’re getting.

HEADS UP WARNING! YOU MAY WANT TO MODIFY SLIDES FOR YOUR SCHOOL

(This warning is also in the critical thinking lesson plans PDF) 

Everyone has a different school reality: 

• Some of the examples we use in this resource may not be appropriate for all grades, school climates, and classroom realities.
• Sometimes, as much as we’d love to, we simply don’t have time to have our lessons derailed into teachable moments.  

We tried to come up with different examples from various perspectives, but of course, we are human and have an unconscious bias as well.  

PLEASE ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS. THIS IS A FANTASTIC HIGH-INTEREST MEGA LESSON ON CRITICAL THINKING in ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS.

Here are a few of the slides that we wanted to give you a heads up about. There may be other slides that you may want to modify. We suggest going through the material to make sure everything fits your needs.

NOTE: All of our slideshow files and handouts can be modified.

• Slide 170  looks at various protected grounds in Canada as a way to help students brainstorm different groups of people. The slide discusses race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression, marital status, family status, disability, genetic characteristics and convictions for which a pardon has been granted or a record suspended.
• Slide 180  looks at possible answers for different aspects of identity. The slide lists: socio-economic status, nationality, language, colour, age, religion, orientation, gender, race, ability, and culture. 
• Slide 320-323:  Wikileaks release of alleged CIA documents showing CIA covert hacking program to listen through SMART TVs and other devices
• Slide 324-331:  Death of Osama bin Laden which was reported on Twitter first. 
• Slide 459:  The title of article is “We’re journalists at a Sinclair news station. We’re pissed.”
• Slide 481:  The title of article is “How I made a dumb video making fun of Sinclair Broadcasting and somehow started a media war”. 

NOTE: YOU CAN MODIFY, DELETE, and EDIT ALL of the lessons, handouts, and presentations.

• You get GOOGLE SLIDE and GOOGLE DOCS formats SO YOU CAN CHANGE THINGS FOR YOUR CLASS.
• The critical thinking lesson plans pdf is comprehensive and includes suggested talking points for each slide.

Critical Thinking Lessons about Hidden Bias in Search Engines

Informational text unit designed for google classroom.

A search engine is an informational text that we should think critically about. 

But, not everybody knows how to analyze the Search Engine Results Pages effectively to identify hidden bias. (Heck, most people don’t realize the search results we get in everyday life are very personalized and influenced by our search habits.) 

We need to think more critically before we draw conclusions- not only about the information we read online but also about the information choices we receive from our digital gatekeepers  (search engines, media streaming platforms, any other online service that provides a personalized experience based on algorithms.)

Informational texts are things that are based on facts. 

• They can include things like biographies, speeches, opinion pieces, and historical or technical accounts. 
• Informational texts can also include information that appears in graphs, charts, and maps. 
• All of these examples are different from fiction and literature which includes things like novels, short stories, drama, and poetry,

Here are 9 critical thinking lessons to help you explore search engine results.

This is the literacy lesson we should be teaching our students, but it’s a text form and topic that not everyone is familiar with. Search Engine results pages are informational texts that we can (and should) analyze.

Use these high-interest slideshows to help you teach and break down the following concepts. 

• critical thinking strategies and the concept of bias
• different search engines used around the world
• how search engines work
• how to read a Search Engine Results Page
• understanding form, conventions and techniques when it comes to this informational text 

The Google Slideshow critical thinking lessons will teach and walk students through two activities:

• an dictionary experiment to explore whether different dictionaries give the same results
• An search engine experiment to explore whether different search engines and search conditions (i.e. browser, geographic location, date) give the same results

The big guiding question for students to explore in everyday life: Are Search Engines biased? 

• Should different search engines give us different results for the same search phrase? Why or why not?

This unit can be taught in the classroom or for digital learning using Google Classroom.

• The Google Slides presentation has been cut into lessons so you can easily attach the mini lesson to your Google Classroom assignments

Get the Search Engine Bias critical thinking lessons

Note: this unit is included in our critical thinking chapter ..

What critical thinking lesson plans do you use in your classroom?

• Grades 6-12
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5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them.

Little kids love to ask questions. “Why is the sky blue?” “Where does the sun go at night?” Their innate curiosity helps them learn more about the world, and it’s key to their development. As they grow older, it’s important to encourage them to keep asking questions and to teach them the right kinds of questions to ask. We call these “critical thinking skills,” and they help kids become thoughtful adults who are able to make informed decisions as they grow older.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking allows us to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. First, we need to be able to simply understand the information, then we build on that by analyzing, comparing, evaluating, reflecting, and more. Critical thinking is about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just “gut feelings” and opinion.

Critical thinkers tend to question everything, and that can drive teachers and parents a little crazy. The temptation to reply, “Because I said so!” is strong, but when you can, try to provide the reasons behind your answers. We want to raise children who take an active role in the world around them and who nurture curiosity throughout their entire lives.

Key Critical Thinking Skills

So, what are critical thinking skills? There’s no official list, but many people use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help lay out the skills kids should develop as they grow up.

Source: Vanderbilt University

Bloom’s Taxonomy is laid out as a pyramid, with foundational skills at the bottom providing a base for more advanced skills higher up. The lowest phase, “Remember,” doesn’t require much critical thinking. These are the skills kids use when they memorize math facts or world capitals or practice their spelling words. Critical thinking doesn’t begin to creep in until the next steps.

Understanding requires more than memorization. It’s the difference between a child reciting by rote “one times four is four, two times four is eight, three times four is twelve,” versus recognizing that multiplication is the same as adding a number to itself a certain number of times. Schools focus more these days on understanding concepts than they used to; pure memorization has its place, but when a student understands the concept behind something, they can then move on to the next phase.

Application opens up whole worlds to students. Once you realize you can use a concept you’ve already mastered and apply it to other examples, you’ve expanded your learning exponentially. It’s easy to see this in math or science, but it works in all subjects. Kids may memorize sight words to speed up their reading mastery, but it’s learning to apply phonics and other reading skills that allows them to tackle any new word that comes their way.

Analysis is the real leap into advanced critical thinking for most kids. When we analyze something, we don’t take it at face value. Analysis requires us to find facts that stand up to inquiry, even if we don’t like what those facts might mean. We put aside personal feelings or beliefs and explore, examine, research, compare and contrast, draw correlations, organize, experiment, and so much more. We learn to identify primary sources for information, and check into the validity of those sources. Analysis is a skill successful adults must use every day, so it’s something we must help kids learn as early as possible.

Almost at the top of Bloom’s pyramid, evaluation skills let us synthesize all the information we’ve learned, understood, applied, and analyzed, and to use it to support our opinions and decisions. Now we can reflect on the data we’ve gathered and use it to make choices, cast votes, or offer informed opinions. We can evaluate the statements of others too, using these same skills. True evaluation requires us to put aside our own biases and accept that there may be other valid points of view, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them.

In the final phase, we use every one of those previous skills to create something new. This could be a proposal, an essay, a theory, a plan—anything a person assembles that’s unique.

Note: Bloom’s original taxonomy included “synthesis” as opposed to “create,” and it was located between “apply” and “evaluate.” When you synthesize, you put various parts of different ideas together to form a new whole. In 2001, a group of cognitive psychologists removed that term from the taxonomy , replacing it with “create,” but it’s part of the same concept.

How To Teach Critical Thinking

Using critical thinking in your own life is vital, but passing it along to the next generation is just as important. Be sure to focus on analyzing and evaluating, two multifaceted sets of skills that take lots and lots of practice. Start with these 10 Tips for Teaching Kids To Be Awesome Critical Thinkers . Then try these critical thinking activities and games. Finally, try to incorporate some of these 100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students into your lessons. They’ll help your students develop the skills they need to navigate a world full of conflicting facts and provocative opinions.

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

This classic Sesame Street activity is terrific for introducing the ideas of classifying, sorting, and finding relationships. All you need are several different objects (or pictures of objects). Lay them out in front of students, and ask them to decide which one doesn’t belong to the group. Let them be creative: The answer they come up with might not be the one you envisioned, and that’s OK!

The Answer Is …

Post an “answer” and ask kids to come up with the question. For instance, if you’re reading the book Charlotte’s Web , the answer might be “Templeton.” Students could say, “Who helped save Wilbur even though he didn’t really like him?” or “What’s the name of the rat that lived in the barn?” Backwards thinking encourages creativity and requires a good understanding of the subject matter.

Forced Analogies

Practice making connections and seeing relationships with this fun game. Kids write four random words in the corners of a Frayer Model and one more in the middle. The challenge? To link the center word to one of the others by making an analogy. The more far out the analogies, the better!

Learn more: Forced Analogies at The Owl Teacher

Primary Sources

Tired of hearing “I found it on Wikipedia!” when you ask kids where they got their answer? It’s time to take a closer look at primary sources. Show students how to follow a fact back to its original source, whether online or in print. We’ve got 10 terrific American history–based primary source activities to try here.

Science Experiments

Hands-on science experiments and STEM challenges are a surefire way to engage students, and they involve all sorts of critical thinking skills. We’ve got hundreds of experiment ideas for all ages on our STEM pages , starting with 50 Stem Activities To Help Kids Think Outside the Box .

Not the Answer

Multiple-choice questions can be a great way to work on critical thinking. Turn the questions into discussions, asking kids to eliminate wrong answers one by one. This gives them practice analyzing and evaluating, allowing them to make considered choices.

Learn more: Teaching in the Fast Lane

Correlation Tic-Tac-Toe

Here’s a fun way to work on correlation, which is a part of analysis. Show kids a 3 x 3 grid with nine pictures, and ask them to find a way to link three in a row together to get tic-tac-toe. For instance, in the pictures above, you might link together the cracked ground, the landslide, and the tsunami as things that might happen after an earthquake. Take things a step further and discuss the fact that there are other ways those things might have happened (a landslide can be caused by heavy rain, for instance), so correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation.

Learn more: Critical Thinking Tic-Tac-Toe at The Owl Teacher

Inventions That Changed the World

Explore the chain of cause and effect with this fun thought exercise. Start it off by asking one student to name an invention they believe changed the world. Each student then follows by explaining an effect that invention had on the world and their own lives. Challenge each student to come up with something different.

Learn more: Teaching With a Mountain View

Critical Thinking Games

There are so many board games that help kids learn to question, analyze, examine, make judgments, and more. In fact, pretty much any game that doesn’t leave things entirely up to chance (Sorry, Candy Land) requires players to use critical thinking skills. See one teacher’s favorites at the link below.

Learn more: Miss DeCarbo

This is one of those classic critical thinking activities that really prepares kids for the real world. Assign a topic (or let them choose one). Then give kids time to do some research to find good sources that support their point of view. Finally, let the debate begin! Check out 100 Middle School Debate Topics , 100 High School Debate Topics , and 60 Funny Debate Topics for Kids of All Ages .

How do you teach critical thinking skills in your classroom? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 38 simple ways to integrate social-emotional learning throughout the day ..

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Critical thinkers question everything. Continue Reading

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How Interlinking Learning Promotes Critical Thinking in Middle School

Fostering connections between subjects encourages students to think deeply about big problems and questions at the core of their work.

Every year around Halloween, our middle school in Spain divided students into four assigned houses, venturing beyond the typical core classes to engage in collaborative activities centered around one spooky concept. One year, it was all about pumpkins; the next, vampires became the seasonal topic of choice. 

This wasn’t just a festive tradition: It was a vibrant representation of interlinking learning in middle school—the instructional approach that involves connecting content across different subject areas, fostering a more integrated and holistic understanding of material. Interlinking learning enhances the learning experience, as it allows students to transfer skills and knowledge acquired in one area to another. It also helps students to see patterns, relationships, and contradictions across subjects and promotes critical thinking , a vital skill in today’s fast-paced world.

What is Interlinking Learning?

Interlinking learning is based on the main principles of connectivity, context, and applicability. It encourages students to build connections between concepts across different subjects, placing learning in a real-world context and emphasizing the application of knowledge in various scenarios. The philosophy can be traced back to John Dewey , a renowned educator and philosopher, who encouraged connected learning and emphasized learning through doing, advocating for a practical, interactive, and student-centered approach to education.

Interlinking learning fosters vibrant classroom environments where students can make connections between different subjects. Around Halloween, there are a variety of fun activities that create connections for students around a spooky theme; for instance, "pumpkins meet pi" is a spirited lesson on measurement. The tale of turnips (evolving into the pumpkins we associate with Halloween today) is a fascinating history lesson of the Irish immigrating to America. A vampire theme can bring intrigue, with language arts classes dissecting passages from Dracula , and science lessons can become hubs of discovery as students sink their teeth into studying different blood types . 

Similarly to the Halloween themes of pumpkins and vampires, teachers can use something like a “ big idea ” for connected learning, where that same idea is seen, felt, and experienced across subjects. The big idea, whether it is adaptability or justice, is an excellent example of interlinking learning, urging educators to focus on a central concept that can transcend individual subjects. 

Connectivity

Promoting connectivity in the classroom involves creating a nurturing environment where students can interlink concepts from various subjects. Consider the following strategies:

Cross-subject projects: Encourage students to work on projects that require knowledge and skills from different subjects, thereby fostering an understanding and application of diverse concepts. For example, a project where students design a sustainable city could require knowledge of geometry (math), an understanding of sustainable practices (science), and historical context (social studies).

Thematic learning weeks: Organize learning weeks that focus on a specific theme, weaving in various subjects to offer a rich, multidimensional perspective on the topic at hand. For instance, during Space Week, English classes could focus on science-fiction literature, while science classes delve into the solar system’s dynamics.

Connecting concepts to current events: This strategy can involve linking concepts being taught to unfolding events globally, offering students a dynamic and contemporary context to anchor their learning. For instance, social studies could relate a historical event being studied to a current geopolitical situation, encouraging students to see the repercussions and interconnectedness of historical events in today’s world.

This approach to learning is greatly influenced by situated learning theory , which suggests that learning is most effective when it is closely related to the real-world context in which the knowledge or skill will be applied. Here are some examples:

Guest speakers: Inviting guest speakers can provide students with a rich contextual background for the topics they are studying, such as a local author discussing their writing process in a language arts class.

Field trips: Field trips can offer firsthand experiences that enhance understanding and retention. For instance, a visit to a local museum can offer a rich, contextual background for a historical period being studied.

Case studies: Facilitate deep understanding through case studies, encouraging students to apply conceptual knowledge to solve real-world problems. For instance, analyze a recent environmental case to understand the practical applications of scientific concepts in real-life scenarios.

Applicability

Applicability calls for an emphasis on the practical use of knowledge and skills in various scenarios, aiding students in understanding how they can apply what they learn in real-world situations. The following are strategies to consider:

Problem-solving: Promote active engagement with learning materials through problem-solving, encouraging a cycle of reflective thinking. For instance, setting up a mathematics problem that involves budgeting for a small business can bring real-world applicability to theoretical concepts.

Internship opportunities: Facilitate platforms where students can apply the knowledge garnered in classrooms to real-world settings, offering a firsthand experience of the applicative value of their learning. For example, a student interested in journalism could intern at a local newspaper, applying their language arts skills in a practical setting.

Simulations: Create environments where students can safely yet realistically explore the practical utility of the concepts learned through simulations, bringing theoretical knowledge to life. For example, a mock trial in a civics class can help students understand judicial processes firsthand.

Implementing Interlinking Learning in middle school

While interlinking learning offers numerous benefits, it can be challenging to balance the curriculum and find time to implement it effectively. There might also be resistance from individuals who stick to traditional teaching methods, so it’s vital to showcase the benefits of interlinking learning through demonstrations and discussions to overcome this resistance. 

When interlinking learning, start small, and gradually integrate more interlinking concepts into your lessons to foster a richer and more interconnected learning experience, perhaps by drawing parallels between subjects during a single lesson or utilizing a theme to encompass different disciplines over a week. As comfort and familiarity grow, gradually integrate more complex interlinking concepts into your lessons.  

As we steer our students toward a future where interdisciplinary understanding is paramount, integrating interlinking learning into our educational approach becomes not just beneficial but necessary. Whether it is picking apart pumpkins through multiple classes or exploring a chosen big idea, fostering connections between subjects enriches learning and aids in the development of well-rounded individuals ready to navigate a multifaceted world. 

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25 Logic Activities For Middle School: Riddles, Debate, Brain Teasers, Challenges, And Worksheets

October 15, 2023 //  by  Sydney Peters

Is logic something you teach or is it something that comes naturally? Actually, it can be taught! Logic and critical thinking are some of the most important skills our students learn in middle school, but how do you teach logic? Middle school students learn about logic through reasoning and deduction. With these skills, students can use critical thinking and reasoning to make a rational conclusion. With this list of 25 logic activities, students can develop the skills they need to tap into those skills and use logic to solve problems!

1. TED-Ed Number Riddle

This video from TED-Ed is a perfect starter activity to engage your middle schoolers and kick those logical thinking skills into action! They’ll enjoy watching the animation that lays out a numerical riddle for them to solve, but can they figure it out? You can pause the video when instructed and all work on this one together! 

Learn More: YouTube

2. Propaganda and Critical Thinking

Teaching students logic is one of the most important skills they will learn.  Use this activity, propaganda, and critical thinking to show students how to be critical thinkers through pop culture.

Learn More: Just Add Students

3. Escape Rooms

Escape rooms provide students with a fun and challenging activity that allows them to practice their logical reasoning and critical thinking. In this activity, students work together to solve puzzles and problems that challenge their logic.

Learn More: Beyond the Worksheet

Want a fun and easy way to help boost your students’ logic and critical thinking skills?  Scientists have proven that riddles do exactly that. Solve these tricky puzzles and boost your logic.

Learn More: Bright Side

5. Have a Debate 

Middle school students are great debaters, they just need something interesting to challenge their thinking.  Use these debate topics to help students tap into their logical thinking skills and challenge their peers.

Learn More: Games 4 ESL

6. Host a Mock Trial

Nothing will challenge your middle school students to use their logical reasoning more than a mock trial. In a mock trial, students use their critical thinking skills to defend their cases. Promote team building, critical thinking, and logic with this fun activity.

Learn More: Law for Kids

7. Logical Fallacies

Sometimes it can be challenging to get middle school students engaged in their learning. In this activity, students play different characters using creative thinking and logic. Watch your students glow with excitement in this fun logic activity.

Learn More: Teach Between the Lines

8. Brain Teasers

Challenging our students to think outside the box and use their critical thinking skills can be difficult. Get your students excited about learning and logic with these exciting brain teasers that challenge your student’s thinking.

Learn More: GCF Learn Free.org

9. Teaching Inferences 

When it comes to logic, teaching students how to use inferences is crucial. Students use inferences to “read between the lines” and develop the skills to put clues together. Using inferences and critical thinking, students can develop their logical reasoning.

Learn More: Love, Laugh, Teach

10. Logic Puzzles

Sharpen your students’ logic by using creative logic puzzles. Nurture and develop your student’s critical thinking by challenging their thinking with these puzzles. Analyze, infer, and solve!

Learn More: Kristine Nannini

11. Brain Teasers

Want an easy way to add logic time to your student’s day? Use these brain teasers to challenge your student’s logic throughout the day. Students develop logic by practicing repeatedly. These fun brain teasers are a great way to add more logic to your student’s day.

Learn More: Teach Mama

12. Games, Puzzles, and Brain Teasers

Every teacher has those students who finish before everyone else. Instead of having them sit at their desk waiting for the next lesson, give them access to brain teasers, puzzles, and critical thinking activities that will help support their logic skills.

13. Illusions 

Our brains can trick us into seeing something that’s not really there or obscure the image to look like something it’s not. These fun illusions will challenge your student’s brains and push their logic to think outside the box. What do you see?

Learn More: Mind Oddities

14. Scary Stories to Promote Logic

It’s no secret that most middle school students love scary stories. Why not use those scary stories to help build your student’s logic? These fun short, scary stories will get your students excited about critical thinking and logic.

Learn More: Hey Natayle

15. Triangle Puzzle

Creating a puzzle that challenges students’ logic is easy! In this creative logic puzzle, students use a square piece of paper to create a triangle. It’s not as easy as it sounds and it’s going to take some extra critical thinking on your student’s part to solve it!

Learn More: What Do We Do All Day

16. Perspective Taking 

Using perspective is a great way to get students thinking about their own logic. It can be challenging to see things from a different point of view, but it’s an important skill for students to learn, especially when it comes to logic. Check out these activities from the Secondary English Coffee Shop.

Learn More: The Secondary English Coffee Shop

17. Forced Analogies 

Have you ever tried to compare two things that are seemingly unrelated? Well in this task, that’s exactly what students are asked to do! It may seem easier than it is, but comparing two things that are unrelated requires a lot of logical thinking.

Learn More: Tammy De Shaw The Owl Teacher

18. STEM Challenges 

It’s should be no surprise that science, technology, engineering, and math are full of logical activities. In this STEM-based activity, students use logical thinking and reasoning to develop experiments. 

Learn More: Brain Ninjas

19. Encourage Critical Thinking 

Critical thinking that promotes logic can be added to any lesson. Add some creative and challenging activities to your student’s reading and writing lessons. Encourage students to use logic in everyday problems.

Learn More: Bespoke Classroom

20. Hexagonal Thinking 

This new and creative mind-mapping strategy is a great way to help students develop their logic skills. Students examine a set of ideas that are written out in hexagon shapes. They create a puzzle using logic and critical thinking.

Learn More: Now Spark Creativity

21. The Marshmallow Challenge

When it comes to helping students develop their logic, the marshmallow activity is one they’ll love. Using marshmallows and spaghetti, students build towers. 

Learn More: Mrs. E Teaches Math

22. Problem Solving

Start each morning or class period with a simple problem. Students use logic and critical thinking to answer problems that challenge their skills.

Learn More: Mosswood Connections

23. Deepen your levels of questioning

Did you know that there are different levels of questioning? Each of the four levels of questioning help students thinks deeper about the content they’re learning. Use these four levels of questioning to help students develop their logic and critical thinking skills.

Learn More: Patheos

24. Logic Games

Learning logic through games is a fun and engaging way to help students build the skills they need to become critical thinkers. These exciting games will be a hit with your students.

Learn More: The Homeschool Scientist

25. Puzzle of the Week 

Looking for a fun and easy way to help your students test their logic? Introduce a puzzle of the week! With these fun puzzles, students use critical thinking and logic to solve simple, yet complicated problems.

Learn More: Critical Thinking

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Home » Blog » General » Boosting Critical Thinking Skills: Problem Solving Activities for Middle School

Boosting Critical Thinking Skills: Problem Solving Activities for Middle School

Welcome to my blog post on boosting critical thinking skills through problem solving activities for middle school students. In this article, I will discuss the importance of critical thinking skills in middle school, provide an overview of problem solving activities, and share some effective strategies to incorporate these activities into the curriculum. Let’s dive in!

Understanding Critical Thinking Skills

Before we delve into problem solving activities, let’s first understand what critical thinking is and why it is crucial for middle school students. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to make informed decisions and solve problems. It involves logical reasoning, creativity, and open-mindedness.

Developing critical thinking skills in middle school has numerous benefits. It enhances students’ ability to think independently, make sound judgments, and consider multiple perspectives. It also fosters creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication skills. These skills are essential for success not only in academics but also in real-life situations.

Problem Solving Activities for Middle School

Now that we understand the importance of critical thinking skills, let’s explore some engaging problem solving activities for middle school students:

Activity 1: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a powerful technique that encourages students to generate ideas and solutions. It promotes creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. To conduct an effective brainstorming session, follow these steps:

• Clearly define the problem or topic.
• Encourage students to share their ideas without judgment.
• Record all ideas on a whiteboard or flipchart.
• Discuss and evaluate the ideas together.
• Select the most viable solutions.

Remember to create a safe and supportive environment where all ideas are valued.

Activity 2: Decision Making

Decision making is a critical thinking skill that requires students to analyze options, consider consequences, and make informed choices. Teach students the decision-making process using the following steps:

• Identify the decision to be made.
• Gather relevant information.
• Consider the pros and cons of each option.
• Evaluate the potential outcomes.
• Make a decision based on the analysis.

Encourage students to reflect on their decisions and learn from any mistakes or successes.

Activity 3: Analyzing Arguments

Developing the ability to analyze arguments is crucial for critical thinking. Students should learn to evaluate the validity and credibility of different viewpoints. Teach them the following techniques:

• Identify the main claim or argument.
• Examine the evidence and supporting details.
• Evaluate the logic and reasoning.
• Consider counterarguments and alternative perspectives.
• Draw conclusions based on the analysis.

Encourage students to engage in respectful and evidence-based discussions to strengthen their analytical skills.

Activity 4: Problem Solving Scenarios

Problem solving scenarios provide real-life situations for students to apply their critical thinking skills. Present them with a problem and guide them through the following steps:

• Define the problem clearly.
• Identify possible solutions.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.
• Select the most effective solution.
• Create an action plan to implement the solution.

Encourage students to think creatively and consider multiple perspectives when solving problems.

Activity 5: Role-Playing

Role-playing is an interactive and engaging activity that helps students develop critical thinking skills. It allows them to step into different roles and perspectives, enhancing empathy and problem-solving abilities. Here are some examples of role-playing scenarios for problem solving:

• Conflict resolution between classmates
• Negotiating a compromise in a group project
• Dealing with a challenging situation at home

Encourage students to reflect on their experiences and discuss alternative approaches to problem solving.

Incorporating Problem Solving Activities in Middle School Curriculum

Now that we have explored various problem solving activities, it is essential to integrate them into the middle school curriculum. Here are some strategies to consider:

Integration of problem solving activities in various subjects

Problem solving activities can be incorporated into various subjects such as math, science, language arts, and social studies. For example, in math, students can solve real-world problems using critical thinking skills. In language arts, they can analyze and evaluate different perspectives in literature or persuasive writing.

Collaboration with teachers and parents

Collaboration between teachers and parents is crucial for the successful implementation of problem solving activities. Teachers can provide guidance and support, while parents can reinforce critical thinking skills at home. Regular communication and sharing of resources can create a cohesive learning environment.

Developing critical thinking skills through problem solving activities is essential for middle school students. These skills empower them to think independently, make informed decisions, and solve complex problems. By incorporating problem solving activities into the curriculum and fostering collaboration between teachers and parents, we can equip students with the necessary tools for success.

Start boosting critical thinking skills in your middle school today by incorporating problem solving activities. Sign up for your free trial at EverydaySpeech and access a wide range of resources and activities to support social emotional learning and critical thinking.

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11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class

Ignite your child’s curiosity with our exclusive “Learning Adventures Activity Workbook for Kids” a perfect blend of education and adventure!

Critical thinking activities encourage individuals to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to develop informed opinions and make reasoned decisions. Engaging in such exercises cultivates intellectual agility, fostering a deeper understanding of complex issues and honing problem-solving skills for navigating an increasingly intricate world.

Through critical thinking, individuals empower themselves to challenge assumptions, uncover biases, and constructively contribute to discourse, thereby enriching both personal growth and societal progress.

Critical thinking serves as the cornerstone of effective problem-solving, enabling individuals to dissect challenges, explore diverse perspectives, and devise innovative solutions grounded in logic and evidence. For engaging problem solving activities, read our article problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest.

52 Critical Thinking Flashcards for Problem Solving

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions based on effective information.

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• 8 Free Math Problem Solving Websites and Applications

Importance of Acquiring Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills cultivate habits of mind such as strategic thinking, skepticism, discerning fallacy from the facts, asking good questions and probing deep into the issues to find the truth. Acquiring critical thinking skills was never as valuable as it is today because of the prevalence of the modern knowledge economy.

Today, information and technology are the driving forces behind the global economy. To keep pace with ever-changing technology and new inventions, one has to be flexible enough to embrace changes swiftly.

Today critical thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills by the companies. In fact, critical thinking skills are paramount not only for active learning and academic achievement but also for the professional career of the students.

The lack of critical thinking skills catalyzes memorization of the topics without a deeper insight, egocentrism, closed-mindedness, reduced student interest in the classroom and not being able to make timely and better decisions.

Incorporating critical thinking lessons into the curriculum equips students with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of the modern world, fostering a mindset that is adaptable, inquisitive, and capable of discerning truth from misinformation.

Benefits of Critical Thinking for Students

Certain strategies are more eloquent than others in teaching students how to think critically. Encouraging critical thinking in the classroom is indispensable for the learning and growth of the students. In this way, we can raise a generation of innovators and thinkers rather than followers. Some of the benefits offered by thinking critically in the classroom are given below:

• It allows a student to decipher problems and think through the situations in a disciplined and systematic manner
• Through a critical thinking ability, a student can comprehend the logical correlation between distinct ideas
• The student is able to rethink and re-justify his beliefs and ideas based on facts and figures
• Critical thinking skills make the students curious about things around them
• A student who is a critical thinker is creative and always strives to come up with out of the box solutions to intricate problems

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

• Critical thinking skills assist in the enhanced student learning experience in the classroom and prepares the students for lifelong learning and success
• The critical thinking process is the foundation of new discoveries and inventions in the world of science and technology
• The ability to think critically allows the students to think intellectually and enhances their presentation skills, hence they can convey their ideas and thoughts in a logical and convincing manner
• Critical thinking skills make students a terrific communicator because they have logical reasons behind their ideas

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities

11 Activities that Promote Critical Thinking in the Class

We have compiled a list of 11 critical thinking activities for students that will facilitate you to promote critical thinking abilities in the students. By incorporating these activities, educators can introduce real-world examples of critical thinking in the classroom, empowering students to apply these skills in everyday situations.

We have also covered problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest in our another article. Click here to read it.

1. Worst Case Scenario

Divide students into teams and introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources.

The scenarios can include situations like stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Students will come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering. Besides encouraging students to think critically, this activity will enhance teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills of the students.

This critical thinking activity not only pushes students to devise innovative solutions in challenging scenarios but also strengthens their teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities, making it an engaging and educational experience.

Read our article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

2. If You Build It

It is a very flexible game that allows students to think creatively. To start this activity, divide students into groups. Give each group a limited amount of resources such as pipe cleaners, blocks, and marshmallows etc.

Every group is supposed to use these resources and construct a certain item such as building, tower or a bridge in a limited time. You can use a variety of materials in the classroom to challenge the students. This activity is helpful in promoting teamwork and creative skills among the students.

Incorporating critical thinking games like this into your classroom not only promotes teamwork and creativity but also challenges students to think outside the box as they work together to build their structures.

It is also one of the classics which can be used in the classroom to encourage critical thinking. Print pictures of objects, animals or concepts and start by telling a unique story about the printed picture. The next student is supposed to continue the story and pass the picture to the other student and so on.

This engaging exercise is one of the most effective critical thinking activities for kids, as it encourages them to use their creativity and problem-solving skills while working together to construct innovative structures with limited resources.

4. Keeping it Real

In this activity, you can ask students to identify a real-world problem in their schools, community or city. After the problem is recognized, students should work in teams to come up with the best possible outcome of that problem.

5. Save the Egg

Make groups of three or four in the class. Ask them to drop an egg from a certain height and think of creative ideas to save the egg from breaking. Students can come up with diverse ideas to conserve the egg like a soft-landing material or any other device. Remember that this activity can get chaotic, so select the area in the school that can be cleaned easily afterward and where there are no chances of damaging the school property.

6. Start a Debate

In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science. Encourage students to participate in the debate by expressing their views and ideas on the topic. Conclude the debate with a viable solution or fresh ideas generated during the activity through brainstorming.

7. Create and Invent

This project-based learning activity is best for teaching in the engineering class. Divide students into groups. Present a problem to the students and ask them to build a model or simulate a product using computer animations or graphics that will solve the problem. After students are done with building models, each group is supposed to explain their proposed product to the rest of the class. The primary objective of this activity is to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills among the students.

8. Select from Alternatives

This activity can be used in computer science, engineering or any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) classes. Introduce a variety of alternatives such as different formulas for solving the same problem, different computer codes, product designs or distinct explanations of the same topic.

Form groups in the class and ask them to select the best alternative. Each group will then explain its chosen alternative to the rest of the class with reasonable justification of its preference. During the process, the rest of the class can participate by asking questions from the group. This activity is very helpful in nurturing logical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

9. Reading and Critiquing

Present an article from a journal related to any topic that you are teaching. Ask the students to read the article critically and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the article. Students can write about what they think about the article, any misleading statement or biases of the author and critique it by using their own judgments.

In this way, students can challenge the fallacies and rationality of judgments in the article. Hence, they can use their own thinking to come up with novel ideas pertaining to the topic.

10. Think Pair Share

In this activity, students will come up with their own questions. Make pairs or groups in the class and ask the students to discuss the questions together. The activity will be useful if the teacher gives students a topic on which the question should be based.

For example, if the teacher is teaching biology, the questions of the students can be based on reverse osmosis, human heart, respiratory system and so on. This activity drives student engagement and supports higher-order thinking skills among students.

11. Big Paper – Silent Conversation

Silence is a great way to slow down thinking and promote deep reflection on any subject. Present a driving question to the students and divide them into groups. The students will discuss the question with their teammates and brainstorm their ideas on a big paper.

After reflection and discussion, students can write their findings in silence. This is a great learning activity for students who are introverts and love to ruminate silently rather than thinking aloud.

Incorporating critical thinking activities for high school students, like silent reflection and group brainstorming, encourages deep thought and collaboration, making it an effective strategy for engaging both introverted and extroverted learners.

Finally, for students with critical thinking, you can go to GS-JJ.co m to customize exclusive rewards, which not only enlivens the classroom, but also promotes the development and training of students for critical thinking.

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4 thoughts on “ 11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class ”

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Thanks for the great article! Especially with the post-pandemic learning gap, these critical thinking skills are essential! It’s also important to teach them a growth mindset. If you are interested in that, please check out The Teachers’ Blog!

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Integrating Critical Thinking Into the Classroom

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(This is the second post in a three-part series. You can see Part One here .)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom?

Part One ‘s guests were Dara Laws Savage, Patrick Brown, Meg Riordan, Ph.D., and Dr. PJ Caposey. Dara, Patrick, and Meg were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Today, Dr. Kulvarn Atwal, Elena Quagliarello, Dr. Donna Wilson, and Diane Dahl share their recommendations.

‘Learning Conversations’

Dr. Kulvarn Atwal is currently the executive head teacher of two large primary schools in the London borough of Redbridge. Dr. Atwal is the author of The Thinking School: Developing a Dynamic Learning Community , published by John Catt Educational. Follow him on Twitter @Thinkingschool2 :

In many classrooms I visit, students’ primary focus is on what they are expected to do and how it will be measured. It seems that we are becoming successful at producing students who are able to jump through hoops and pass tests. But are we producing children that are positive about teaching and learning and can think critically and creatively? Consider your classroom environment and the extent to which you employ strategies that develop students’ critical-thinking skills and their self-esteem as learners.

Development of self-esteem

One of the most significant factors that impacts students’ engagement and achievement in learning in your classroom is their self-esteem. In this context, self-esteem can be viewed to be the difference between how they perceive themselves as a learner (perceived self) and what they consider to be the ideal learner (ideal self). This ideal self may reflect the child that is associated or seen to be the smartest in the class. Your aim must be to raise students’ self-esteem. To do this, you have to demonstrate that effort, not ability, leads to success. Your language and interactions in the classroom, therefore, have to be aspirational—that if children persist with something, they will achieve.

Use of evaluative praise

Ensure that when you are praising students, you are making explicit links to a child’s critical thinking and/or development. This will enable them to build their understanding of what factors are supporting them in their learning. For example, often when we give feedback to students, we may simply say, “Well done” or “Good answer.” However, are the students actually aware of what they did well or what was good about their answer? Make sure you make explicit what the student has done well and where that links to prior learning. How do you value students’ critical thinking—do you praise their thinking and demonstrate how it helps them improve their learning?

Learning conversations to encourage deeper thinking

We often feel as teachers that we have to provide feedback to every students’ response, but this can limit children’s thinking. Encourage students in your class to engage in learning conversations with each other. Give as many opportunities as possible to students to build on the responses of others. Facilitate chains of dialogue by inviting students to give feedback to each other. The teacher’s role is, therefore, to facilitate this dialogue and select each individual student to give feedback to others. It may also mean that you do not always need to respond at all to a student’s answer.

Teacher modelling own thinking

We cannot expect students to develop critical-thinking skills if we aren’t modeling those thinking skills for them. Share your creativity, imagination, and thinking skills with the students and you will nurture creative, imaginative critical thinkers. Model the language you want students to learn and think about. Share what you feel about the learning activities your students are participating in as well as the thinking you are engaging in. Your own thinking and learning will add to the discussions in the classroom and encourage students to share their own thinking.

Metacognitive questioning

Consider the extent to which your questioning encourages students to think about their thinking, and therefore, learn about learning! Through asking metacognitive questions, you will enable your students to have a better understanding of the learning process, as well as their own self-reflections as learners. Example questions may include:

• Why did you choose to do it that way?
• When you find something tricky, what helps you?
• How do you know when you have really learned something?

‘Adventures of Discovery’

Elena Quagliarello is the senior editor of education for Scholastic News , a current events magazine for students in grades 3–6. She graduated from Rutgers University, where she studied English and earned her master’s degree in elementary education. She is a certified K–12 teacher and previously taught middle school English/language arts for five years:

Critical thinking blasts through the surface level of a topic. It reaches beyond the who and the what and launches students on a learning journey that ultimately unlocks a deeper level of understanding. Teaching students how to think critically helps them turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. In the classroom, critical thinking teaches students how to ask and answer the questions needed to read the world. Whether it’s a story, news article, photo, video, advertisement, or another form of media, students can use the following critical-thinking strategies to dig beyond the surface and uncover a wealth of knowledge.

A Layered Learning Approach

Begin by having students read a story, article, or analyze a piece of media. Then have them excavate and explore its various layers of meaning. First, ask students to think about the literal meaning of what they just read. For example, if students read an article about the desegregation of public schools during the 1950s, they should be able to answer questions such as: Who was involved? What happened? Where did it happen? Which details are important? This is the first layer of critical thinking: reading comprehension. Do students understand the passage at its most basic level?

Ask the Tough Questions

The next layer delves deeper and starts to uncover the author’s purpose and craft. Teach students to ask the tough questions: What information is included? What or who is left out? How does word choice influence the reader? What perspective is represented? What values or people are marginalized? These questions force students to critically analyze the choices behind the final product. In today’s age of fast-paced, easily accessible information, it is essential to teach students how to critically examine the information they consume. The goal is to equip students with the mindset to ask these questions on their own.

Strike Gold

The deepest layer of critical thinking comes from having students take a step back to think about the big picture. This level of thinking is no longer focused on the text itself but rather its real-world implications. Students explore questions such as: Why does this matter? What lesson have I learned? How can this lesson be applied to other situations? Students truly engage in critical thinking when they are able to reflect on their thinking and apply their knowledge to a new situation. This step has the power to transform knowledge into wisdom.

Adventures of Discovery

There are vast ways to spark critical thinking in the classroom. Here are a few other ideas:

• Critical Expressionism: In this expanded response to reading from a critical stance, students are encouraged to respond through forms of artistic interpretations, dramatizations, singing, sketching, designing projects, or other multimodal responses. For example, students might read an article and then create a podcast about it or read a story and then act it out.
• Transmediations: This activity requires students to take an article or story and transform it into something new. For example, they might turn a news article into a cartoon or turn a story into a poem. Alternatively, students may rewrite a story by changing some of its elements, such as the setting or time period.
• Words Into Action: In this type of activity, students are encouraged to take action and bring about change. Students might read an article about endangered orangutans and the effects of habitat loss caused by deforestation and be inspired to check the labels on products for palm oil. They might then write a letter asking companies how they make sure the palm oil they use doesn’t hurt rain forests.
• Socratic Seminars: In this student-led discussion strategy, students pose thought-provoking questions to each other about a topic. They listen closely to each other’s comments and think critically about different perspectives.
• Classroom Debates: Aside from sparking a lively conversation, classroom debates naturally embed critical-thinking skills by asking students to formulate and support their own opinions and consider and respond to opposing viewpoints.

Critical thinking has the power to launch students on unforgettable learning experiences while helping them develop new habits of thought, reflection, and inquiry. Developing these skills prepares students to examine issues of power and promote transformative change in the world around them.

‘Quote Analysis’

Dr. Donna Wilson is a psychologist and the author of 20 books, including Developing Growth Mindsets , Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains , and Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching (2 nd Edition). She is an international speaker who has worked in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, Jamaica, and throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Wilson can be reached at [email protected] ; visit her website at www.brainsmart.org .

Diane Dahl has been a teacher for 13 years, having taught grades 2-4 throughout her career. Mrs. Dahl currently teaches 3rd and 4th grade GT-ELAR/SS in Lovejoy ISD in Fairview, Texas. Follow her on Twitter at @DahlD, and visit her website at www.fortheloveofteaching.net :

A growing body of research over the past several decades indicates that teaching students how to be better thinkers is a great way to support them to be more successful at school and beyond. In the book, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains , Dr. Wilson shares research and many motivational strategies, activities, and lesson ideas that assist students to think at higher levels. Five key strategies from the book are as follows:

• Facilitate conversation about why it is important to think critically at school and in other contexts of life. Ideally, every student will have a contribution to make to the discussion over time.
• Begin teaching thinking skills early in the school year and as a daily part of class.
• As this instruction begins, introduce students to the concept of brain plasticity and how their brilliant brains change during thinking and learning. This can be highly motivational for students who do not yet believe they are good thinkers!
• Explicitly teach students how to use the thinking skills.
• Facilitate student understanding of how the thinking skills they are learning relate to their lives at school and in other contexts.

Below are two lessons that support critical thinking, which can be defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.

Mrs. Dahl prepares her 3rd and 4th grade classes for a year of critical thinking using quote analysis .

During Native American studies, her 4 th grade analyzes a Tuscarora quote: “Man has responsibility, not power.” Since students already know how the Native Americans’ land had been stolen, it doesn’t take much for them to make the logical leaps. Critical-thought prompts take their thinking even deeper, especially at the beginning of the year when many need scaffolding. Some prompts include:

• … from the point of view of the Native Americans?
• … from the point of view of the settlers?
• How do you think your life might change over time as a result?
• Can you relate this quote to anything else in history?

Analyzing a topic from occupational points of view is an incredibly powerful critical-thinking tool. After learning about the Mexican-American War, Mrs. Dahl’s students worked in groups to choose an occupation with which to analyze the war. The chosen occupations were: anthropologist, mathematician, historian, archaeologist, cartographer, and economist. Then each individual within each group chose a different critical-thinking skill to focus on. Finally, they worked together to decide how their occupation would view the war using each skill.

For example, here is what each student in the economist group wrote:

• When U.S.A. invaded Mexico for land and won, Mexico ended up losing income from the settlements of Jose de Escandon. The U.S.A. thought that they were gaining possible tradable land, while Mexico thought that they were losing precious land and resources.
• Whenever Texas joined the states, their GDP skyrocketed. Then they went to war and spent money on supplies. When the war was resolving, Texas sold some of their land to New Mexico for $10 million. This allowed Texas to pay off their debt to the U.S., improving their relationship.
• A detail that converged into the Mexican-American War was that Mexico and the U.S. disagreed on the Texas border. With the resulting treaty, Texas ended up gaining more land and economic resources.
• Texas gained land from Mexico since both countries disagreed on borders. Texas sold land to New Mexico, which made Texas more economically structured and allowed them to pay off their debt.

This was the first time that students had ever used the occupations technique. Mrs. Dahl was astonished at how many times the kids used these critical skills in other areas moving forward.

Thanks to Dr. Auwal, Elena, Dr. Wilson, and Diane for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching .

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20 Problem-Solving Activities for Middle School Students

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

As students progress through middle school, it becomes increasingly important to develop their problem-solving skills. By engaging in problem-solving activities, students can enhance their critical thinking abilities, foster creativity, and become better prepared for the challenges they may face both in and out of the classroom. Here are 20 problem-solving activities that are perfect for middle school students.

1. Brainstorming Sessions: Encourage students to share their ideas on a particular topic or issue, fostering a collaborative environment that promotes creative problem solving.

2. Riddles: Challenge students with riddles that require critical thinking and lateral thinking skills to determine the answers.

3. Sudoku: Introduce sudoku puzzles as a fun and challenging math-based activity.

4. Chess Club: Encourage students to participate in chess clubs or tournaments to practice strategic thinking.

5. Escape Rooms: Plan an age-appropriate escape room activity to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills among the students.

6. Role-Playing Exercises: Use role-playing scenarios to allow students to think critically about real-life situations and practice problem-solving strategies.

7. Science Experiments: Design science experiments that require students to troubleshoot problems and test possible solutions.

8. Word Problems: Incorporate word problems in math lessons, encouraging students to use logic and math skills to solve them.

9. Puzzle Stations: Set up different puzzle stations around the classroom where students can work on spatial reasoning, logic puzzles, and other brain teasers during free time.

10. Debates: Organize debates on controversial topics, allowing students to present and argue their views while developing their critical thinking and persuasion skills.

11. Engineering Challenges: Provide engineering-based challenges such as bridge building or packaging design activities that require teamwork and creative problem solving.

12. Storytelling Workshops: Host a storytelling workshop where students collaborate to create stories from a given prompt and gradually face more complex narrative challenges.

13. Coding Clubs: Support students in learning coding basics and encourage them to develop problem-solving skills through coding projects.

14. Treasure Hunts: Create treasure hunts with clues that require problem solving, reasoning, and collaboration among the students.

15. Cooperative Games: Facilitate games that promote cooperation and communication, such as “human knot” or “cross the lava.”

16. Geocaching: Introduce geocaching as a fun activity where students use GPS devices to locate hidden objects and work as a team to solve puzzle-like tasks.

17. Exploratory Research Projects: Assign open-ended research projects that require students to investigate topics of interest and solve problems or answer questions through their research efforts.

18. Mock Trials: Set up mock trials in which students participate as lawyers, witnesses, or jury members, allowing them to analyze cases and think through legal problem-solving strategies.

19. Creative Writing Prompts: Share creative writing prompts requiring students to think critically about characters’ actions and decisions within fictional scenarios.

20. Invention Convention: Host an invention convention where students present their unique solutions to everyday problems, fostering creativity and innovative thinking.

Conclusion:

Problem-solving activities are essential for middle school students as they help in cultivating valuable life skills necessary to tackle real-world challenges. These 20 activities provide diverse and engaging opportunities for students to develop key problem-solving skills while fostering creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Teachers and educators can easily adapt these activities to suit the individual needs of their middle school classrooms.

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Home » Blog Posts » Teaching Middle Schoolers: Insights and Tips for a Successful School Year

Teaching Middle Schoolers: Insights and Tips for a Successful School Year

• Blog Posts , Teacher Tips

Are you ready to take on the challenge of teaching middle schoolers? 🤔 Middle school is a unique and transformative time for students , and as teachers, it’s crucial to start the school year off on the right foot. This post will guide you through essential tips and strategies to help you succeed in teaching middle schoolers , with a special focus on 6th grade. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to this age group, these insights will help you create a successful and engaging learning environment .

This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which do not cost any extra for you. Please see the   full disclosure here .

How is Teaching Middle Schoolers Different?

Teaching middle schoolers is a whole new ball game compared to elementary school. At this stage, students are going through significant physical and emotional developmental changes. They’re navigating the tricky waters of adolescence, so their social lives, self-awareness, and academic responsibilities are all intensifying. 📚

In 6th grade, students are expected to take on more complex tasks and develop critical thinking skills . This is also the time when they start to crave independence, yet they still need structure and guidance. Understanding this balance between independence and support is key to being an effective middle school teacher.

Middle schoolers also thrive on relevance and engagement. They’re not just learning for the sake of it anymore— they want to know why they’re learning something and how it applies to their lives . This shift requires you to connect lessons to real-world scenarios and find ways to make learning meaningful.

For more on easing the transition to middle school, check out my post on How to Help Elementary Students Transition to Middle School .

How to Succeed as a Middle School Teacher

Surviving and thriving as a middle school teacher requires a mix of resilience, creativity, and adaptability. Here’s how you can set yourself up for success:

Embrace the Chaos

Middle school is a whirlwind of energy and emotions. Embrace the unpredictability and understand that each day might bring new challenges. Stay flexible and be prepared to adjust your plans as needed. Remember, it’s okay if things don’t always go according to plan—what matters is how you handle those moments.

Build a Strong Classroom Culture

A positive classroom culture is the foundation for a successful school year. Create an environment where students feel safe, respected, and valued. Establish clear expectations, but also make room for fun and creativity. Building relationships with your students will go a long way in fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Stay Organized

Organization is key when juggling the demands of teaching middle school. From lesson planning to grading, staying on top of your tasks will help reduce stress and prevent burnout. Utilize planners, digital tools, and time management strategies to keep everything in order.

Find Your Support System

Teaching can be tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. Lean on your colleagues for support and collaboration. Whether it’s sharing lesson ideas, discussing challenges, or simply venting after a tough day, having a strong support system can make all the difference.

Keep Learning and Growing

The best teachers are always learning. Stay curious and open to new teaching strategies, tools, and resources. Professional development, networking with other educators, and reflecting on your practice will help you continue to grow as a teacher.

Take Care of Yourself

Self-care isn’t just a buzzword—it’s essential for your well-being. Make time for activities that recharge you, whether it’s exercise, hobbies, or simply relaxing with a good book. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself so you can be at your best for your students.

By embracing these strategies, you’ll not only survive but thrive as a middle school teacher. It’s a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey, and with the right mindset and tools, you’ll make a lasting impact on your students’ lives.

For a comprehensive guide on planning your school year, check out my post on 5 Easy Steps to Plan Your Entire School Year in Advance .

Insights and Tips for Teaching Middle Schoolers

Teaching middle schoolers can be incredibly rewarding when you approach it with the right mindset and tools. Here are 8 tips to ensure a successful school year:

1. Build Strong Relationships

Understanding each student as an individual is key. Use icebreakers, one-on-one conversations, and regular check-ins to build rapport. Show genuine interest in their lives outside of school—whether it’s their hobbies or favorite sports team, this connection will make a huge difference. One fun way to get to know your students and help them connect with each other is through Scavenger Hunts . These activities break the ice and encourage teamwork and communication, making them an excellent tool for building strong relationships right from the start.

2. Set Clear Expectations and Procedures

“Middle schoolers thrive on consistency. Set clear rules and procedures from day one and involve students in the rule-making process to give them a sense of ownership. This helps them understand the boundaries while feeling respected and valued.

To reinforce these expectations and celebrate students’ efforts, consider using these Inspirational and Motivational Stickers . These stickers are a great way to provide positive reinforcement and keep students motivated throughout the school year.

3. Engage Them with Relevant Content

Make lessons relevant by connecting them to real-life scenarios. Discuss current events, popular culture, or issues that resonate with their age group. Incorporating technology, like educational apps or interactive whiteboards, can also keep them engaged and eager to learn.

With the rise of AI, your middle schoolers are bound to be curious about it. Dive into my blog post on using ChatGPT in the Classroom for some cutting-edge tips to keep your students engaged and ahead of the curve.

4. Be Flexible and Patient

Remember that middle schoolers are still developing. Be flexible with your teaching methods, adapting to their needs as they grow. Reinforce the idea that learning is a journey and that it’s okay not to have all the answers right away to encourage a growth mindset.

In the meantime, hang up these Mindset Posters in your classroom to inspire and motivate your students every day. These visual reminders can reinforce the growth mindset message and create a positive learning environment.

5. Focus on Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is crucial. Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior, and address disruptions calmly to prevent escalation. Establishing a well-managed environment helps students feel secure and ready to learn.

For more strategies on keeping your classroom buzzing with engagement, check out this book: Classroom Engagement Games: From Boring to Buzzing . It’s packed with ideas to keep your students engaged and your classroom running smoothly.

6. Encourage Collaboration and Group Work

“Teamwork makes the dream work! Middle schoolers benefit greatly from structured group activities that promote collaboration. These activities help them develop social skills and learn to work effectively with others, which are essential skills for their future. One effective way to foster collaboration is through Novel Studies . Using novel studies in your classroom engages middle schoolers and encourages them to discuss, analyze, and connect with the material, enhancing their collaborative learning experience.

7. Support Their Emotional and Social Development

Creating a safe space in your classroom is essential. Teach emotional intelligence by incorporating lessons on empathy, self-awareness, and communication. This will support students’ academic and personal growth.

One way to reinforce these concepts is through literature. Consider incorporating books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai into your curriculum. These stories offer powerful lessons on empathy, kindness, and cultural awareness, helping students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

8. Make Learning Fun and Engaging

Variety is the spice of life, especially in the classroom! Mix up your teaching methods with games, hands-on activities, and creative projects to keep students engaged. When learning is fun, it becomes more effective and memorable. For some great ideas, check out my post on 6th Grade Literacy Centers , which offers plenty of ways to make ELA lessons interactive and enjoyable. If you’re looking for ready-to-use resources, don’t miss my 6th Grade Literacy Centers Bundle —perfect for boosting engagement and helping your students thrive!

For more engaging classroom ideas, check out my YouTube videos: Middle School Classroom Management Strategies and Fun Activities to Engage 6th Graders . Don’t forget to grab these Free 6th Grade ELA Activities to get started right away!

If you’re looking for more tips and resources on teaching middle schoolers, check out these posts:

• How to Help Elementary Students Transition to Middle School
• Homeschooling Middle Schoolers

Teaching middle schoolers may come with its challenges, but with the right strategies and a positive mindset, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences. Remember, every day is an opportunity to make a difference in your students’ lives. Start the school year strong, keep these tips in mind, and enjoy the journey of teaching middle schoolers! 😊

Happy Teaching! 🎉

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