Resources and Downloads for Teaching Critical Thinking
Educators from the Bay Area's KIPP King Collegiate High School and the KIPP network have provided these resources for you to use in your own school.
Using resources and tools like the ones below, educators at KIPP King Collegiate High School focus on honing critical thinking skills across all subjects.
Credit: Zachary Fink
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Resources On This Page:
Lesson Plans & Rubrics
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KIPP King Curriculum Planning Guide
A general guide to help teachers plan curriculum for the year and set clear expectations about course goals
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Leadership Student Individual Learning Plan
Student's individual learning plan to determine growth and drive throughout the year
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Civil Rights Simulation Overview
US History civil rights town hall discussion simulation
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Civil Rights Simulation Rubric
US History civil rights simulation rubric
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Rubric for Speech
Rubric for public speaking, speech of self-introduction
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Socratic Seminar Assessment
Handout for intensified Socratic Seminar assessment
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Socratic Seminar Rubric
Socratic Seminar assessment rubric worksheet
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Speech & Composition Assessment
Handout for student assessment in speech and composition class
Tools for Critical Thinking
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Scope and Sequence, Speech and Composition
Course overview for 9th Grade Speech and Composition
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Connectors for Socratic Seminar
Discussion starters for Socratic seminar
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Outer Circle
Handout detailing roles and assignments for observation in outer circle
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Socratic Seminar Statements
Handout listing connectors to help with Socratic discussions
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Changingminds.org
Types of Socratic questions with examples
Culture at KIPP
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KIPP King Mission
Handout for Professional Development session for staff
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KIPP King Introduction to Discipline System
Outline for teachers for development of character strengths and virtue in their students
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KIPP King Student Conduct Card
Disciplinary card given to students describing consequences for poor conduct
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KIPP King Bell Schedule
Daily schedule at KIPP King Collegiate High School
Comments (4)
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Additional Fee Stuff
I've also put together some free critical thinking resources, including a curriculum, podcast/lectures and classroom lessons plans designed to use the 2012 Presidential election to teach practical critical thinking skills. In addition to being free, it's also completely non-partisan.
www.criticalvoter.com
Free Software for Critical Thinking
Our company donates critical thinking software to K-12 schools. Please do reach out to me if you or your school might be interested: lucas@athenabridge.org
Here's an example of how middle school students in DC were using it recently to discuss the question of "What is Democracy?" http://democracy.onlinetownhalls.com and here's an example of how a high school class in PA was using it in a debate about global warming where students role-played to represent various perspectives: http://onlinetownhalls.com/map/475 Participation in the second conversation is limited to students from that school, but you can sign into either conversation with a username of "tester" and a password of "tester".
This is "conversation mapping" software designed to help people with different perspectives collaboratively map out a complex topic and sort out supporting and opposing points. It facilitates critical thinking by allowing students to respond directly to each other and assess the validity and relevance of each other's statements.
It works for conversations within one classroom, between classes at a single school, and "scales up" for conversations among students at different schools.
Tilak Pooner: This would be a
Tilak Pooner: This would be a good question to pose to our K-5 Tech Integration discussion group. You can join the conversation here: http://www.edutopia.org/groups/technology-integration-k-6.
Looking for some Interactive
Looking for some Interactive Teaching learning Material for enhance the learning at primary classes Grade 3-5..