To:              Wappingers Junior High School Community

From:                    Kathryn Polumbo, District Coordinator

                   Cheryl Musante, Principal - Wappingers Junior High School

                   Eric Seipp, Assistant Principal – Wappingers Junior High School

Re:              Critical Thinking at WJHS

 

1. Committee:

Administrators: Cheryl L. Musante, Principal Wappingers Junior High School, Kate Polumbo, Coordinator of Physical educations, Health, Career and Life Science and Athletic Director, Eric Seipp, Assistant Principal Wappingers Junior High School

 

Teachers: Robin Rose, Special Education, Jennifer Smith, Special Education,  Catherine Riecker, Special Education,  Amy Sturomski, English Language Arts,  Ceris Valesey, Math,  Beth Green, Librarian, Cara Speirs, Social Studies, Amanda Mack, English Language Arts

 

Teaching Assistants: Nancy Thomas, Learning Center

 

Parent: Ruth Zoodsma, PTA

 

2. Committee met and determined strategies for infusing critical thinking over the next two years:

o       Make the book “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools” by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder, available to all faculty and staff.

o       Critical thinking components of lessons shared during each team meeting – “WOW” exceptional Critical Thinking instruction presented at monthly faculty meetings.

o       Addition of Critical Thinking Template, (adapted from “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder), in faculty handbook.

o       Develop a parent night to target CT skills and strategies.

o       CT posters in every classroom (adapted from “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder).

 

 

3. Committee met and determined a plan for literacy in the content area:

o       Six traits of writing to all teachers for use in content areas.

o       Have a group of teachers present the “Unit Organizer” and its implementation to WJH staff at a faculty meeting.

o       Infuse the templates from Literacy in the Content Area into In School Restriction, the Learning Center, and Support Classes.

o       Ensure all teachers are trained in Literacy in the Content Area.

 

4. The committee suggests that Tri-States, Literacy in the Content Areas, and Critical Thinking are all incorporated into New Teacher School.

 

Building Level Plan for

Infusing Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum

 

 

Building: Wappingers Junior High School                   

Team Members: Kate Polumbo, Cheryl Musante, Eric Seipp, Robin Rose, Jennifer Smith, Catherine Riecker, Laura Baldwin, Ceris Valesey, Beth Green

1.            Assessment of the Current level of Implementation in all Subject Areas

      Where are we? How do we find out? (Be specific)

 Discuss critical thinking at team meetings and faculty meetings. Have teachers share critical thinking components of their teaching and lessons shared during each team meeting – “WOW” CT strategies presented at monthly faculty meetings.

2.             Areas Identified for Growth

What more do we need to know in order to infuse critical thinking? How will we get/learn what we need to know? (Be specific)

-       Teacher surveys and feedback at team and faculty meetings.

 

3.             Professional Growth Methods

How will critical thinking be applied in the instruction of all subject areas? (Be specific)

-       Make the book “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools” by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder, available to all faculty and staff.

-       Develop a parent night to target CT skills and strategies.

-       Offer more extracurricular activities that focus on CT skills.

-       CT posters in every classroom (adapted from “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder).

-       Addition of Critical Thinking Template, (adapted from “The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking; Concepts and Tools by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder), to the students planner and faculty handbooks.

-       Use of Bloom’s Taxonomy in each classroom

 

 

4.             Timeline

How do we move forward? (Be specific)

-       Planners September ‘08

-       Books September ‘08

-       Parent Night 2008-2009

-       Activities 2009-2010

-       Posters 2008-2009

 

5.             Budget

What will it cost to implement this plan? (Be specific)

-       Activities would be the addition of a stipend

-       Books approximately $6/each for each teacher who does not have them.

 

 

6.             Evaluation

How will we know if our plan has been effective? (Be specific)

-       Continuous evaluation of conversations on the topic during faculty meetings and team meetings.

-       3 Minute Walkthroughs, lesson plans, unit organizer and monthly summary for unsuccessful students will naturally see more critical thinking.

-       Students will use the models and diagrams on the posters to help them with their thought process.

 

CRITICAL THINKING CONCEPTS & TOOLS

 

Template for Analyzing the Logic of an Article

Take an article that you have been assigned to read for class, completing the “logic” of it using the template below.  This template can be modified for analyzing the logic of a chapter in a textbook.

The Logic of “(name of the article)”

 

1. The main purpose of this article is _____________________________________________________.

(State as accurately as possible the author’s purpose for writing the article.)

 

2. The key question that the author is addressing is _________________________________________.

(Figure out the key question I the mind of the author when she/he wrote the article.)

 

3. The most important information in this article is _________________________________________.

(Figure out the facts, experiences, data the author is using to support her/his conclusions.)

 

4. The main inferences/conclusions in this article are ________________________________________.

(Identify the key conclusions the author comes to and presents in the article.)

 

5. The key concept(s) we need to understand in this article is (are) _____________________________.

By these concepts the author means ____________________________________________.

(Figure out the most important ideas you would have to understand in order to understand the author’s line of reasoning.)

 

6. The main assumption(s) underlying the author’s thinking is (are) ___________________________.

(Figure out what the author is taking for granted (that might be questioned.)

 

7. a) If we take this line of reasoning seriously, the implications are ____________________________.

    (What consequences are likely to follow if people take the author’s line of reasoning seriously?)

 

        b) If we fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, the implications are ______________________.

          (What consequences are likely to follow if people ignore the author’s reasoning?)

 

8. The main point(s) of view presented in this article is (are) __________________________________.

(What is the author looking at, and how is she/he seeing it?)

Clarity             Could you elaborate further?                                                                Breadth                   Do we need to look at this from another perspective?

                        Could you give me an example?                                                                                           Do we need to consider another point of view?

                        Could you illustrate what you mean?                                                                                   Do we need to look at this in other ways?

 

Accuracy        How could we check on that?                                                                              Logic                        Does all this make sense together?

                        How could we find out if that is true?                                                                                   Does your first paragraph fit in with your last?

                                How could we verify or test that?                                                                                       Does what you say follow from the evidence?

 

Precision        Could you be more specific?                                                                 Significance            Is this the most important problem to consider?

                        Could you give me more details?                                                                                         Is this the central idea to focus on?

                                Could you be more exact?                                                                                                    Which of these facts are most important?

 

Relevance       How does that relate to the problem?                                                   Fairness                  Do I have any vested interest in this issue?

                        How does that bear on the question?                                                                                   Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints

                        How does that help us with the issue?                                                                                                of others?

 

Depth               What factors make this a difficult problem?

                        What are some of the complexities of this question?                                                          What are some of the difficulties we need to deal wit

 

Monthly Topics for Critical Thinking

September:

          Clarity

-         Could you elaborate further?

-         Could you give me an example?

-         Could you illustrate what you mean?

 

October:

          Accuracy

-         How could we check on that?

-         How could we find out if that is true?

-         How could we verify or test that?

 

November:

          Precision

-         Could you be more specific?

-         Could you give me more details?

-         Could you be more exact?

 

December:

          Relevance

-         How does that relate to the problem?

-         How does that bear on the question?

-         How doe that help us with the issue?

 

January:

          Depth

-         What factors make this a difficult problem?

-         What are some of the complexities of this question?

-         What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with?

 

 

 

February:

          Breadth

-         Do we need to lood at this from another perspective?

-         Do we need to consider another point of view?

-         Do we need to look at this in other ways?

 

March:

          Logic

-         Does all this make sense together?

-         Does your first paragraph fit with your last?

-         Does what you say follow from the evidence?

 

April

          Significance

-         Is this the most important problem to consider?

-         Is this the central idea to focus on?

-         Which of these facts are most important?

 

May

          Fairness

-         Do I have any vested interest in this issue?

-         Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others?

 

 

 

Taken from: The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder

 

 

The Role of the Teacher in Teaching Critical Thinking

 

-         The teacher should help to break big questions or tasks into smaller, more manageable parts.

 

-         The teacher should create meaningful contexts in which learning is valued by the students.

 

-         Teachers should help students clarify their thoughts by rephrasing or asking questions.

 

-         The teacher should pose thought-provoking questions.

 

-         The teacher should encourage the students to explain things to each other.

 

-         The teacher should help students find what they need to know by suggesting and showing students how to use resources.

 

 

Adapted from Critical Thinking Handbook: 6^th – 9^th Grades: A Guide for Remodelling Lesson Plans in Language Arts, Social Studies and Science by Richard Paul, A.J.A, Douglas Martin, Chris Vetrano and Heidi Kreklau

 

 

 

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning including skills such as comparison, classification, sequencing, cause/effect, patterning, webbing, analogies, deductive and inductive reasoning, forecasting, planning, hypothesizing, and critiquing.

Knowledge collect	describe	identify	list	show	tell	tabulate
define	examine	label	name	retell	state	quote
enumerate	match	read	record	reproduce	copy	select

Examples: dates, events, places, vocabulary, key ideas, parts of diagram, 5Ws

Comprehension

associate	compare	distinguish	extend	interpret	predict	differentiate
contrast	describe	discuss	estimate	group	summarize	order
cite	convert	explain	paraphrase	restate	trace

Examples: find meaning, transfer, interpret facts, and infer cause & consequence, examples

Application

apply	classify	change	illustrate	solve	demonstrate
calculate	complete	solve	modify	show	experiment
relate	discover	act	administer	articulate	chart
collect	compute	construct	determine	develop	establish
prepare	produce	report	teach	transfer	use

Examples: use information in new situations, solve problems

Analysis

analyze	arrange	connect	divide	infer	separate
classify	compare	contrast	explain	select	order
breakdown	correlate	diagram	discriminate	focus	illustrate
infer	outline	prioritize	subdivide	points out	prioritize

Examples: recognize and explain patterns and meaning, see parts and wholes

Synthesis

combine	compose	generalize	modify	invent	plan	substitute
create	formulate	integrate	rearrange	design	speculate	rewrite
adapt	anticipate	collaborate	compile	devise	express	facilitate
reinforce	structure	substitute	intervene	negotiate	reorganize	validate

Examples: discuss "what if" situations, create new ideas, predict and draw conclusions

Evaluation

assess	compare	decide	discriminate	measure	rank	test
convince	conclude	explain	grade	judge	summarize	support
appraise	criticize	defend	persuade	justify	reframe

Examples: make recommendations, assess value and make choices, critique ideas

Affective Domain

Domain Attributes: interpersonal relations, emotions, attitudes, appreciations, and values

accepts	attempts	challenges	defends	disputes	joins	judges
contributes	praises	questions	shares	supports	volunteers

 

Inductive Learning

The Inductive Learning Strategy is built on the natural processes of inductive thinking. The strategy helps students connect new content with their prior knowledge. Students generate or examine seemingly unrelated data. They group and label the data and draw conclusions or make predictions based on their analysis of the data. Through these processes the students learn by discovery which heightens not only their motivation to learn but also their ability to retain and to apply what they have learned

 

Metaphorical Expression
				The Metaphorical Expression Strategy uses direct analogies, personal analogies, and compressed conflicts to teach new concepts or to deepen students' understanding of already known concepts.  Using these three types of metaphors to look at content simply gives students a new and/or different perspective on the material.
Decision Making
		Decision Making is a strategy that requires students to practice sound decision-making skills by having student make decisions about content or to evaluate decisions made by historical figures or characters. Students study background information, examine decision-making data, establish alternatives, and analyze consequences before making a decision. Students then communicate their decision, provide support for this decision, and analyze the decisions of others as well as practicing consensus building and debating skills. Finally, students predict long-term effects of decisions and form and test hypotheses.