Curated OER
Supreme Court Case Study: District of Columbia Vs Heller
Examine the Supreme Court case, District of Columbia vs Heller, to build a better understanding of the Bill of Rights. Learners visit three different websites, read the provided informational text, and then answer a series of critical...
Curated OER
The House on Haunted Hill
Have your class practice problem solving and critical-thinking skills. Learners read a long story about an adventure involving a haunted house, make decisions about what the character should do, and evaluate the storytelling process.
Education Bureau of Hong Kong
Fundamentals
"Fundamentals," the first lesson in a series of eight, introduces the basic concepts and strategies covered in a series of resources designed to teach high schoolers critical thinking skills. The worksheets and activities in this first...
Curated OER
9/11 Essay Questions
After reading about the events of September 11, 2001 learners can think critically with the aid of nine interesting questions. They answer each question in a full sentence and answer as if they were confronted with these questions at the...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Spontaneous Inventions
Reading out loud can be a real thrill for some, and a real issue for others. Teach your class that reading with inflection and fluency can be as easy as singing a song. They'll first analyze two Bobby McFerrin songs for intonation,...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Human Rights
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a political cartoon is like reading an essay. Have your critical thinkers examine three cartoons to read between the lines, gaining insight and information. They analyze how these cartoons...
Great Books Foundation
Discussion Guide for 1984
George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in 1949, can seem strangely prophetic when compared to modern news events and politics. Readers of Orwell's dystopian classic sharpen their critical thinking skills by engaging in...
Curated OER
Justice for All
A reading of Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter opens a discussion of justice and fairness. Using a Venn diagram and an Idea Wheel graphic organizer, class members consider the similarities and differences in these two terms. They then...
Curated OER
What Does the Government Do Right?
Challenge your class to reevaluate preconceived notions about government with this political cartoon analysis. An image presents a clear example of irony, in which a disgruntled American complains about his government, yet fails to see...
Curated OER
Favorite Sports and Athletes: an Introduction to Sports Media
Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Creating Narrative
Plot, setting, characters, and conflict are common to both drama and narrative stories. Kids create narrated tableaus that show their understanding of the plot, setting, and conflict of a story they've recently read. The lesson plan...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Veepstakes!
Take a step back in time with this political cartoon analysis worksheet, which features editorial cartoons from the 2008 presidential campaign. Background information allows pupils to "read between the lines" in their analysis, and three...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Fair Elections?
Rigged elections make for both intriguing current events and hilarious political cartoons. In this analysis worksheet, pupils read background information to help them grasp a cartoon about rigged presidential elections in 2007 by Russia,...
Curated OER
Corporate Profits vs. Jobs
Bring the Occupy Movement debate to your classroom. This political cartoon analysis offers a chance for pupils to explore their personal ideas about corporate America and current economic issues. Background information is provided to...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Higher Education Issues
As your college-bound scholars prepare to leave the nest, this political cartoon analysis will have them thinking about current issues facing their generation. Background information helps them access 2 political cartoons regarding...
Curated OER
Drawing the Line on Financial Reform
Use this political cartoon handout to give a humorous edge to learning about financial reform legislation. Background information helps analysts "read between the lines," and questions prompt analysis of symbolism and message. Because...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: What's Replacing Our Newspapers?
What is happening to print media? Use this political cartoon analysis handout to facilitate pupil exploration of the online-media takeover and the decline of newspapers. Background information gives them context, and 3 talking points...
One Pot Learning
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Three annotated passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on "Nature" provide young philosophers a chance to improve their reading comprehension skills as they gain insight into Emerson's ideas.
Curated OER
Making Connections
In order to maximize reading comprehension levels, young readers must learn to make connections to the content. This learning exercise applies to any reading and provides spaces for readers to document relevent personal experiences,...
Curated OER
Eastside Literacy Reading Lesson - Fact or Opinion
Analyze critical thinking skills that involve the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion through self-reflection. Higher education students will collect a newspaper article, advertisement, magazine article, tabloid article,...
Penguin Books
Teacher's Guide: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
An 11-page teacher's guide that focuses on Delia Owens' bestseller Where the Crawdads Sing is packed with discussion questions and activities. Text-dependent questions, activities, and writing prompts are also included....
Curated OER
ICYouSee: A Lesson in Critical Thinking
Stress the importance of authenticating online resources and understanding the sources of websites' information with this activity. Using a Web-based activity, the lesson prompts young learners to think critically about determining the...
Curated OER
Nov. 2, 1976 | Carter Defeats Ford in Presidential Election
After reading about the presidential race in 1976, learners think critically about presidential legacy. They read all of the provided background information, related New York Times articles, and then respond to a writing prompt via blog...
NASA
The Search for Critical Questions
A puzzle isn't about the individual pieces, but how they work together. Scholars assemble a puzzle and discover missing pieces. They write a description of what they expect these pieces to look like, including as many details as...