Uncovering Critical Thinkingin Social Studies

Developed by ERLC/ARPDC as a result of a grant from Alberta Education to support

implementation

withWally Diefenthaler, Diane Lander and Karen LaRone

Uncovering Critical Thinkingin Social Studies

Wally Diefenthaler

Diane Lander Karen LaRone

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What is critical thinking?

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What is critical thinking:Roland Case

http://www.learn Alberta.ca/content/ssogrcp/html/summerinstitute_roland_case_2.html

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Creating a Critically Thoughtful Classroom

• Critical Thinking is not just a goal but a powerful method to teach Social Studies. When critical thinking is used as the framework around which instruction is designed, the learning becomes more powerful and students are more engaged. We need to learn to recognize when we are inviting students to think critically.

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Think of a ThinkerWhen you think of

someone you consider an effective critical thinker, what

attributes do you attach to that

individual?

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So…When is someone thinking critically?

A person is thinking critically only if he/she is assessing or judging the merits of possible options in light of relevant factors or criteria.

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TC2 Model of Critical Thinking

Community of Thinkers

Critical Challenges

Teach and Assess the

Intellectual Tools

Background Knowledge Criteria for JudgmentCritical Thinking

VocabularyThinking Strategies Habits of Mind

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Knowledge of purposeful and relevant information about a topic required for thoughtful reflection.

Background Knowledge

What information do your students need to know about a topic?

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Criteria for Judgment

Appropriate criteria or grounds for judging the reasonableness or merits of the options presented by

a critical challenge.

On what basis do your students decide what is reasonable or possible when addressing issues or problems?

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Critical Thinking Vocabulary

Range of concepts and distinctions that are helpful when thinking critically (e.g. bias, point of view and

perspective, inference and evidence, premise, conclusion)

What terms and concepts do you teach and use in your classroom to promote critical thinking?

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Thinking Strategies

Procedures, graphic organizers and models that may be useful when thinking through a challenge

To what extent do you use such strategies as graphic organizers in your classroom?

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Habits of Mind: The qualities of a great thinker!

Values and attitudes of careful and conscientious thinkers

Why teach such habits of mind as open-mindedness in your social studies classroom?

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Reasons for Embedding Critical Thinking as a Method of Teaching

• Fosters an important life skill• More motivating for students• Promotes understanding of content• Supports key principles of the new Social

Studies program (integration of skills & processes, inquiry-focused, multiple perspectives, identity and citizenship)

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Asking Powerful Questions

As you watch the video consider which question is the most powerful based on the following criteria.

Criteria for a powerful question» Informative» Open ended» Relevant

Students questions for MLAs.http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssapq/index.html?Page=24

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The most powerful question:

1. Why is it important to have a government?

2. What do you think you have done to make things better since you have been elected as an MLA?

3. What do you think are the 3 most important responsibilities of an MLA?

4. What is the key role of an MLA?

5. What is the most important consideration when you vote or make vote or make a decision?

6. How do your decisions affect my life?

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TC2 Model of Critical Thinking

Community of Thinkers

Critical Challenges

Teach and Assess the

Intellectual Tools

Background Knowledge Criteria for JudgmentCritical Thinking

VocabularyThinking Strategies Habits of Mind

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Criteria for a Powerful Question

Is my question Yes because Not Yet: but here is how I can make it better

Informative?

Open ended?

Relevant?

Student Checklist: Are my questions powerful?

This is one of my questions:________________________________________________

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Powerful Questions: Does the challenge work?

Reflection: Considering the questions that the students asked take a moment to reflect on the comments in the video.

Does critical thinking really enhance student learning?

Teacher reflectionhttp://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssapq/index.html?Page=19

www.LearnAlberta.ca

“Getting to Know LearnAlberta” Webinars:• Signing Up• Navigation and Personal Workspace

Access these archived Webinars athttp://erlc.wikispaces.com

Which resources in LearnAlberta.ca address critical thinking?

• Professional Learning Resourceso Reference documents, video clips

• Teaching Resourceso Overarching Critical Inquiries (OCI’s)o Critical ChallengesoModelling the Toolso Support Materials

Social Studies

Knowledge and Understanding Outcomes

Students will:7.1.4 assess, critically, the economic competition related to

the control of the North American fur trade by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

• How did the First Nations, French, British and Métis peoples interact with each other as participants in the fur trade?

• How did the fur trade contribute to the foundations of the economy in North America?

• How was Britain’s interest in the fur trade different from that of New France?

• How was economic development in New France impacted by the changing policies of the French Royal Government?

• What was the role of mercantilism before and after the 1763 Treaty of Paris?

Skills and Processes OutcomesStudents will:7.S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:• determine the validity of information based on context,

bias, source, objectivity, evidence and/or reliability to broaden understanding of a topic or an issue

• evaluate, critically, ideas, information and positions from multiple perspectives

• demonstrate the ability to analyze local and current affairs• re-evaluate personal opinions to broaden understanding of

a topic or an issue• generate creative ideas and strategies in individual and

group activities access diverse viewpoints on particular topics, using

appropriate technologies

Assessment in Alberta Social Studies

Video Clips

• Roland Case: Critical Thinking as an Effective Way of Teaching Social Studies(Part 3)

• Roland Case: Critical Thinking as an Effective Way of Teaching Social Studies (Part 4)

• Roland Case: A Model of Critical Thinking (Interview Response - Question 5)

• Garfield Gini-Newman: Embedding Critical Thinking into the New Social Studies Program of Studies (Part 3)

Search Specific Resources

Critical Thinking in the Program

Programs of Study

Find Resources by Programs of Study

Social Studies

Social Studies K-12 (2005)

The Apple and Backpack Icons

Locate Critical Thinking

Resources Relating to Critical Thinking

Resource Listing

Teaching Resources

Search Particular Teaching Resources

Overarching Critical Inquiries (OCIs)

OCIs cluster the teaching of many specific outcomes under

a central idea

Search OCIs

What makes up an OCI?

OCIs Continued

Select a Critical Challenge

Critical Challenges

Suggested Activities

Outcomes

References

Related Resources

Back to the OCI

Outcomes Addressed in the Critical Challenges

Summaries of the Critical Challenges

Summaries of the Support Materials

Summaries of Modelling the Tools

A Classroom Example of Investigating Pictures

Classroom Example Support Resources

Which resources in LearnAlberta.ca provide further support for critical thinking?

• Alberta Order of Excellence resources • Online Reference Centre• Summaries of current research and literature

related to social studies• Assessment: Linking Teaching and Learning• Literature connections• Image collections• Videos• Support materials: Using digital technologies

In Pursuit of Excellence

Online Reference Centre

Summaries of current research and literature related to social studies

Assessment models

Literature Connections

Image Collections

Image Options

Videos

Using digital technologies

Uncovering critical thinking resources in www.learnalberta.ca

• How can those resources be used effectively to enhance critical thinking?

• How can those resources complement your current suite of teaching and learning resources?

• How can those resources be accessed efficiently?