Kids consider the characteristics needed to be reformers like Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez. They read a series of quotes focused on both animal and human rights to answer eight critical thinking questions. 

Shapes are so fun! Little ones explore, identify, and create shapes using tangrams or pattern blocks. The activity is intended to stimulate critical thinking while engaging learners through play and shape identification. Each child will...

A wonderfully graphic cartoon entices learners to read more about issues near the Arabian Peninsula. They will use the provided cartoon and critical thinking question to practice building their analytical and critical thinking skills....

Blogs can be a good way for learners to engage in writing, critical thinking, and social media in a formal way. The New York Times has provided learners age 13-18 with an article, background information, and several prompts to get them...

Connect events of the past to events of today. Budding historians read an eight paragraph passage describing the Watergate scandal. They then connect the Nixon scandal to sex scandals of recent times. There are six critical thinking...

Make connections with past history and current events with this critical thinking exercise. Kids read background information relating to Alaska's statehood as well as information on oil drilling and Alaska's economy. They put it all...

Have your class join a blog about whether or not eating meat is good for you. They'll read several passages regarding meat processing and consumption, then they post what they think. There are six critical-thinking prompts to help them...

Learners read a script that helps them understand the ins and outs of consumerism. They watch a video (not included), and engage in two additional activities. The activity engages critical thinking skills and brings awareness to the...

This activity uses a question and answer format to scaffold students comprehension of a short dialogue about the Chesapeake Bay and its tradition of log canoes. After reading the short passage, students are prompted to find three facts...

The price of gas has increased around the country, and many political cartoons, such as this one, have used humor to get people thinking about it. With the help of three very good critical thinking prompts, learners will analyze a...

Who cares about manners anyway? According to the New York Times, Mrs. Mason does. Learners read and consider an article which addresses the decline of manners and the impact it has on society. They answer seven critical thinking...

Read to learn all about the religion and belief systems of the Arctic-dwelling Inuits. This resource includes an easy-to-follow reading passage that is seven paragraphs in length, and five great critical thinking questions.

A woven rug depicting birds and cornstalks becomes the inspiration for a lesson on critical thinking and creative writing. Learners analyze the symbolism found in the rug and then compose a descriptive paragraph or poem that embodies the...

Kids read a translated version of Abbe Sieyes' document, The Third Estate. This document is shown in its original form and as an English translation. After reading the text they answer three critical thinking question to show their...

Read and work to understand the words of Benito Juarez. An excerpt from the primary source document La Reforma is the focus of this worksheet. Learners will read the excerpt, then answer three critical thinking questions.

Comprehending the role of key players and events of WWII is a task all learners must undertake. Here, they respond to three critical thinking questions regarding the roles Roosevelt and Stalin played during the war as well as Germany's...

Why did King Henry divorce Catherine of Aragon, and how did he make divorce possible? Young historians will read through each informational slide to learn the story of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry, and Anne Boleyn. They will then...

Here is an interesting and somewhat interactive presentation. Covering the French Revolution, the slide show begins with a timeline of Napoleon's rise to power and ultimate fall. Main ideas for each event are then outlined with critical...

Consider using this worksheet, another in a series of sentence completion exercises, as the basis of a lesson on test taking or comprehension strategies, as a critical thinking exercise, or as extra practice for up-coming standardized...

Take your third graders' problem-solving skills to the next level. Six word problems need a solution, but they aren't solvable in their current forms. Learners explain the piece of missing information that they need to solve the word...

Read this interesting background information regarding the presidential election of 2008. Your class will read the provided passages and then answer four critical thinking questions that require them to consider the reading and what they...

What is the white man's burden anyway? Kids find out about views from our social past as they read Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden." They read the poem, then answer four, two-part critical thinking questions that ask them to...

Have pupils explore the Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest sets of laws. They get into groups to read, analyze, and answers 5 critical-thinking questions about 2 of the provided laws. Then they report what they have learned. Great...

Warm up the class with this political cartoon analysis. They use the provided guiding questions to analyze a cartoon depicting issues of debate regarding Federal debt. Critical thinking is a must with this worksheet.