Kids use poetry and contemporary art to start thinking about logic and personal expression. They read Sylvia Plath's poem "Metaphor," and critically examine the art of Urs Fischer. After working though a few logic problems they write...

Help your learners grow their critical thinking and analytical skills by asking them to examine logical fallacies. After reading an example, pupils determine if two sets of premises and conclusions are logical fallacies or not and...

Whodunnit? Find out who killed Mr. Brooks through a logical examination of evidence. Class members fill out a couple of data tables to help them pin down the suspect. After they've figured out just who the culprit is, pupils compose...

This lesson plan starts out with a guided discussion about the statement "Birds fly in the sky; airplanes fly in the sky; therefore, airplanes are birds" and goes on to cover logical fallacies and reliable sources, relating these to the...

Use this presentation as a means to spark discussion and promote critical-thinking skills in your classroom. Learners read and discuss a series of questions such as whether animals can talk. This presentation provides a good way to have...

Is it silly or sensible? That's a great question, and it's the question that will drive this entire lesson. Learners with special needs and visual impairments work together to analyze verbal information. The instructor makes a statement,...

Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...

Students practice their performance, expression, and logical thinking skills by asking questions and speaking in correct tones. They attempt to meet IEP requirements in these areas by presenting murder mystery clues using the appropriate...

In this thinking skills learning exercise, students read a paragraph that describes the travel needs of a man who needs to get to a building on top of a mountain. From 3 picture choices, students circle the vehicle that is the right one...

In this thinking skills worksheet, students read a description about the kind of pet a girl wants. From three choices, students circle the picture of the pet that best fits the description.

Give your class a lesson in logical reasoning. This worksheet, which focuses on ad hominem arguments, goes step by step through an example. After examining the argument, learners assess a second conversation for ad hominem arguments...

Students recognize inductive and deductive reasoning and analyze common fallacies in critical thinking.  In this argumentation and logic lesson, students use role playing activities and specific instances of inductive and deductive...

After discussing the artistic elements and design process needed to construct the modern sculpture, Lao Tzu, kids get logical. They consider the purposeful use of space in the sculpture, design a modern piece for a specific space at...

Read various texts to compare the themes across each text. Learners write a journal entry describing the most beautiful scenery they've seen and use a map of the United States to locate the Sequoia National Park and Muir Woods. They then...

Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...

Oftentimes, we jump to conclusions when we are given a limited amount of information. Take a look at reasonable conclusions with your communications studies class. If-clauses, dichotomous thinking, and assumptions are all covered with...

The piranha is the subject of a reading passage that is sure to engage your learners in a reading comprehension exercise. Pupils must employ multiple strategies to answer the questions based on the passage. Of particular value is the...

“There are often dangers from snow and wolves and night.” Bram Stoker’s “Dracula’s Guest,” which may or may not have been the first chapter of the original Dracula manuscript, is the focus of a Directed Reading Thinking Activity...

In this thinking skills worksheet, students read three clues to figure out which of three pictures of geometric shapes is the correct one. Students draw an X on each shape that doesn't fit the clues. Students circle the correct shape....

In this logic worksheet, 1st graders read through the logic questions and write answers to them. Students answer 8 questions using their logic.

Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre.  Based on what...

In this number sentences learning exercise, 2nd graders look at 4 number sentences and tell a story about each one. Students draw a picture about each of their stories.

 Students explore the likelihood of events.  For this logical thinking lesson, 3rd graders are given several scenarios and determine whether the possibility of the described event actually happening is likely, unlikely, or...