Thinking Skills in RE Part I Lesley Prior Roehampton University, London

Thinking Skills in RE what are their generic characteristics? what are thinking skills? what are the benefits of using thinking skills approaches in RE?

What are thinking skills? They can include: information-processing skills reasoning skills enquiry skills creative thinking skills evaluation skills

Information-processing skills These enable pupils to: locate and collect relevant information sort, classify and sequence information compare and contrast information analyse relationships

Reasoning skills These enable pupils to: give reasons for opinions and actions draw inferences and make deductions use precise language to explain what they think make judgements

Enquiry skills These enable pupils to: ask relevant questions pose and define problems plan what to do and how to research predict outcomes and anticipate consequences test conclusions and improve ideas

Creative thinking skills These enable pupils to: generate and extend ideas suggest hypotheses apply imagination look for alternative, imaginative outcomes

Evaluation skills These enable pupils to: evaluate information judge the value of what they read, hear and do develop criteria for judging their own and others’ work or ideas have confidence in their own judgements

What are their generic characteristics? they focus on engagement with the curriculum through shared understanding they encourage pupils to think about their own learning they provide structured, powerful learning environments

What are the benefits of using thinking skills approaches in RE? pupils are more motivated and engaged in their own learning pupils find the tasks challenging without feeling stressed or frustrated about their ability to participate pupils are more able to articulate and discuss their ideas pupils negotiate understanding with their peers as well as with the teacher pupils are able to make links with what they already know pupils transform and apply what they know to new situations

Thinking Skills in RE Part II Lesley Prior Roehampton University, London

What are the different approaches to thinking skills in RE? Community of Enquiry Detective Work Mystery Story Telling Odd One Out Hot Seating

Community of Enquiry Listen to “The Mountains of Tibet” by Mordicai Gerstein. On your own, write down a question you would like to ask about the story. Now work with a partner and compare and discuss your questions together. Select one key question to discuss more fully! As a group, look at all the questions and choose one to explore in detail!

Detective Work Look carefully at the picture you have been given and note any particular details that attract your attention. Who do you think is being shown in your picture? What evidence do you have for this? How do you know that your evidence is accurate? Where does your evidence come from? Can you draw a firm conclusion?

Mystery Look at the key question which you have been given. In your group, look at all the information you have been given. Use the information to construct an answer to the question. Be ready to present your theory to the whole group and to explain the reason why you think it is a good one!

Odd One Out Look at the three items and try to write down as much information as you an about each one. Your task is to decide which item is the odd one out and is so doing, to identify what the other two have in common! You can have as many turns as you like! How many different answers (and reasons!) can you find?

Hot Seating Watch the short film clip about how Guru Nanak disappeared in the river. Think about what questions you could put to the different characters in the story: Nanaki Mardana Guru Nanak Discuss those questions with a partner. There will now be an opportunity for some of you to take on the role of those three characters in the ‘hot seat’ and respond to the questions devised earlier!

What do the pupils say? I’ve learned to really think about stories, not just listen to them… I can say what I feel and nobody will get in a mood if they don’t agree with me… All sorts of different answers can be right… I like hearing other people’s ideas because they often come up with things that I hadn’t even thought of… What do the teachers think? Over to you!

Thinking Skills in RE what are their generic characteristics? what are thinking skills? what are the benefits of using thinking skills approaches in RE?