1. Think of a childhood fairytale. 2. Write a question about the fairytale as though you had assigned it as a reading in your class.

3.Review Bloom’s Taxonomy of critical thinking on the next slide and determine which level of critical thinking would be required to respond to your question. Write down the category next to your question.

1. KNOWLEDGE: recalling information 2. COMPREHENSION: understanding meaning 3. APPLICATION: using learning in new situations 4. ANALYSIS: ability to see parts & relationships 5. SYNTHESIS: Use parts to create a new whole 6. EVALUATION: judgment based on criteria Bloom’s Levels

4. Share and discuss these questions with your collaborative group. As a group, rewrite the questions to a higher Level.

Inquiry Strategies

"In the classroom, wondering should be as highly valued as knowing," F. James Rutherford and Andrew Ahlgren in “Science for All Americans”

The Big Picture Inquiry is the common thread in a student-centered classroom : Used in –Cornell notes –Tutorials –Socratic Seminars –Philosophical Chairs –Learning Logs –Critical thinking & decision-making

The Big Picture Often begins with a question Encourages students to think critically Creates the opportunity for students to problem-solve & share analyses Inquiry promotes COLLABORATION

Inquiry immediately engages students with their own thinking processes. Why Use Inquiry as a Teaching Methodology?

What results is student ownership for enlarged understanding of concepts and values. Why Use Inquiry as a Teaching Methodology?

Learner performs activity Teacher asks students probing questions Learner reads provactive text Learner justifies proposed explanation Inquiry is when… Which Activities are Inquiry?

 Complete a problem-solving activity  Describe the steps you went through to solve the problem –Flowcharts or Concept Maps? –Critique each step: what you did, what was hard, what was easy  Describe how to you would improve the process for the next time Increasing Metacognition

Students need to have an opportunity to reflect on their own thought processes so they can become adept at monitoring, assessing, and improving their own thinking. “Thinking About Your Thinking”

“You can’t get students to think critically without asking critical questions” Carmen Serret-Lopez

Levels of Cognitive Thought: Two Models

1. KNOWLEDGE: recalling information 2. COMPREHENSION: understanding meaning 3. APPLICATION: using learning in new situations 4. ANALYSIS: ability to see parts & relationships 5. SYNTHESIS: Use parts to create a new whole 6. EVALUATION: judgment based on criteria Bloom’s Levels

Level 1: Gathering/Recalling Information Level 2: Making Sense of Gathered Information Level 3: Applying/Evaluating Information Costa’s Levels

Complete Count Define Describe Identify List Match Name Observe Recite Select Scan Three Story Intellect

Complete Count Define Describe Identify List Match Name Observe Recite Select Scan Compare Contrast Classify Sort Distinguish Explain (Why) Infer Sequence Analyze Synthesiz Make Analogies Reason

Complete Count Define Describe Identify List Match Name Observe Recite Select Scan Evaluate Generalize Imagine Judge Predict Speculate Infer Sequence Analyze Synthesiz Make Analogies Reason Compare Contrast Classify Sort Distinguish Explain (Why) If/Then Hypothesize Forecast Idealize Apply a Principle Three Story Intellect

Jigsaw Activity 1.Form Groups of three. These are your “home” groups. 2.Number off by 3’s. Now all 1’s sit together, all 2’s, etc. These are your “expert” groups. 3. In expert groups, read and discuss your segment. 4. Return to home groups to share your expert group discussion.

Why is this important? State and National surveys indicate that approximately 90% of the questions K-12th grade students are exposed to are lower level questions. In college this trend reverses, and students deal primarily with high level critical questions.

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