1. A Critical Thinker is… Someone who uses specific criteria to evaluate reasoning and make decisions.

2. Opening Questions In your opinion, what are the habits and/or characteristics of a critical thinker? Explain. Short Video

3. Habits/Characteristics Each group was given one habit of a critical thinker’s mind As a group, create a poster that  Describes what it means to you  Provide examples of how it has helped you before in life, in or out of the school setting  One visual that relates to anything above

4. Habits of a Critical Thinker

5. Persistence If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will treat the whole world as if it were a nail. – Edward de Bono

6. Tentativeness The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. – Mark Twain Managing Impulsivity Hesitant

7. Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition) Thinking aloud…Allowed!

8. Striving for Accuracy It’s hard to wring my hands when I am busy rolling up my sleeves. – Linda Geraci

9. Healthy Skepticism It is in the formulation of the problems that individuality is expressed, that creativity is stimulated, that nuances and subtleties are discovered. – Herbert Thelen Questioning and Posing Problems

10. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations The main fuel to speed the world’s progress is our stock of knowledge, and the brake is our lack of imagination. – Julian Simon

11. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read. – Winston Churchill

12. Creating, Imagining, Innovating I believe everybody is creative, and everybody is talented. I just don’t think that everybody is disciplined. I think that is a rare commodity. – Al Hirschfield Gathering Data through all Senses

13. Taking Responsible Risks Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot Responding with Wonderment and Awe

14. Finding Humor If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. – Erma Bombeck

15. Thinking Interdependently It is good to rub and polish our brain against that of others. – Michael De Montaigne Listening with Understanding and Empathy

16. Open Mindedness The only thing that we can know is that we know nothing and that is the highest flight of human wisdom. – Leo Tolstoy Thinking Flexibly Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

17. Writing Prompt Prompt:  In this digital age, how can one ensure that sophisticated critical thinking habits will advance? After viewing Digital Nation and reading the two provided articles, write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the sources. Give examples from your past or current issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Format Specifics  12 point font  Times New Roman  Double Spaced