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Chapter Twelve
Teaching Thinking
The Teaching Thinking Pocketbook shows how thinking skills can be learned, practiced
and improved. The five types of thinking that students typically struggle with are
processing information, reasoning, inquiry, creative thinking and evaluation.
The useful thinking tools provide ideas for active lessons where collaboration and
reflection are the norm. Listed are three useful thinking tools to meet the currents needs of
our students. Each tool is explained and exemplified with instructions and teaching tips for
classroom use.
Thinking Tool "Odd One Out', to Address Processing Information
Instructions:
1. Distribute sets of key words from the topic you are teaching. You could also use
pictures, objects or numbers.
2. Tell your students that each set has an odd one out and that they have to decide what
is it.
3. Encourage ‘full answers’ in which students justify their selection, explaining what the
items have in common and what differs in the odd one out.
Thinking Tool 'Concept Lines', to Address Reasoning
Instructions:
1. Give each group of students an A3 concept line template, or simply get them to draw a
concept line on a sheet of paper and label either end with the concepts you have
chosen. Also distribute a set of numbered ‘example’ cards.
2. Ask each group to look at each example in turn and place it somewhere on the line,
between the two extremes.
3. Warn them that you will be asking them to explain and justify their placements. In your
set of examples make sure you include:
• Some that are definitely instances of the concept in question.
• Some that are definitely not instances of the concept in question.
• Some from the ‘grey area’ where students will be less certain, will tend to disagree
with each other, will have to consider what others say and may change their minds
as the discussion proceeds. In the process, they will be encouraged to justify their
viewpoints, make distinctions, and develop criteria upon which to base their
judgements.