Critical thinking is a metacognitive process that, through purposeful, self-regulatory reflective judgment; skills of analysis, evaluation and inference; and a disposition towards thinking, increases the chances of producing a logical conclusion to an argument or solution to a problem. Critical thinking is vital for not only educational…

In this study, to examine the change in individuals' critical thinking skills, a new unit was developed in which STEM was integrated. The outcomes of this 7th-grade unit were selected from related disciplines. During the learning process of the developed Force and Energy unit, it was aimed that individuals could make judgments by gaining critical…

This paper presents a case example of a University Pedagogy course module carried out in ALMS (Autonomous Learning Modules) format. The participants of the course were mainly in-service language teachers of the University of Helsinki Language Centre, and the author of this report is a module instructor and counsellor. The motivation for the ALMS…

Learners of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) bring an array of backgrounds, identities, and experiences to the classroom. Through exposure to other views, learners can reflect on their own place in their world and engage in "self-authoring"--a term coined by Hernandez-Zamora (2010) that refers to critical-thinking skills…

When developing and working with various types of devices from a supercomputer to an iPod Mini, it is essential to consider the issues of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Usability. Developers and designers must incorporate HCI, Usability and user satisfaction in their design plans to ensure that systems are easy to learn, effective,…

U.S. history is an ideal subject in which to inculcate skepticism and to teach critical thinking skills. High school students who read and analyze rival interpretations of history come to expect that there is more than one viewpoint to most historical topics. Sample lessons are presented. (RM)

In this unit, elementary students are involved in many activities that introduce them to the basics of anthropology and archaeology. They interpret artifacts and record and interpret archaeological data, learn about environmental indicators and the significance of archaeological findings, and study conservation. The unit's culminating activity is…

This 10-day unit on the French Revolution is designed to help high school students understand the interplay of economic, social, and political forces in the process of revolutionary change, and the development of modern democratic forms of government. Critical thinking and geographic skill activities are employed throughout the unit and include…

Geography must help students understand the interrelationships of people with each other and with their surroundings. Describes a world geography unit for the sixth grade based upon the climatic regions of the world. By asking questions at increasingly higher levels, teachers can raise students' thinking skills. (CS)

A selection from a U.S. history textbook dealing with the problems of the Northwest Territory during the eighteenth century is used to show how teachers can teach students to recognize different points of view, in this case those of the British, the American settlers, and the American Indians. (RM)

Describes a unit for fifth- and sixth-grade students that helps develop critical thinking skills. Explains that students read the book, "Leonardo da Vinci" (Diane Stanley), to develop their historical interpretation skills and demonstrate that there is not just one right answer in history. (CMK)

The secondary social studies lessons in this publication are intended to help teachers improve instruction. Lessons are provided for the curriculum areas of social inquiry, ethical development, and civic competence. In the social inquiry lessons, students learn to describe and explain human behavior. In the ethical development lessons, students…

Describes a world geography unit for eighth-grade students which focuses on environmental hazards to demonstrate how interest in disasters and catastrophes can provide a springboard for general global inquiry. Benefits of this teaching method and usefulness to both teachers and students of studying about such events are also discussed. (MBR)

The 52 units that comprise this book were devised with the goal of "freeing up" the creative abilities of students while helping them look at a number of important social issues. The book is in a sequential form and presents many of the fundamental issues of the social studies curriculum. The units in the book follow a pattern that is…

This unit, designed for use with students in grades 6-12, has two purposes: (1) to inform teachers and students about social and economic conditions in rural El Salvador; and (2) to teach students how to analyze the indicators of such social and economic conditions. The six included lessons incorporate reading, graphing, and critical thinking…