This booklet presents a collection of lessons and support materials for teaching critical and creative thinking developed by participants in the 1989-90 and 1990-91 staff development project of the Bexley, Ohio City schools. Following a list of project participants, an overview of the Instructional Options Program, and a brief review of Calvin…

In the fall of 1992, Mesa Community College (MCC), in Phoenix, Arizona, established the Center for Public Policy and Service to promote community service and active participation in the social and political process as integral parts of a community college education. Through the Center, students are provided with educational opportunities in…

In spring 1995, Virginia's John Tyler Community College (JTCC) conducted a survey of faculty to assess their perceptions of the integration of general education into classes and programs at the college. A total of 100 surveys were distributed to full-time faculty members and a random sample of adjunct faculty members, receiving a 34% response…

This study, part of the National Study of Student Learning, investigated the influence of differential exposure to postsecondary education, particularly the impact of type of institution, number of credit hours, and other factors on gains in critical thinking skills. the sample was 2,092 first-year students attending 13 four-year and 4 two-year…

The critical thinking curriculum used in the four-year business degree program at the Auckland Institute of Technology Faculty of Commerce in New Zealand is described. The design of the business program is modeled on the authors' view of critical thinking as concerned with the intellectual maturity of the whole person. Key intellectual standards…

The inclusion of critical thinking and viewing skills across the curriculum is one way to approach the development of problem solving, which could help develop the kind of students prepared to accept the challenges they face. Using popular media in teaching such skills links critical thinking to life in a way that keeps critical thinking from…

This teaching guide provides an integrated framework for teaching thinking skills which involves both teaching thinking in a separate program or course and infusing the teaching of thinking into standard subject area instruction across the curriculum. Individual chapters deal with the following topics: (1) the nature of thinking skills and…

This book was prepared to enable schools to incorporate material on the Caribbean into existing curricula. Four aims guided the editors in their selection and presentation of materials: (1) to show Caribbean history and contemporary realities through the eyes of ordinary people, both real and fictional; (2) to promote critical thinking rather than…

America's Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley believes that the higher education community must be in a position to respond to raised standards for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. In fact, he said: "These two systems must collaborate to solve a problem that neither can address by itself." Initially, sweeping reform plans…

This paper reports on a strategy for encouraging preservice teachers to use reflective techniques when developing lesson plans. A focus on reflective practice incorporates and integrates the minimal teaching competencies required by West Virginia State Teacher Certification. Practicum students must provide evidence demonstrating at least minimal…

This report is intended to assist teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders in achieving excellence in California's public elementary education. The report is also designed to help teachers and administrators engage elementary school students in a thinking curriculum that immerses students in a rich learning environment that…

In response to parents' expressed need for appropriate academic strategies to be used at home with their kindergarten children, a series of parent workshops were designed to explain the philosophy of developmentally appropriate practices with children and to train parents to select activities that followed the philosophy. Participating parents…

This unit of study for high-ability language arts students in grades 2-3 uses an inquiry-based approach to investigate literature in an interdisciplinary curriculum. The guiding theme of the unit is the recognition of change as a concept that affects people and their relationships as well as the world around them. The unit provides the vehicle for…

This monograph describes the development of a scope and sequence model for science education specifically intended for use with gifted students in grades K-8. Introductory material notes the rationale and purpose of the model as well as its functions such as providing a scaffolding linking educational concepts with the technology of school…

A practicum was undertaken to improve second language acquisition and critical thinking skills in a fourth and fifth grade English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class in a Spanish-speaking low socioeconomic neighborhood. Students there were not exposed to English except during school hours, and they were taking 4 or 5 years to become…