The role of critical and creative thinking has been debated within the field of instructional design. Through an instructional design and development project we have identified how critical and creative thinking are essential to the instructional design process. This paper highlights a recent project focused on a virtual Native American village and the development of supporting instructional materials. The materials combine instruction on content-area material, technology and critical and creative thinking skills. Our concept of critical and creative thinking skills is guided by a model that includes idea generation, reflective judgment, attitudes and dispositions and self-regulation. Through the process of designing instruction to teach critical and creative thinking skills, we recognized that these critical and creative thinking skills are essential in the design process.