Our brains are incredible tools, and they help us observe, analyze, create, and take action every single day. In this course, you are going to learn to unlock one of your brain’s most stunning powers: critical thinking! Get ready to go on an adventure and solve mysteries by applying your own critical thinking skills as you make your way through your units. Then, you’ll use these specialized skills towards issues in the real-world both inside and outside of the classroom. Tap into your most powerful tool today!
Middle School Critical Thinking 1a: Introduction
What does it mean to think critically? Is it being able to solve hard puzzles quickly? Is it getting good grades in school? Is it being able to use ‘street smarts’ or follow your gut when certain conditions arise? It might surprise you to learn that critical thinking plays a role in all those things. Simply put, critical thinking means gathering and analyzing information from different sources and experiences to help make an informed decision. It can be something as small as putting together a jigsaw puzzle or something as large as figuring out the criminal in a murder mystery. Critical thinkers value clarity, accuracy, relevance, and reasoning. Get ready to leave this course prepared to take on life’s mysteries and challenges!
What will you learn in this unit?
- Define critical thinking and its relationship to research, problem-solving, and decision-making
- Explain why critical thinking is useful in various domains, including education, social skills, adulthood, and specific industries
- Identify the different spheres in which individuals may solve problems, including classrooms, schools, family life, and communities
- Assess real-world scenarios related to critical thinking and problem-solving