Critical Thinking Activities & Exercises

Critical Thinking Exercises: Fun Brain Teasers and Logic Mind-Puzzles 

A collection of fun mind-logic puzzles and classroom critical thinking exercises for teachers and students! Critical thinking is the purposeful, logical reasoning, and analysis of facts to form a judgment or draw a conclusion. Have fun challenging your critical thinking skills and your students? 

• Good Old-fashioned Challenging Puzzles is a selection of mathematical brain-teasers from his book Amusements in. Mathematics, first published in 1917
• 536 logic puzzles
• Matchstick Puzzles
• Matchstick Problems
A) Circle B) Square C) Triangle D) Pentagon ?) Hexagon
• Tricks, Games, and Puzzles with Matches
• The Learning Tree Matchstick Puzzles 

"The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange items into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is do. If you need to go somewhere else due to a lack of facilities, then this is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run, this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the future, but then, one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. (Source: Bransford, J.D., and Johnson, M.K. (1973). Consideration of some problems in comprehension. In Visual information processing, W.G. Chase (Ed.). New York: Academic Press.)

Here are 10 ciphers, codes, encrypted messages, and riddles to engage in critical thinking exercises:

1. Caesar Cipher:

   Encrypt the following message using a Caesar cipher with a shift of 3: "HELLO WORLD."

2. Morse Code:

   Decode the following Morse code message: "--. --- --- -.. / - .... . / -.-- --- ..- / .- -. -.. / .. ... / -.-. --- -.. ."

3. Binary Code:

   Convert the following binary code into text: "01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100000 01010111 01101111 01110010 01101100 01100100 00101110"

4. Cryptogram:

   Solve the following cryptogram puzzle: "Gsv jfrxp yildm ulc qfnkh levi gsv ozab wlt."

5. Anagram:

   Rearrange the letters in the word "LISTEN" to form a new word.

6. Palindrome:

   Find a word that reads the same forwards and backwards.

7. Rebus Puzzle:

   Decode the following rebus puzzle: "I M gOOD with NUM8ER5."

8. Sudoku:

   Solve the following Sudoku puzzle:

       5 3 . | . 7 . | . . .

       6 . . | 1 9 5 | . . .

       . 9 8 | . . . | . 6 .

       ------+-------+------

       8 . . | . 6 . | . . 3

       4 . . | 8 . 3 | . . 1

       7 . . | . 2 . | . . 6

       ------+-------+------

       . 6 . | . . . | 2 8 .

       . . . | 4 1 9 | . . 5

       . . . | . 8 . | . 7 9

9. Logic Puzzle:

   Solve the following logic puzzle:

   Five friends - Alex, Ben, Claire, David, and Emily - are sitting in a row. Use the following clues to determine their seating order:

   - Alex is sitting on one end, and Claire is sitting next to Ben.

   - David is sitting next to Emily, who is not sitting on an end.

   - Ben is not sitting next to David.

   - Claire is sitting to the right of Emily.

10. Visual Puzzle:

    Solve the following visual puzzle by identifying the odd one out:

    

       A) Circle

       B) Square

       C) Triangle

       D) Pentagon

       E) Hexagon

Enjoy these critical thinking exercises and have fun solving the puzzles!

Certainly! Here are 10 more ciphers, codes, encrypted messages, and riddles for critical thinking exercises:

1. Reverse Cipher:

   Decrypt the following message: "dlroW olleH"

2. Pig Latin:

   Translate the word "Garden" into Pig Latin.

3. Braille:

   Decode the following Braille message: ⠠⠎⠑⠗⠊⠇⠊⠉⠑

4. Cryptogram:

   Solve the following cryptogram puzzle: "Wkh qhaw zloo eh wklv vruw?"

5. Palindrome:

   Find a sentence that reads the same forwards and backwards.

6. Rebus Puzzle:

   Decode the following rebus puzzle: "1 + 1 = ?"

7. Sudoku:

   Solve the following Sudoku puzzle:

       . . . | 6 . . | 9 . .

       . 3 . | . 2 . | . . 8

       . . 9 | 4 . . | 7 . .

       ------+-------+------

       . . . | . . . | 4 . .

       . . . | 5 . 9 | . . .

       . . 8 | . . . | . . .

       ------+-------+------

       7 . 5 | . . . | 3 . .

       . . . | . 1 . | . 6 .

       . . 3 | . . 6 | . . .

8. Logic Puzzle:

   Solve the following logic puzzle:

   Five students - Alice, Bob, Claire, David, and Emily - each have a favorite subject: Math, Science, English, History, and Art. Use the following clues to determine their favorite subjects:

   - David's favorite subject is Science, and it is not History.

   - Alice's favorite subject is Math, and it is not Art.

   - Claire's favorite subject is English.

   - Bob's favorite subject is not Science.

   - Emily's favorite subject is not Math or History.

9. Visual Puzzle:

   Solve the following visual puzzle by identifying the missing piece:

    

       A) Circle

       B) Square

       C) Triangle

       D) Pentagon

       ?) Hexagon

10. Riddle:

    I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body but I come alive with wind. What am I?

Enjoy these additional critical thinking exercises and have fun solving the puzzles!

What is this passage about? 
What other facilities would you have to use, if your facilities are not working? 
How would the mistake cost you money? 

Following Directions Critical Thinking Activities & Exercises

Reading for Meaning  Critical Thinking Activities & Exercises

350 Brain teasing puzzles to improve intelligence and reasoning

[PDF]Critical Thinking Workbook
The activity pages in the Critical Thinking ... Work on some skills using metaphor and choosing words carefully with this fun, challenging exercise. ... Should he: A) Mind his own business B) Report the incident to the school principal C) ... Figure out the word or phrase for each of these rebus puzzles and write it underneath.

[PDF]81 Fresh & Fun Critical-Thinking Activities - The Mathematics Shed
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[PDF]50 Activities for Developing Critical Thinking Skills - SPERS
Reproduced from 50 Activities for Developing Critical Thinking ...... Do you agree with author James Fixx, who asserts, “In solving puzzles, a self-assured.

[PDF]Developing Critical Thinking Skills in the ABE Classroom - NH Adult Ed
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[PDF]Edward the Bono - Six thingking hats
What is Parallel Thinking? ▫ Traditional Thinking vs. Parallel Thinking. ▫ What is Lateral Thinking? ▫ Introduction to Six Thinking Hats method. ▫ How to apply ...

[PDF]Edward de Bono's 6 Thinking Hats ®
The notion of six thinking hats comes from Edward De Bono ... The principle behind the 'Six Thinking Hats' is parallel thinking which ensures that all the.

[PDF]SIX THINKING HATS
... Thinking Hats®. The Six Thinking Hats tool is a powerful technique used ... www.odi.org.uk/Rapid/Publications/Documents/KM_toolkit_web.pdf. EC-FAO Food ...

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Six Thinking Hats (6TH) was developed by internationally respected consultant Edward ... The technique is based on the idea that there are six imaginary hats.

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thinking methods. 2. Delivery six thinking hats (SHT) method (theory + practice). 3. Try to use the SHT in real situation. 4. Summarize your experience for the.

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Six Thinking Hats. Pink Hat – information available and needed. Red Hat – intuition, feelings and hunches. Yellow Hat – benefits and value. Black Hat ...

Common Core Critical Thinking Reading Passage

Critical thinking is a way of deciding, making an inference, and or drawing conclusions whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. Critical thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used. The Common Core emphasizes the development of critical thinking as a tool by which one can come to reasoned conclusions based on a reasoned “Socratic Method” process. This critical thinking process incorporates background knowledge, opinion, fact, passion and creativity, but guides it with discipline, practicality, pragmatics, and common sense. Critical thinking is an important component of many fields such as math, education, politics, business, science and the arts.

Common Core Critical Thinking Question STEMS!

How do we apply, learn or judge values and morals?

Why are personality traits perceived as positive or negative?

How does the author use figurative language to help the reader infer the nature of each sister?

How would you rank the amoral traits of the antagonist?

How would you rank the moral traits of the protagonist?

How are the elements of plot used by the author to teach the reader a moral lesson?

Toads and Diamonds


1, THERE was once upon a time a widow who had two daughters.
The eldest was so much like her in the face and humor that whoever looked upon the daughter saw the mother. They
were both so disagreeable and so proud that there was no living
with them.

2. The youngest, who was the very picture of her father for
courtesy and sweetness of temper was withal one of the most
beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love their own
likeness, this mother even doted on her eldest daughter and at
the same time had a horrible aversion for the youngest— she
made her eat in the kitchen and work continually.

Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a day to
draw water above a mile and a-half off the house, and bring
home a pitcher full of it. One day, as she was at this fountain,
there came to her a poor woman, who begged of her to let her
drink.

3. “Oh! ay, with all my heart, Goody,” said this pretty little girl;
and rinsing immediately the pitcher, she took up some water
from the clearest place of the fountain, and gave it to her, holding
up the pitcher all the while, that she might drink the easier.
The good woman, having drunk, said to her:

4. “You are so very pretty, my dear, so good and so mannerly,
that I cannot help giving you a gift.” For this was a fairy, who
had taken the form of a poor country woman, to see how far
the civility and good manners of this pretty girl would go. “I
will give you for a gift,” continued the Fairy, “that, at every
word you speak, there shall come out of your mouth either a
flower or a jewel.”

5. When this pretty girl came home her mother scolded her for
staying so long at the fountain. “I beg your pardon, mamma,” said the poor girl, “for not making more haste.” And in speaking these words there came out of her mouth two roses, two pearls, and two diamonds.

6. “What is it I see there?” said the mother, quite astonished. “I
think I see pearls and diamonds come out of the girl’s mouth!
How happens this, child?” This was the first time she had ever called her child.

7. The poor creature told her frankly all the matter, not without
dropping out infinite numbers of diamonds. “In good faith,” cried the mother, “I must send my child thither. Come hither, Fanny; look what comes out of thy sister’s mouth when she speaks. Wouldst not thou be glad, my dear, to have the same gift given thee? Thou hast nothing else to do but go and draw water out of the fountain, and when a certain poor woman asks you to let her drink, to give it to her very civilly.”

8. “It would be a very fine sight indeed,” said this ill-bred minx,
“to see me go draw water.” “You shall go, hussy!” said the mother; “and this minute.” So away she went, but grumbling all the way, taking with her the best silver tankard in the house.

9. She was no sooner at the fountain than she saw coming out of the wood a lady most gloriously dressed, who came up to her, and asked to drink. This was, you must know, the very fairy who appeared to her sister, but now had taken the air and dress of a princess, to see how far this girl’s rudeness would go.

10. “Am I come hither,” said the proud, saucy one, “to serve you
with water, pray? I suppose the silver tankard was brought purely for your ladyship, was it? However, you may drink out of it, if you have a fancy.”

11. “You are not over and above mannerly,” answered the Fairy,
without putting herself in a passion. “Well, then, since you have so little breeding, and are so disobliging, I give you for a gift that at every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth a snake or a toad.” So soon as her mother saw her coming she cried out:
“Well, daughter?”

12. “Well, mother?” answered the pert hussy, throwing out of her mouth two vipers and two toads. “Oh! mercy,” cried the mother; “what is it I see? Oh! it is that wretch her sister who has occasioned all this; but she shall pay for it”; and immediately she ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her, and went to hide herself in the forest, not far from thence.

13. The King’s son, then on his return from hunting, met her, and seeing her so very pretty, asked her what she did there alone and why she cried. “Alas! sir, my mamma has turned me out of doors.”
The King’s son, who saw five or six pearls and as many diamonds
come out of her mouth, desired her to tell him how that happened. She thereupon told him the whole story; and so the King’s son fell in love with her, and, considering himself that such a gift was worth more than any marriage portion, conducted her to the palace of the King his father, and there married her.

14. As for the sister, she made herself so much hated that her own mother turned her out; and the miserable wretch, having wandered about a good while without finding anybody to take her in, went to a corner of the wood, and there diedd.

Creating a Love and Passion for Reading

10 Great Ways to Cultivate a Love and Passion for Reading! Just 20 minutes of reading with your child can create a lifelong habit of reading in children!

Reading is the cornerstone of learning and getting an education. The world's comprehensive wisdom, advice, and knowledge are locked away in the texts of books.The ability to comprehend, seek, question, and understand that corpus of knowledge takes a demanding reader. Creating a love of learning and a curiosity and passion for learning starts very early. Some of the ideas and strategies I have found as a teacher to create a passion and curiosity for books is just a start to a most important task. We as parents and teachers all have to be very creative and passionate, we must spend dedicated time nurturing a passion for READING, a skill that is neglected today!

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.
-Emilie Buchwald

1. Set aside time daily to read with your child. Make a daily goal of 10-20 minutes. Reading stories your child loves is the biggest way to help your child love reading. If a love of reading is the biggest factor in school success, why aren't we growing this love and passion in our students? 

• Reading just 20 minutes daily has amazing results! 
• That is 3,600 extra minutes of reading each school year! 
• That extra reading exposes students to 1,800,000 million words! 
• Students that ACTIVELY read great literature daily score at the 90th percentile on reading test! 

2.  Create a fun weekly or monthly outing to visit your public library, secondhand book store, or reading cafe and spend time discovering great books. Reading is the most important skill for school success, how can parents make it the top priority at home? 

Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open. Laura Bush

3. Childen need to see that reading is very important to their parents and can be an enjoyable hobby.  Parents need to carry a book with them wherever they go and show children growing their mind and knowledge is a personal priority. Feeding the artist and philosopher inside us is always a great philosophy to teach our children. Why is reading the number one hobby in countries that have the happiest children? 

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. Denis Waitley

4. Turn off the TV and computers one or two nights a week and play board games, read humorous books, joke and riddle books, CYOA books, or read a great book as a family.  Why do Americans binge watch endless TV and make TV time a top priority, yet the idea of binge READING time is wwwhhhaaattt! We really have the wrong order of importance? 

• Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television 1,480
• Hours per year the average child spends in school 900 
• Hours per year the average child watches television 1,200
• Hours per year the average college student reads to get a college degree 200-400

5. Help create and support a discovery learning and library area for your child, a very special place in your home just for their reading, study, research, and understanding. Having a reading nook and or special reading place greatly enhances the chance that your child will want to read as a daily habit. Reading is never a passive activity but own that demands the reader be ready to be inspired and enlightened. Why do we create a special place for watching TV but one for reading? 

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. Oprah Winfrey

6. Set SMART reading goals with your children! Top executives (Millionaires & Billionaires) read 50-60 books a year, the average American reads one, maybe two books a year if they're ambitious! CEOs lead some of the busiest lives in the world, yet they take the time to learn and relearn great ideas and wisdom from others. Children need to see that successful thinking and learning is a critical lifelong skill that is enhanced by reading. Why do executives read 5 times the number of books the average person reads? 

7. Listen to imaginative audio books as a family in lieu of watching movies. Audiobooks are a great tool for building imagination and visualization skills in children because they don't interpret the author's imagery for the reader. How are imagination and visualization taught in you home and class? 

“Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement. And it's the one thing that I believe we are systematically jeopardizing in the way we educate our children and ourselves.”― Ken Robinson

8. Questions, dialogue and daily discussions about books and reading. Ask your child to share what they learned, what they found fascinating, and what they found confusing about the books they are reading. What did you read and learn today in school? Share your thoughts about reading, the ideas, concepts, insights, and questions you have about the books you are reading. Share your love of different genres or styles of writing and find out what really sparks your child's literary interest. Reading different genres will help your child develop their love of reading and it'll fuel their daily reading habit. Reading a variety of books creates a fascination and curiosity about the world around them. What is your favorite genre of books and have you shared that with your child? 

Don't Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. Don Miguel Ruiz

9. Select books that stretch your imagination and feed your inner philosopher and artist. Books should stretch your capability as a reader and that will help you stretch your wisdom and understanding. Reading daily makes you and your child brilliant and better problem solvers. Reading daily brings out the best in you and your children, they understand they belong and are they are capable of anything they can envision. Reading books broadens your child's horizons and gives them bigger dreams to strive for.  

Don't try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed.”-- Marva Collins

10. Create an open-ongoing family dialogue around the reasons we read books and how we can learn from great books. Books are great teachers and need to be read to learn the wisdom and lessons that will help us improve our lives. Create a philosophy of discovery and learning that includes reading good books. Talk daily with your child, teach them that chance favors the prepared mind and reading is a wise way to prepare their minds. 

“A good book deserves an active reading. The activity of reading does not stop with the work of understanding what a book says. It must be completed by the work of criticism, the work of judging. The undemanding reader fails to satisfy this requirement, probably even more than he fails to analyze and interpret. He not only makes no effort to understand; he also dismisses a book simply by putting it aside and forgetting it. Worse than faintly praising it, he damns it by giving it no critical consideration whatever.”― Mortimer J. Adler

School and Student Success Rubric

READING BOOT CAMP School and Student Success Rubric

RTI “S.E.A.R.C.H”

S. SOCRATIC INQUIRY

E. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

A. ACADEMIC LANGUAGE, VOCABULARY, and LITERACY

R. READING and REASONING

C. COOPERATIVE LEARNING

H. HANDICRAFT

READING SUCCESS IS DOSE-DEPENDENT!

"Courage is perseverance of the soul"

SOCRATIC INQUIRY

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY TECHNIQUES: OBJECTIVE! INTELLIGENT DISCOVERY to ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING at the DEEPEST LEVELS!

Investigating ideas, problems, themes, concepts, and feelings from multiple perspectives helps students make deeper learning connections. Using scientific reasoning that is engaging, deeply thought-provoking, and multisensory captivates a child's curiosity and passions. Teaching and learning about philosophy is literally creating a love of wisdom and learning. Teaching philosophical principals and analytical thinking techniques is transformative for students ACADEMIC SUCCESS. Using, curiosity, novelty, dialogue, active empathetic-reflective-listening, and student interest is the key to creating modern philosophers!

INQUIRY BASED LEARNING: Creating essential questions to promote and stimulate critical thinking. Inquiry based learning creates wonder, curiosity, passion, FOCUS, ENGAGEMENT. and a real school community. Low-level questioning creates low LEVEL or ZERO thinking.

SOCRATIC SEMINARS AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE: asking and answering HIGHER ORDER THINKING questions stimulate critical thinking and FLEXIBLE PROBLEM-SOLVING. Using Hess' Cognitive Rigor Matrix & Curricular Examples and Applying Webb's Depth-of-Knowledge Levels to Daily Lessons and Curriculum Development.

ACADEMIC DIALOGUE, DEBATE, AND DISCUSSION: collaborative, cooperative, competitive, sharing pf multiple perspectives, working towards acquiring new knowledge and a deeper understanding requires advanced dialectic skills that are practiced, rehearsed, scaffold and scripted. Learning the skills of 21st-century communication through noisy raucous structured engagement.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

EMPATHY, COMPASSION, and the ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE: Objective! HAPPY and MOTIVATED STUDENTS that can COPE and ADAPT to RIGOROUS CHALLENGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. ACADEMIC RISK TAKERS THAT are GOAL ORIENTED, and RESILIENT when ENCOUNTERING SETBACKS.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: attentional control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. I.E. SELF CONTROL and IMPULSE CONTROL!

GROWTH MINDSET: EMBRACING RISK, STRUGGLE, AND ACADEMIC CHALLENGES THAT DEVELOP INTRINSIC MOTIVATION!

SETTING SMART GOALS that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques and strategies to help students cope with or reverse maladaptive behaviors and habits or dysfunctional thoughts and feelings.

MINDFULNESS and somatic quieting to change, cope, quite, or transform dysfunctional thinking. Reversing the feelings of fear, anxiety, negative or self-defeating thoughts, and low self-esteem.

RESILIENCY, RESPONSIBILITY, and PROBLEM-SOLVING I.E. CRITICAL THINKING and FLEXIBLE THINKING.

Developing the 16 Habits of Mind: The 16 Habits of Mind identified by Costa and Kallick include:

• Persisting 
• Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision 
• Managing impulsivity 
• Gathering data through all senses 
• Listening with understanding and empathy 
• Creating, imagining, innovating 
• Thinking flexibly 
• Responding with wonderment and awe 
• Thinking about thinking (metacognition) 
• Taking responsible risks 
• Striving for accuracy 
• Finding humor 
• Questioning and posing problems 
• Thinking interdependently 
• Applying past knowledge to new situations 
• Remaining open to continuous learning

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE, VOCABULARY, and LITERACY

INTELLIGENT, ANALYTICAL, and ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES that DEVELOPS ERUDITE ORACY and LITERACY. Objective! Developing advanced academic language and vocabulary to move students from beginning or average readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers to advanced analytical readers and thinkers. 

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE (vocabulary, dialogue, discourse, syntax) helps students learning ideas, skills, procedures, and task through reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE FRAMES and SIMULATIONS (ROLE-PLAYING) TO PRACTICE ACADEMIC ORACY

TIER 1, 2, AND 3 ACADEMIC VOCABULARY REVIEW, ANALYSIS, and ROTE MEMORIZATION of CRITICAL TEST SUCCESS WORDS USING SONGS, GAMES, and NOVELTY

MULTIMODAL (MULTISENSORY) LEARNING TECHNIQUES FOR ALL ACADEMIC WORD WORK

SPIRALING TARGETED HIGHLY SELECTIVE WORD WORK and WORD ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ERUDITE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS, AFFIXES, PREFIXES AND Suffixes

READING and REASONING

ALL STUDENTS MUST BE EXPOSED TO ADVANCED COMPLEX TEXT: OBJECTIVE! STUDENT LEARN TO USE CLOSE READING STRATEGIES, ANALYTICAL READING TECHNIQUES, and STUDENTS are INTRODUCED TO SYNOPTICAL READING TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP ERUDITE REASONING, ACADEMIC LANGUAGE, and COGENT READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS.

• Pre reading strategies that ask essential questions and then seeks the answers 
• Text coding/annotating text for the purpose of analytical reading 
• Summarizing and paraphrasing 
• Predicting, inferring, drawing conclusions, and reading comprehension 
• Socratic Seminars 
• Essential questions that grow your thinking 
• Discussion questions frames, reading discussion scripts, and HOT question stems

TEACHING ESSENTIAL READING and REASONING STRATEGIES, STRUCTURES, TECHNIQUES, and INTELLIGENT SYNOPTICAL LEARNING MODELS THAT BUILD DEEP BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE 

RESPONSE to LITERATURE (fiction) developing opinions, statements, and questions about a character's traits, the setting, plot, theme, or theme/moral of the story. summarize, RESTATE, PREDICT, and SITE TEXT EVIDENCE. 

ANALYTICAL or CRITICAL RESPONSE TO LITERATURE (EXPOSITORY TEXT) RANKING and ANALYZING FACTS, REASONING, OPINIONS, and TEXT EVIDENCE, 

ACADEMIC NOTE TAKING THAT DEVELOPS CRITICAL THINKING, REFLECTION, and READING COMPREHENSION. Teaching and demonstrating multiple Examples of 2-Column, 3-Column, and Cornell Note Taking and Strategies. 

• Structural analysis notes – using structural analysis to understand unfamiliar words, context, and content of the subject

• Conceptual analysis notes - analyzing the truth and significance of text by "breaking down" (i.e. analyzing) philosophical issues.

• Dialectical discussion notes – seeking the truth by creating a series of essential questions to refine and shape an argument and opinion. Revising notes after discussions and listening to other people’s ideas, opinions, and arguments.

ADVANCED READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES and TECHNIQUES USING HESS COGNITIVE RIGOR MATRIX AND WEBB'S DOK QUESTION STEMS 

READING FLUENCY SKILLFULNESS (accuracy + speed) and WORD ATTACK STRATEGIES

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

KAGAN COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRUCTURES: Positive interdependence, Face-to-face Positive Interaction, Individual and group accountability, Social skills, Group discovery and Group processing.

• Group discovery, investigation, and intelligent collaboration 
• Maximize student learning and connection 
• Individual accountability is internalized 
• Learning from others strengths and weaknesses 
• Develop and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills as a team 
• Promote positive relations and interdependence between students 
• Implements peer-peer teaching, coaching, and formative feedback 
• Establishes safe learning environments where academic risk taking and accomplishments are valued 
• Cooperatively managed classrooms are less stressful for teachers and students

WHOLE BRAIN TEACHING using the latest neuroscience of motivation, engagement, and intrinsic happiness.

7 Basic Principles of Whole Brain Teaching

1. Class!-Yes!
2. The Five Rules with Character Education Values
3. The Scoreboard “Game” (and more!)
4. Hands and Eyes!
5. Teach!-OK! Please!-OK!
6. Mirror Words!
7. Switch!

BRAIN BASED MODIMODAL (MULTISENSORY) LEARNING THAT IS FUN. ENGAGING and INTERACTIVE IS A WIN-WIN.

• Brain Rules by DR. John Medina
• Exercise. Rule #1 : exercise boosts brain power --
• Survival. Rule #2 : The human brain evolved, too --
• Wiring. Rule #3 : Every brain is wired differently --
• Attention. Rule #4 : We don't pay attention to boring things --
• Short-term memory. Rule #5 : Repeat to remember --
• Long-term memory. Rule #6 : Remember to repeat --
• Sleep. Rule #7 : Sleep well, think well --
• Stress. Rule #8 : Stressed brains don't learn the same way --
• Sensory integration. Rule #9 : Stimulate more of the senses --
• Vision. Rule #10 : Vision trumps all other senses --
• Gender. Rule #11: Male and female brains are different --
• Exploration. Rule #12 : We are powerful and natural explorers. Exercise --

HANDICRAFT

WISDOM OF THE HANDS uses the vast area of the brain used for fine motor muscle memory and pairing or connecting that with academic learning and memory. HANDS, EYES, and MIND COORDINATION “DEVELOPING WISDOM OF THE HAND” 

FORMATIVE HANDICRAFT develops self-reliance, growth mindset, encourages moral behavior, improves discernment, mindfulness. perseverance, an understanding of quality, encourages students to internalize high standards and develops greater intelligence and industriousness. 

KINESTHETIC, TACTILE, AUDITORY, AND VISUAL MEMORY DEVELOPMENT: POWERS UP WORKING MEMORY and LONG-TERM MEMORY! 

FOLLOWING COMPLEX MULTIPLE-STEP ORAL, VISUAL, AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS HELPS INTERNALIZE HIGH STANDARDS THROUGH FORMATIVE DISCIPLINED and HIGHLY ENGAGING and REWARDING ACTIVITIES

Growth Mindset Classroom Lessons

How do You To Teach a Growth Mindset? We must inspire and cultivate a growth "success" mindset in our schools and students with actions! A Growth Mindset is part of Emotional Intelligence or EQ, we are learning that EQ trumps IQ for school success and building a happy and harmonious classroom. 

"Marva Collins took a class of inner-city Chicago kids who had failed in the public schools. This second-grade class started out reading the lowest level reader there was. By June they were at the middle of the fifth-grade level, studying Aristotle, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and others."

Learning, using, and integrating the philosophy and growth mindset LANGUAGING of stoicism is a small step to transforming students fixed thoughts, habits, and behaviors. Marva Collins shows us the best way to teach a growth mindset, she took "impossible" action and grew her student's minds with hard-work and effort. Never mistake change without real growth "silver bullets" or staged foofaraw, bureaucratic decisioning, business, or espousing a growth mindset platitude as real progress! Building a growth mindset is dose dependent, the key is daily rigorous action, great effort, dreaming big, and pushing through the mental "self-doubt" of indecision and fear of failure. Resiliency is learned in the face of setbacks and challenges, it starts with working on long term goals that take RIGOROUS EFFORTING. 

Every student in our school will be proficient or excelling in all subjects without excuse and without exception by the end of the school year as measured by the NWEA MAP assessment. This is our commitment and responsibility.

GROWTH MINDSET ARTICLES
15 Benefits of the Growth Mindset

Mindset by Carol Dweck – Summary

Mindset by Carol Dweck SUMMARY 

Mindset by Carol Dweck – Summary 3

MINDSET BY CAROL DWECK SUMMARY 4 

Changing Mindsets: Can it be done?
Mindsets: Where do they come from?
The Benefits of Mindfulness

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ARTICLES
Emotional Intelligence 2.0An Executive Book Summary by Sarah Sotvedt
Emotional Intelligence2.0 Summar 
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 summary 2The Power of Habit book Summary 
The Art of Learning book Summary
Transform your Habits 

Stopping the woulda coulda shoulda of self-doubt starts with making a decision and then taking immediate action. 

[PDF]Growth Mindset Lesson Plan - S3activities below to meet the needs of your classroom! Objectives ... Cultivating a growth mindset in students can (unfortunately) be quite tricky. Researchers and.

[PDF]Mindsets in the Classroom: Chapter 1 - Prufrock Press
way they think about success and intelligence in the classroom. Can Intelligence Be Changed? What Are. Growth Mindsets and Fixed Mindsets? The belief that ...

[PDF]Mindset in the Classroom - Education Week
teachers (98%) agree that using growth mindset in the classroom will lead to ... of teachers strongly believe they are good at fostering a growth mindset in their ...

[PDF]Mindsets in the Classroom
Mindsets in the Classroom – Tools & Resources Research has shown that students who hold a Growth Mindset perform better than those with a.

[PDF]Mindsets and Skills that Promote Long-Term Learning - Stanford ...
Analyses showed that the students with a growth mindset earned higher grades ... By contrast, students who endorse a growth mindset about intelligence tend to ...

[PDF]The Highly Engaged Classroom - Marzano Research
Learn how to create a classroom environment where engagement is the ..... Mindsets. Fixed Mindset intelligence is a fixed trait. Growth Mindset intelligence is a.

[PDF]Growth Mindset in Context Content and Culture Matter Too
classroom culture are also essential to success. Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets. Decades of research by psychologist Carol Dweck and colleagues have shown that ...

[PDF]Growth Mindsets Lit Review
that students with growth mind sets focused on learning, effort, and were .... .edu/qep/files/2014/08/Growth-‐Mindset-‐White-‐Paper.pdf (bullet points 1 -‐3) ...

[PDF]DEVELOPING A GROWTH MINDSET
The Secret to. Improving. Your Grades! DEVELOPING A GROWTH. MINDSET ... Too often students believe the brain is static ... Growth Mindset: Intelligence is a.


[PDF]Growth Mindset - North Carolina Public Schools
My Project: Growth Mindset. •Students with high level behaviors (verbal and physical aggression towards peers and staff) are easily discouraged, unmotivated ...

[PDF]Mindset Presentation
Intelligence is a malleable quality to be developed. The Growth. Mindset: ... Growth mindset studentssaid learning was more important than getting good grades.

Mindsets book study chapter 8.pdf & posters | Coaching Growth ...
Mindsets book study chapter 8.pdf & posters. ... Do you teach your students aboutgrowth mindset? Are you aware of the benefits of using ...

[PDF]Introduction to Brainology
Research has shown thatstudents who hold a Growth Mindset perform better than ...

[PDF]The Growth Mindset Journey - Mindful By Design
A Growth Mindset is broadly recognised as being important “for student learning”. ... how these align, or fail to align, with the broader teaching and learning ...

[PDF]Mindsets - West Lothian Council
There is a growing body of evidence to show that the way students think about ... shows that teaching students to have a “growth mindset”, which encourages a ...

[PDF]Cultivating a Growth Mindset with Educational ... - Lexia Learning
incorporating growth mindset strategies into their interactions with students in their classrooms ..... Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010040.pdf.

Download PDF Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Growth Mindset ...
Download PDF Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Growth Mindset Learning Community Ebook | READ ONLINE.

[PDF]growth mindset - FormSite
Spotlight, read how schools are embracing social-emotional learning, nurturing growth mindsets, and creating classroom opportunities for meaningful struggle.