Policy makers use past experience and history to think about current and potential problems and to explain policies and problems to others. Decision makers may be overly influenced by significant personally-experienced events that loom so large in their eyes that details and related relevant information may pale in comparison. Deficiencies in…

Contains two lessons designed to increase student precision thinking skills through a process of questioning, challenging, and revising given statements. Students formulate rules for classifying animals as either domestic or wild and then establish criteria for what is or is not an appropriate pet. (ML)

The major purpose of this book is to introduce teachers (and by that the author means all types of teachers-classroom teachers, administrators, teacher aids, parents and coaches) to various individual and group thinking strategies related to specific questions and activities. This guide is a personal interpretation and critique of those strategies…

Advocates an inquiry perspective in high school economics rather than concentrating on economic theory. Describes the assumptions for such an approach and discusses ways to apply them to problematic cases. Benefits of this approach would stimulate interest in economics and increase students' ability to analyze problematic situations. (GG)

Describes a project in which a group of students wrote and published a history of their high school. Lists objectives of the project, such as developing research, analytic, interpersonal, and communication skills and self-esteem. Includes preparing a blueprint of ideas, researching, writing, marketing, and distributing the school's history. (DK)

Designed for a minimum amount of teacher supervision, this guide consists of introductory practice and evaluative activities for teaching secondary school students about critical judgment. A sample grade ladder and calendar help students self-schedule and keep track of their grade and points. The activity unit is preceded by a teacher rationale,…

Presents a study of metacognitive responses of English school children examining four common metacognitive function measures. Discusses the content of each measure, the search for developmental commonality, and statistical relationships. Concludes that no evidence supported a common metacognitive factor or unified construct, although a common…

Studies the development of moral autonomy in 720 Australian secondary school and university students between the ages of 12 and 21. Examines autonomy development in the context of moral judgments. Finds the need to add a dimension of individual differences to the single dimension used to describe developmental changes. (Author/NL)

This document describes a practicum that was designed to incorporate student mastery of eight critical thinking skills, their definitions and nature of applicability, with the regular class material, and within the normal scope and sequence of ninth grade world history by introducing each skill concurrent with subject matter, thereby improving…

Suggests that attempts to segregate social-conventional reasoning from the moral domain may represent an artificial division ignoring major philosophic and psychological traditions. Discusses the individual, social, and relational dimensions of morality and the cultural context of moral development. Calls for continuing narrative and…

Students must be actively involved in the process of learning for it to have personal meaning and importance in their lives. Teachers must also become critical thinkers, creative individuals, and decision makers in order to create more challenging learning environments. Teachers need to blend structure and spontaneity into meaningful learning…

These activities help high school students develop an understanding of nuclear weapons within the context of human beings making choices. Students learn to evaluate information and to identify the political stand or bias in what they hear and read. To record their own growth and change, students are encouraged to keep a journal. Teachers can…

Reprints the 1954 article as a representative example of thinking about art education during the 1950s. Defines the world as an uncertain and challenging place well served by the evaluative and creative-thinking characteristic of art education. Argues for a closer synthesis of studio art and art history courses. (MJP)