Critical thinking puzzles for adults (with answers)
Critical thinking can help to better navigate the information-dense and complex world we live in. By thinking critically we can better identify priorities, take a sensible approach to problem-solving and reach conclusions logically in line with evidence. Puzzles are an excellent way both to learn and practice critical thinking skills.
What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is a broad approach to problem solving and analysis based on logic and evidence. It brings together a wide range of intellectual competences and the ability to combine and cross-reference them. Some of the most important elements of a critical thinking approach include:
Data and theory evaluation:
– application of all the skills and competences above in order to come to a rational conclusion.
The aMAZEing PuzzleBox
Eight critical thinking puzzles – with answers, puzzle 1 – letter puzzles.
Answer: All of these words begin with a vowel. This type of puzzle may send your mind off in the wrong direction, thinking about the objects or concepts described by the words, and the properties they might share. In fact, the solution lies in a far more simple consideration of the alphabet. Puzzle 1 is a simple example of a common type of letter or word puzzle.
Puzzle 2 – Commonalities and differences
Puzzle 3 – falling on his feet.
A man who lives in a high-rise building decides to exit through the window one morning rather than using the door. Somehow he survives the fall without a scratch and walks away to work. How did this happen?
Puzzle 4 – Walk this way
Answer: The fifth person was in a wheelchair and wheeled out of the room rather than walked. Solving this puzzle requires you to think laterally about the question and the possible solutions. The answer can be found by asking yourself whether the emphasis of the question is on the emptiness of the room or the means by which the other four people left.
Puzzle 5 – Shapes and symbols
When lying on my side, I am everything, but when cut in half, I am nothing. What am I?
Puzzle 6 – Three hard options
The hero is escaping the lair of an evil super-villain and is faced with three possible exits:
Puzzle 7 – The bus driver’s eyes
You are a bus driver. Today the bus is empty at the start of your route but at the first stop, four people get onto the bus. Eight people get on at the second stop, while three alight. When the bus reaches the third stop, one more gets off, and three get on.
Puzzle 8 – Losing weight
A man walks into a room, closes the doors behind him and presses a button. In a matter of seconds the man is 20lb lighter. Despite this, he leaves the room at the same weight he entered it.
A final word…
20 Challenging Lateral Thinking Puzzles That Are Harder Than They Seem
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7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking
Can you spot the connections and sort these items.
Posted March 5, 2015 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan
The theme of this post is critical thinking—and the kinds of puzzles that can be constructed around it. This term is used frequently in psychology and education . There are various definitions, but the one that best suits our purpose and which is, in the end, perhaps the best, is the ability to comprehend the logical connections among ideas, words, phrases, and concepts . In the relevant scientific literature, of course, the term is used much more broadly as a framework for understanding human cognition . But in my opinion, the best way to understand things is to construct puzzles to illustrate their basic essence.
Critical thinking involves skill at recognizing a pattern in given information and especially recognizing how the information is connected to the real world. Here are a couple of very simple examples. First, consider the five words below:
- Cruise ship
- Walking on foot
- Automobile (not a race car)
Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at maximum speed. The solution, of course, is: 4-2-5-1-3.
As with all such puzzles, there might be slightly different solutions—one could claim that some automobiles go faster than cruise ships. This “indeterminacy” characterizes this kind of thinking. However, some puzzles are straightforward. For instance, what do the following five things have in common?
The answer? These are all words referring to shades of blue.
The seven puzzles below are to the ones above, though hopefully more challenging. Some involve knowledge of facts, but critical thinking is still involved in such cases because the organization of the facts according to some principle is always involved—for example, a puzzle may ask you to put five items in order of their dates of invention.
The following tongue-in-cheek definition of critical thinking by Richard W. Paul, a leading expert on critical thinking theory, says it all: “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.”
I. What do the following 5 things have in common?
- Orange juice
II. Put the following buildings or structures in order of height, from the shortest to the tallest.
- Typical camping tent
III. What do the following animals have in common?
IV. Put the following inventions in order from earliest to most recent.
V. What feature do the following words have in common?
- Imagination
VI. Put these bodies of water in order in terms of volume, from smallest to largest .
VII. What do the following landmasses have in common?
I. They are all drinkable liquids. II. 5-1-4-3-2 III. They all have a tail. They are also all quadrupeds. IV. To the best of my knowledge: 5-4-3-1-2 V. They start with a vowel: a, e, i, o, u VI. 4-2-1-5-3 VII. They are all peninsulas.
Marcel Danesi, Ph.D. , is a professor of semiotics and anthropology at Victoria College, University of Toronto. His books include The Puzzle Instinct and The Total Brain Workout .
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Become a better critical thinker with these 7 critical thinking exercises
Critical thinking is a skill you can use in any situation. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, or business executive, critical thinking can help you make better decisions and solve problems.
But learning critical thinking skills isn't always an easy task. Many tools, techniques, and strategies are available, and choosing the right one can be challenging. Vague suggestions on the internet like "read more" aren't very helpful, and elaborate business examples don’t apply to many of us.
As average problem-solvers, we need actionable thinking exercises to improve our critical thinking skills and enhance our thinking processes. Regularly performing exercises that specifically stretch our decision-making and reasoning skills is the most effective method of improving our thinking abilities.
This article will explore several exercises that will help you develop critical thinking skills. Whether you are preparing for an exam, making an influential decision for your business, or going about your daily life, these fun activities can build your reasoning skills and creative problem-solving abilities.
Boost your logical thinking skills and start practicing a critical mindset with these 10 critical thinking exercises.
A Quick Look at Critical Thinking
As a thoughtful learner, you likely already understand the basics of critical thinking, but here's a quick refresher.
Critical thinking involves analyzing problems or issues objectively and rationally. Critical thinkers are able to understand their own biases and assumptions, as well as those of others. They’re also able to see the world from a different point of view and understand how their experiences impact their thinking.
Developing critical thinking skills is essential because it allows us to see things from multiple perspectives, identify biases and errors in reasoning, and be open to possible solutions. Making informed decisions is easier when we have a better understanding of the world around us.
Why We Need to Practice Critical Thinking
We aren't born with critical thinking skills, and they don’t naturally develop beyond survival-level thinking. To master critical thinking, we must practice it and develop it over time.
However, learning to think critically isn't as easy as learning to ride a bicycle. There aren't any step-by-step procedures to follow or supportive guides to fall back on, and it is not taught in public schools consistently or reliably. To ensure students' success, teachers must know higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and how to teach them, research says.
Unfortunately, although teachers understand the importance of HOTS and attempt to teach it, studies show that their capacity to measure students' HOTS is low. Educator and author Dr. Kulvarn Atwal says, "It seems that we are becoming successful at producing students who are able to jump through hoops and pass tests."
As critical thinking skills become more important in higher grades, some students find it challenging to understand the concept of critical thinking. To develop necessary thinking skills, we must set aside our assumptions and beliefs. This allows us to explore and question topics from a "blank page" point of view and distinguish fact from opinion.
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7 Critical Thinking Exercises To Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills
The good news is that by assessing, analyzing, and evaluating our thought processes, we can improve our skills. Critical thinking exercises are key to this improvement. Our critical thinking builds and improves with regular practice, just like a muscle that gets stronger with use.
If you want to become a better critical thinker , here are some critical thinking exercises to try:
Exercise #1: The Ladder of Inference
You can exercise your critical thinking skills by using the Ladder of Inference model . This thinking model was developed by renowned organizational psychologist Chris Argyris. Each rung on the ladder of inference represents a step you take to arrive at your conclusions.
The decision-making process starts when we are faced with a problem or situation. As soon as we observe something problematic or important, we presume what is causing it, and then we use that assumption to draw conclusions. Based on those conclusions, we take action.
For example, say you're at a party and see a friend across the room. You catch their eye and wave, but they turn and walk away. Using the ladder, you might climb the rungs as follows:
- Observe that your friend walked away.
- Select a few details of the situation, including your wave and your assumption that they saw you.
- Meaning is attached based on the environment, making you think your friend must have other people to talk to at the party.
- Assumptions are made based on that meaning, assuming that means your friend doesn’t like you as much as them.
- Conclusions are drawn from the assumption, and you determine that your friend must be mad at you or doesn't want you to be at the party.
- Beliefs are formed, making you think you're not welcome.
- Action is taken, and you leave the party.
In this example, you started with a situation (someone walking away at a crowded party) and made a series of inferences to arrive at a conclusion (that the person is mad at you and doesn't want you there).
The Ladder of Inference can be a helpful tool to frame your thinking because it encourages you to examine each step of your thought process and avoid jumping to conclusions. It's easy to make assumptions without realizing it, as in this scene. Perhaps your friend never even saw you wave from across the crowded room.
Exercise #2: The Five Whys
The "Five Whys" technique is an analytical skill that can help you uncover the source of a problem. The activity was created by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota, and consists of repeatedly asking “why?” when a problem is encountered to determine its root cause.
This exercise can be difficult because knowing if you've discovered the source of your problem is challenging. The "five" in "Five Whys" is just a guideline — you may need to ask more. When you can't ask anything else, and your response is related to the original issue, you've probably arrived at the end.
Even if you need several rounds of questioning, just keep going. The important part that helps you practice critical thinking is the process of asking "why?" and uncovering the deeper issues affecting the situation.
For instance, say you're trying to figure out why your computer keeps crashing.
- You ask " why ," and the answer is that there's a software problem.
- Why? Because the computer keeps running out of memory.
- Why? Because too many programs are running at the same time.
- Why? Because too many browser tabs are open .
- Why? Because multitasking is fragmenting your focus, you're doing too many things at once.
In this example, working through the "why's" revealed the underlying cause. As a result, you can find the best solution, which is concentrating on just one thing at a time.
Exercise #3: Inversion
Inversion is another critical thinking exercise that you can use in any situation. Inversion is sort of like taking on the role of the devil's advocate. In this exercise, adopt the opposite view of whatever issue you're exploring and consider the potential arguments for that side. This will help broaden your critical thinking skills and enable you to see other perspectives on a situation or topic more clearly.
For example, let's say you're thinking about starting your own business. Using inversion, you would explore all of the potential arguments for why starting your own business is bad. This might include concerns like:
- You could end up in debt.
- The business might fail.
- It's a lot of work.
- You might not have time for anything else.
By exploring these potentially adverse outcomes, you can identify the potential risks involved in starting your own business and make a more sound decision. You might realize that now is not the right time for you to become an entrepreneur. And if you do start the company, you'll be better prepared to deal with the issues you identified when they occur.
Exercise #4: Argument Mapping
Argument mapping can be a beneficial exercise for enhancing critical thinking skills. Like mind mapping, argument mapping is a method of visually representing an argument's structure. It helps analyze and evaluate ideas as well as develop new ones.
In critical thinking textbooks, argument diagramming is often presented to introduce students to argument constructions. It can be an effective way to build mental templates or schema for argument structures, which researchers think may make critical evaluation easier .
Argument maps typically include the following:
- Conclusion: What is being argued for or against
- Premises: The reasons given to support the conclusion
- Inferences: The connections made between the premises and conclusion
The argument map should be as clear and concise as possible, with a single word or phrase representing each element. This will help you make connections more easily. After the map is completed, you can use it to identify any weak points in the argument. If any areas aren't well-supported, additional premises can be added.
Argument mapping can be applied to any situation that requires critical thinking skills. The more time you take to map out an argument, the better you'll understand how the pieces fit together. Ultimately, this will help you think more creatively and critically, and make more informed decisions.
Exercise #5: Opinion vs. Fact
Critical thinking activities that focus on opinions and facts are particularly valuable and relevant new learning opportunities. Our constantly-connected world makes it easy to confuse opinions and facts , especially with sensationalist news articles and click-bait headlines.
How can you tell a fact from an opinion? Facts are generally objective and established, whereas opinions are subjective and unproven. For example, "the cloud is in the air" is a fact. "That dress looks good on you" is an opinion.
Practice your critical thinking skills by reading or listening to the news. See if you can identify when someone is stating an opinion rather than a fact. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is saying what? What reasons might be behind their statements?
- Does the claim make sense? Who would disagree with it and why?
- How can you tell if the data is reliable? Can it be fact-checked? Has it been shared by other credible publishers?
- How do you know whether or not the presenter is biased? What kind of language is being used?
This powerful exercise can train your mind to start asking questions whenever presented with a new claim. This will help you think critically about the information you're taking in and question what you're hearing before accepting it as truth.
Exercise #6: Autonomy of an Object
In her book " The Critical Thinking Tool Kit ," Dr. Marlene Caroselli describes a critical thinking exercise called "Living Problems, Lively Solutions." This exercise uses the autonomy of an object as a problem-solving tool to find a possible solution.
To do this, you'll personify your problem and place it in another context — a different time or place. This allows you to uncover unique solutions to the problem that might be tied to your mental associations with that setting.
For example, if your problem is poor time management , you might personify the issue as a thief of your time. The idea of a thief could make you think of jail, which might prompt thoughts of locking up specific distractions in your life. The idea of jail could also make you think of guards and lead you to the possible solution of checking in with an accountability buddy who can make sure you're sticking to your schedule.
The autonomy-of-object technique works because it stimulates thoughts you wouldn’t have considered without the particular context in which you place the problem.
Exercise #7: The Six Thinking Hats
Designed by Edward de Bono, the Six Thinking Hats is a critical thinking exercise that was created as a tool for groups to use when exploring different perspectives on an issue. When people use other thinking processes, meetings can become challenging rather than beneficial.
To help teams work more productively and mindfully, de Bono suggests dividing up different styles of thinking into six categories, represented as hats:
- The white hat is objective and focuses on facts and logic
- The red hat is intuitive, focusing on emotion and instinct
- The black hat is cautious and predicts negative outcomes
- The yellow hat is optimistic and encourages positive outcomes
- The green hat is creative, with numerous ideas and little criticism
- The blue hat is the control hat used for management and organization
With each team member wearing a different hat, a group can examine an issue or problem from many different angles, preventing one viewpoint (or individual) from dominating the meeting or discussion. This means that decisions and solutions reached using the Six Thinking Hats approach will likely be more robust and effective, and everyone’s creative thinking skills will benefit.
Train Your Brain With Critical Thinking Exercises
Using critical thinking regularly in various situations can improve our ability to evaluate and analyze information. These seven critical thinking exercises train your brain for better critical thinking skills . With daily practice, they can become habits that will help you think more critically each day.
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41+ Critical Thinking Examples (Definition + Practices)
Critical thinking is an essential skill in our information-overloaded world, where figuring out what is fact and fiction has become increasingly challenging.
But why is critical thinking essential? Put, critical thinking empowers us to make better decisions, challenge and validate our beliefs and assumptions, and understand and interact with the world more effectively and meaningfully.
Critical thinking is like using your brain's "superpowers" to make smart choices. Whether it's picking the right insurance, deciding what to do in a job, or discussing topics in school, thinking deeply helps a lot. In the next parts, we'll share real-life examples of when this superpower comes in handy and give you some fun exercises to practice it.
Critical Thinking Process Outline
Critical thinking means thinking clearly and fairly without letting personal feelings get in the way. It's like being a detective, trying to solve a mystery by using clues and thinking hard about them.
It isn't always easy to think critically, as it can take a pretty smart person to see some of the questions that aren't being answered in a certain situation. But, we can train our brains to think more like puzzle solvers, which can help develop our critical thinking skills.
Here's what it looks like step by step:
Spotting the Problem: It's like discovering a puzzle to solve. You see that there's something you need to figure out or decide.
Collecting Clues: Now, you need to gather information. Maybe you read about it, watch a video, talk to people, or do some research. It's like getting all the pieces to solve your puzzle.
Breaking It Down: This is where you look at all your clues and try to see how they fit together. You're asking questions like: Why did this happen? What could happen next?
Checking Your Clues: You want to make sure your information is good. This means seeing if what you found out is true and if you can trust where it came from.
Making a Guess: After looking at all your clues, you think about what they mean and come up with an answer. This answer is like your best guess based on what you know.
Explaining Your Thoughts: Now, you tell others how you solved the puzzle. You explain how you thought about it and how you answered.
Checking Your Work: This is like looking back and seeing if you missed anything. Did you make any mistakes? Did you let any personal feelings get in the way? This step helps make sure your thinking is clear and fair.
And remember, you might sometimes need to go back and redo some steps if you discover something new. If you realize you missed an important clue, you might have to go back and collect more information.
Critical Thinking Methods
Just like doing push-ups or running helps our bodies get stronger, there are special exercises that help our brains think better. These brain workouts push us to think harder, look at things closely, and ask many questions.
It's not always about finding the "right" answer. Instead, it's about the journey of thinking and asking "why" or "how." Doing these exercises often helps us become better thinkers and makes us curious to know more about the world.
Now, let's look at some brain workouts to help us think better:
1. "What If" Scenarios
Imagine crazy things happening, like, "What if there was no internet for a month? What would we do?" These games help us think of new and different ideas.
Pick a hot topic. Argue one side of it and then try arguing the opposite. This makes us see different viewpoints and think deeply about a topic.
3. Analyze Visual Data
Check out charts or pictures with lots of numbers and info but no explanations. What story are they telling? This helps us get better at understanding information just by looking at it.
4. Mind Mapping
Write an idea in the center and then draw lines to related ideas. It's like making a map of your thoughts. This helps us see how everything is connected.
There's lots of mind-mapping software , but it's also nice to do this by hand.
5. Weekly Diary
Every week, write about what happened, the choices you made, and what you learned. Writing helps us think about our actions and how we can do better.
6. Evaluating Information Sources
Collect stories or articles about one topic from newspapers or blogs. Which ones are trustworthy? Which ones might be a little biased? This teaches us to be smart about where we get our info.
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not.
7. Socratic Questioning
This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic. You can do this by yourself or chat with a friend.
Start with a Big Question:
"What does 'success' mean?"
Dive Deeper with More Questions:
"Why do you think of success that way?" "Do TV shows, friends, or family make you think that?" "Does everyone think about success the same way?"
"Can someone be a winner even if they aren't rich or famous?" "Can someone feel like they didn't succeed, even if everyone else thinks they did?"
Look for Real-life Examples:
"Who is someone you think is successful? Why?" "Was there a time you felt like a winner? What happened?"
Think About Other People's Views:
"How might a person from another country think about success?" "Does the idea of success change as we grow up or as our life changes?"
Think About What It Means:
"How does your idea of success shape what you want in life?" "Are there problems with only wanting to be rich or famous?"
Look Back and Think:
"After talking about this, did your idea of success change? How?" "Did you learn something new about what success means?"
8. Six Thinking Hats
Edward de Bono came up with a cool way to solve problems by thinking in six different ways, like wearing different colored hats. You can do this independently, but it might be more effective in a group so everyone can have a different hat color. Each color has its way of thinking:
White Hat (Facts): Just the facts! Ask, "What do we know? What do we need to find out?"
Red Hat (Feelings): Talk about feelings. Ask, "How do I feel about this?"
Black Hat (Careful Thinking): Be cautious. Ask, "What could go wrong?"
Yellow Hat (Positive Thinking): Look on the bright side. Ask, "What's good about this?"
Green Hat (Creative Thinking): Think of new ideas. Ask, "What's another way to look at this?"
Blue Hat (Planning): Organize the talk. Ask, "What should we do next?"
When using this method with a group:
- Explain all the hats.
- Decide which hat to wear first.
- Make sure everyone switches hats at the same time.
- Finish with the Blue Hat to plan the next steps.
9. SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis is like a game plan for businesses to know where they stand and where they should go. "SWOT" stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
There are a lot of SWOT templates out there for how to do this visually, but you can also think it through. It doesn't just apply to businesses but can be a good way to decide if a project you're working on is working.
Strengths: What's working well? Ask, "What are we good at?"
Weaknesses: Where can we do better? Ask, "Where can we improve?"
Opportunities: What good things might come our way? Ask, "What chances can we grab?"
Threats: What challenges might we face? Ask, "What might make things tough for us?"
Steps to do a SWOT Analysis:
- Goal: Decide what you want to find out.
- Research: Learn about your business and the world around it.
- Brainstorm: Get a group and think together. Talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Pick the Most Important Points: Some things might be more urgent or important than others.
- Make a Plan: Decide what to do based on your SWOT list.
- Check Again Later: Things change, so look at your SWOT again after a while to update it.
Now that you have a few tools for thinking critically, let’s get into some specific examples.
Everyday Examples
Life is a series of decisions. From the moment we wake up, we're faced with choices – some trivial, like choosing a breakfast cereal, and some more significant, like buying a home or confronting an ethical dilemma at work. While it might seem that these decisions are disparate, they all benefit from the application of critical thinking.
10. Deciding to buy something
Imagine you want a new phone. Don't just buy it because the ad looks cool. Think about what you need in a phone. Look up different phones and see what people say about them. Choose the one that's the best deal for what you want.
11. Deciding what is true
There's a lot of news everywhere. Don't believe everything right away. Think about why someone might be telling you this. Check if what you're reading or watching is true. Make up your mind after you've looked into it.
12. Deciding when you’re wrong
Sometimes, friends can have disagreements. Don't just get mad right away. Try to see where they're coming from. Talk about what's going on. Find a way to fix the problem that's fair for everyone.
13. Deciding what to eat
There's always a new diet or exercise that's popular. Don't just follow it because it's trendy. Find out if it's good for you. Ask someone who knows, like a doctor. Make choices that make you feel good and stay healthy.
14. Deciding what to do today
Everyone is busy with school, chores, and hobbies. Make a list of things you need to do. Decide which ones are most important. Plan your day so you can get things done and still have fun.
15. Making Tough Choices
Sometimes, it's hard to know what's right. Think about how each choice will affect you and others. Talk to people you trust about it. Choose what feels right in your heart and is fair to others.
16. Planning for the Future
Big decisions, like where to go to school, can be tricky. Think about what you want in the future. Look at the good and bad of each choice. Talk to people who know about it. Pick what feels best for your dreams and goals.
Job Examples
17. solving problems.
Workers brainstorm ways to fix a machine quickly without making things worse when a machine breaks at a factory.
18. Decision Making
A store manager decides which products to order more of based on what's selling best.
19. Setting Goals
A team leader helps their team decide what tasks are most important to finish this month and which can wait.
20. Evaluating Ideas
At a team meeting, everyone shares ideas for a new project. The group discusses each idea's pros and cons before picking one.
21. Handling Conflict
Two workers disagree on how to do a job. Instead of arguing, they talk calmly, listen to each other, and find a solution they both like.
22. Improving Processes
A cashier thinks of a faster way to ring up items so customers don't have to wait as long.
23. Asking Questions
Before starting a big task, an employee asks for clear instructions and checks if they have the necessary tools.
24. Checking Facts
Before presenting a report, someone double-checks all their information to make sure there are no mistakes.
25. Planning for the Future
A business owner thinks about what might happen in the next few years, like new competitors or changes in what customers want, and makes plans based on those thoughts.
26. Understanding Perspectives
A team is designing a new toy. They think about what kids and parents would both like instead of just what they think is fun.
School Examples
27. researching a topic.
For a history project, a student looks up different sources to understand an event from multiple viewpoints.
28. Debating an Issue
In a class discussion, students pick sides on a topic, like school uniforms, and share reasons to support their views.
29. Evaluating Sources
While writing an essay, a student checks if the information from a website is trustworthy or might be biased.
30. Problem Solving in Math
When stuck on a tricky math problem, a student tries different methods to find the answer instead of giving up.
31. Analyzing Literature
In English class, students discuss why a character in a book made certain choices and what those decisions reveal about them.
32. Testing a Hypothesis
For a science experiment, students guess what will happen and then conduct tests to see if they're right or wrong.
33. Giving Peer Feedback
After reading a classmate's essay, a student offers suggestions for improving it.
34. Questioning Assumptions
In a geography lesson, students consider why certain countries are called "developed" and what that label means.
35. Designing a Study
For a psychology project, students plan an experiment to understand how people's memories work and think of ways to ensure accurate results.
36. Interpreting Data
In a science class, students look at charts and graphs from a study, then discuss what the information tells them and if there are any patterns.
Critical Thinking Puzzles
Not all scenarios will have a single correct answer that can be figured out by thinking critically. Sometimes we have to think critically about ethical choices or moral behaviors.
Here are some mind games and scenarios you can solve using critical thinking. You can see the solution(s) at the end of the post.
37. The Farmer, Fox, Chicken, and Grain Problem
A farmer is at a riverbank with a fox, a chicken, and a grain bag. He needs to get all three items across the river. However, his boat can only carry himself and one of the three items at a time.
Here's the challenge:
- If the fox is left alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken.
- If the chicken is left alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain.
How can the farmer get all three items across the river without any item being eaten?
38. The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
You are in a room with two long ropes hanging from the ceiling. Each rope is just out of arm's reach from the other, so you can't hold onto one rope and reach the other simultaneously.
Your task is to tie the two rope ends together, but you can't move the position where they hang from the ceiling.
You are given a jar full of pebbles. How do you complete the task?
39. The Two Guards Problem
Imagine there are two doors. One door leads to certain doom, and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which.
In front of each door stands a guard. One guard always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. You don't know which guard is which.
You can ask only one question to one of the guards. What question should you ask to find the door that leads to freedom?
40. The Hourglass Problem
You have two hourglasses. One measures 7 minutes when turned over, and the other measures 4 minutes. Using just these hourglasses, how can you time exactly 9 minutes?
41. The Lifeboat Dilemma
Imagine you're on a ship that's sinking. You get on a lifeboat, but it's already too full and might flip over.
Nearby in the water, five people are struggling: a scientist close to finding a cure for a sickness, an old couple who've been together for a long time, a mom with three kids waiting at home, and a tired teenager who helped save others but is now in danger.
You can only save one person without making the boat flip. Who would you choose?
42. The Tech Dilemma
You work at a tech company and help make a computer program to help small businesses. You're almost ready to share it with everyone, but you find out there might be a small chance it has a problem that could show users' private info.
If you decide to fix it, you must wait two more months before sharing it. But your bosses want you to share it now. What would you do?
43. The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia is a history expert. She's studying where a group of people traveled long ago. She reads old letters and documents to learn about it. But she finds some letters that tell a different story than what most people believe.
If she says this new story is true, it could change what people learn in school and what they think about history. What should she do?
The Role of Bias in Critical Thinking
Have you ever decided you don’t like someone before you even know them? Or maybe someone shared an idea with you that you immediately loved without even knowing all the details.
This experience is called bias, which occurs when you like or dislike something or someone without a good reason or knowing why. It can also take shape in certain reactions to situations, like a habit or instinct.
Bias comes from our own experiences, what friends or family tell us, or even things we are born believing. Sometimes, bias can help us stay safe, but other times it stops us from seeing the truth.
Not all bias is bad. Bias can be a mechanism for assessing our potential safety in a new situation. If we are biased to think that anything long, thin, and curled up is a snake, we might assume the rope is something to be afraid of before we know it is just a rope.
While bias might serve us in some situations (like jumping out of the way of an actual snake before we have time to process that we need to be jumping out of the way), it often harms our ability to think critically.
How Bias Gets in the Way of Good Thinking
Selective Perception: We only notice things that match our ideas and ignore the rest.
It's like only picking red candies from a mixed bowl because you think they taste the best, but they taste the same as every other candy in the bowl. It could also be when we see all the signs that our partner is cheating on us but choose to ignore them because we are happy the way we are (or at least, we think we are).
Agreeing with Yourself: This is called “ confirmation bias ” when we only listen to ideas that match our own and seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms what we already think we know or believe.
An example is when someone wants to know if it is safe to vaccinate their children but already believes that vaccines are not safe, so they only look for information supporting the idea that vaccines are bad.
Thinking We Know It All: Similar to confirmation bias, this is called “overconfidence bias.” Sometimes we think our ideas are the best and don't listen to others. This can stop us from learning.
Have you ever met someone who you consider a “know it”? Probably, they have a lot of overconfidence bias because while they may know many things accurately, they can’t know everything. Still, if they act like they do, they show overconfidence bias.
There's a weird kind of bias similar to this called the Dunning Kruger Effect, and that is when someone is bad at what they do, but they believe and act like they are the best .
Following the Crowd: This is formally called “groupthink”. It's hard to speak up with a different idea if everyone agrees. But this can lead to mistakes.
An example of this we’ve all likely seen is the cool clique in primary school. There is usually one person that is the head of the group, the “coolest kid in school”, and everyone listens to them and does what they want, even if they don’t think it’s a good idea.
How to Overcome Biases
Here are a few ways to learn to think better, free from our biases (or at least aware of them!).
Know Your Biases: Realize that everyone has biases. If we know about them, we can think better.
Listen to Different People: Talking to different kinds of people can give us new ideas.
Ask Why: Always ask yourself why you believe something. Is it true, or is it just a bias?
Understand Others: Try to think about how others feel. It helps you see things in new ways.
Keep Learning: Always be curious and open to new information.
In today's world, everything changes fast, and there's so much information everywhere. This makes critical thinking super important. It helps us distinguish between what's real and what's made up. It also helps us make good choices. But thinking this way can be tough sometimes because of biases. These are like sneaky thoughts that can trick us. The good news is we can learn to see them and think better.
There are cool tools and ways we've talked about, like the "Socratic Questioning" method and the "Six Thinking Hats." These tools help us get better at thinking. These thinking skills can also help us in school, work, and everyday life.
We’ve also looked at specific scenarios where critical thinking would be helpful, such as deciding what diet to follow and checking facts.
Thinking isn't just a skill—it's a special talent we improve over time. Working on it lets us see things more clearly and understand the world better. So, keep practicing and asking questions! It'll make you a smarter thinker and help you see the world differently.
Critical Thinking Puzzles (Solutions)
The farmer, fox, chicken, and grain problem.
- The farmer first takes the chicken across the river and leaves it on the other side.
- He returns to the original side and takes the fox across the river.
- After leaving the fox on the other side, he returns the chicken to the starting side.
- He leaves the chicken on the starting side and takes the grain bag across the river.
- He leaves the grain with the fox on the other side and returns to get the chicken.
- The farmer takes the chicken across, and now all three items -- the fox, the chicken, and the grain -- are safely on the other side of the river.
The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
- Take one rope and tie the jar of pebbles to its end.
- Swing the rope with the jar in a pendulum motion.
- While the rope is swinging, grab the other rope and wait.
- As the swinging rope comes back within reach due to its pendulum motion, grab it.
- With both ropes within reach, untie the jar and tie the rope ends together.
The Two Guards Problem
The question is, "What would the other guard say is the door to doom?" Then choose the opposite door.
The Hourglass Problem
- Start both hourglasses.
- When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over.
- When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, the 4-minute hourglass will have been running for 3 minutes. Turn the 7-minute hourglass over.
- When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the second time (a total of 8 minutes have passed), the 7-minute hourglass will run for 1 minute. Turn the 7-minute hourglass again for 1 minute to empty the hourglass (a total of 9 minutes passed).
The Boat and Weights Problem
Take the cat over first and leave it on the other side. Then, return and take the fish across next. When you get there, take the cat back with you. Leave the cat on the starting side and take the cat food across. Lastly, return to get the cat and bring it to the other side.
The Lifeboat Dilemma
There isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
- Moral Principles: What values guide your decision? Is it the potential greater good for humanity (the scientist)? What is the value of long-standing love and commitment (the elderly couple)? What is the future of young children who depend on their mothers? Or the selfless bravery of the teenager?
- Future Implications: Consider the future consequences of each choice. Saving the scientist might benefit millions in the future, but what moral message does it send about the value of individual lives?
- Emotional vs. Logical Thinking: While it's essential to engage empathy, it's also crucial not to let emotions cloud judgment entirely. For instance, while the teenager's bravery is commendable, does it make him more deserving of a spot on the boat than the others?
- Acknowledging Uncertainty: The scientist claims to be close to a significant breakthrough, but there's no certainty. How does this uncertainty factor into your decision?
- Personal Bias: Recognize and challenge any personal biases, such as biases towards age, profession, or familial status.
The Tech Dilemma
Again, there isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
- Evaluate the Risk: How severe is the potential vulnerability? Can it be easily exploited, or would it require significant expertise? Even if the circumstances are rare, what would be the consequences if the vulnerability were exploited?
- Stakeholder Considerations: Different stakeholders will have different priorities. Upper management might prioritize financial projections, the marketing team might be concerned about the product's reputation, and customers might prioritize the security of their data. How do you balance these competing interests?
- Short-Term vs. Long-Term Implications: While launching on time could meet immediate financial goals, consider the potential long-term damage to the company's reputation if the vulnerability is exploited. Would the short-term gains be worth the potential long-term costs?
- Ethical Implications : Beyond the financial and reputational aspects, there's an ethical dimension to consider. Is it right to release a product with a known vulnerability, even if the chances of it being exploited are low?
- Seek External Input: Consulting with cybersecurity experts outside your company might be beneficial. They could provide a more objective risk assessment and potential mitigation strategies.
- Communication: How will you communicate the decision, whatever it may be, both internally to your team and upper management and externally to your customers and potential users?
The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia should take the following steps:
- Verify the Letters: Before making any claims, she should check if the letters are actual and not fake. She can do this by seeing when and where they were written and if they match with other things from that time.
- Get a Second Opinion: It's always good to have someone else look at what you've found. Dr. Amelia could show the letters to other history experts and see their thoughts.
- Research More: Maybe there are more documents or letters out there that support this new story. Dr. Amelia should keep looking to see if she can find more evidence.
- Share the Findings: If Dr. Amelia believes the letters are true after all her checks, she should tell others. This can be through books, talks, or articles.
- Stay Open to Feedback: Some people might agree with Dr. Amelia, and others might not. She should listen to everyone and be ready to learn more or change her mind if new information arises.
Ultimately, Dr. Amelia's job is to find out the truth about history and share it. It's okay if this new truth differs from what people used to believe. History is about learning from the past, no matter the story.
Related posts:
- Experimenter Bias (Definition + Examples)
- Hasty Generalization Fallacy (31 Examples + Similar Names)
- Ad Hoc Fallacy (29 Examples + Other Names)
- Confirmation Bias (Examples + Definition)
- Equivocation Fallacy (26 Examples + Description)
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150 Fun Critical Thinking Questions For Kids, Teens, & Adults
Critical thinking questions for kids get them thinking and questioning. To go beyond rote learning.
The reason they excel later in life will not be based on the information they memorized. But instead on how well they think, make decisions, communicate, and use their creativity.
These questions are designed to help them build these essential skills.
What makes a good critical thinking question?
Open ended questions are perfect for encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving. Kids (and grown-ups) have to think about their answers. Below you will find the best age-appropriate examples to use in the classroom, at home, or during your everyday routine .
In fact, there’s no question about it. Critical thinking is important for kids. And adults too!
Good Questions For Kindergarten To Think Critically
Younger kids need more concrete questions. These critical thinking questions will help them use reasoning and think deeply, even when they are small.
1. How do you know if something was a good decision?
2. How are these two things similar?
3. What are the differences between _______ and _________?
4. How would you feel if __________?
This question is great for building empathy .
5. Who was the main character? Why do you say that?
6. When is ___________ a problem?
7. What is the problem?
8. Why is this a problem?
9. What did you notice about _________?
10. Do you think he/she sees this the same way you do? Why or why not?
11. Has this happened before?
12. Do you think it will happen again? Why do you think this?
13. What is your opinion about _________? Why?
14. Is this appropriate? Why or why not?
15. What do you think would happen if __________?
16. What caused this to happen?
17. Do you think the world would be better if __________?
18. If you were in charge, what would you do differently?
19. Where can you find out more about this?
20. What does ______ mean?
21. Do you agree?
22. Can you give me an example of ________?
23. How do you know?
24. How would you solve this problem?
25. What makes something weird? What makes something normal?
Questions For Students: Elementary Through Middle School
For this age of kids, use any of the examples above and try these more abstract critical thinking questions too.
26. What do you think was the turning point?
27. Is there evidence to support your opinion (or decision)?
28. What does the evidence tell you?
29. What do you think would have been a better ending to… (book, movie, story)
30. When is the best time to start this?
31. When you think about solving a problem, where do you like to start?
32. What character/person changed the most? Why do you think this?
33. How could the author have created a thrilling twist in this story?
34. Who could help you with this? Why would they be a good fit to help?
35. Why is this important?
36. Why do you think ________ said that?
37. Why did the __________ (author, speaker) write/say this?
38. How does an idea grow? Or how does someone get from being a beginner to being an expert?
39. Do you think that what happened is what they meant to happen?
(Often, results are different than what people first think they will be.)
40. What can you use to help you decide?
41. What are the pros and cons of this?
42. Why is this happening?
43. What is the main message from this? (Or the lesson learned?)
44. What would you ask the author (speaker, etc.) if you could?
45. Do you have any questions about this?
46. Do you think it is too good to be true?
47. Can you defend these actions?
48. Compare this with this.
49. What would the world be like if ________? (kids were in charge, the sun was farther away, etc.)
50. Do you think there is a better alternative?
51. Is this person trustworthy? Why or why not?
52. At what age does someone stop being a kid? Why?
53. Can you see why someone would agree or disagree?
54. How would this ________ benefit or help others?
55. How will you know if your idea worked?
56. What is wrong with this situation?
57. What is good in this situation?
58. If someone were to argue your point, what do you think they would say?
59. Why do you think the character/person did that?
60. Is this fact or opinion? How do you know?
61. Was this change for the better? Or did it make things worse?
62. Who is most likely to _________? Why?
63. What do you think are the consequences of this decision?
64. Do you think we are asking the right question(s)? What is a different question instead?
Related Posts:
- Best Thought-Provoking Questions
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Critical Thinking Questions For High School & College Students
These critical thinking questions are more complex. They encourage abstract thinking, plus explore logic, ethics, and reasoning.
65. Why did you make that decision?
66. How did you get to that decision? What was your thought process?
67. What are the advantages of this?
68. What are the disadvantages of this?
69. How could we make this (project, paper, etc.) better?
70. What do you think the problem is….?
71. What do you think the best solution for this is? Why?
72. Could someone interpret this differently? How so?
73. How would you explain this to someone who doesn’t know anything about it?
74. What are a few alternative possibilities? Are any better than the others?
75. What are the short-term implications of this decision?
76. What are the long-term implications of this decision?
77. How would you achieve a big goal ?
78. (After they come up with a solution to something) Are there other possible ways to solve this problem?
79. How can you use the pros and cons to make a good decision?
80. Do you think when many people do something, it seems more “right,” even when it isn’t?
81. What are the potential risks to this decision?
82. What are the strengths of this argument?
83. What are the weaknesses of this argument?
84. Where is this lacking in evidence?
85. What can this story teach us about life?
86. Where would this solution work? Where would it not work?
87. Why do you think it is important to ask this question?
88. Why are new ideas important in our society?
89. What do you think that character’s motive is?
90. When should you reevaluate your initial thoughts/decision?
91. Do you think this is an important issue?
92. What do you think should have happened instead?
93. What is the counterargument?
94. Why is this relevant?
95. Do you think ________ will ever happen?
96. If it does, who would it affect most? Why?
97. What assumptions are being made in this situation?
98. Is it ever ok to lie?
99. Why do you think this feels like __________?
100. How is this related to your values and beliefs?
- Best Topics To Discuss With Others
- Ice Breaker Questions To Get to Know Someone
- Best Questions To Ask Teens
Critical Thinking Questions For Adults
These are great for a conversation at home or at work interviews to see how well potential candidates think on their feet.
101. Where do you see strengths?
102. Where do you think there are areas for improvement?
103. Why did these things help you in the long run?
104. What information do you need to find out before making a good decision?
105. If you could sit down and have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be? Why?
106. What would you say to this person?
107. Should others care about this? Why?
108. When should you ask for help?
109. Who will benefit most from this decision?
110. Who will benefit least from this decision?
111. Have we considered all the options?
112. What questions do you have?
113. Are there any biases that you think are playing out here?
114. Are you making an assumption about __________?
115. When will you see your results?
116. Where do you often find this type of problem? Why?
117. In your opinion, what caused ____________ to happen?
118. Was it avoidable?
119. Does anything concern you about this?
120. When is this acceptable?
121. When is this not acceptable (or appropriate)?
122. What is one thing that would have changed everything?
123. When do you think this will benefit _________ (the company, society, etc.)?
124. When a disagreement happens at work, what do you do?
125. Is this goal achievable ?
126. How does your work experience help you fill this role?
127. Has this ever been done before? When?
128. What would need to happen for you to reconsider?
129. When will we need this?
130. What skills fit well with this position?
Related: Fun Rapid Fire Questions To Ask
Examples of Kids Critical Thinking Questions: By Word
Another way to split up your critical thinking questions is by word.
- Who is most directly affected by this decision?
- Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist?
- Who was the most important character?
- Who was a supporting character that was essential to the storyline?
- What is the problem you are trying to solve?
- What information is important to know about this before forming an opinion?
- What was the point of _________?
- When is it a good time to stop (or take a breather)?
- When should you know the answer?
- When will it be time for this? How do you know?
- When will this be critical?
- Where can you go to ask for help?
- Where can you find a good solution? Or information that helps you solve this problem?
- Where could this idea lead?
- Why has this issue come out into the spotlight?
- Why do you think ______ acts that way?
- Why is _______ happening, but ________ is not?
- How else could we have done that?
- How else could this be handled?
- How would you have responded in this situation?
- Fun Hobbies For Families To Do
- Best Family Challenge Ideas
More Ways To Encourage Critical Thinking In Kids
Want to go beyond questions? No problem! Here are other practical ways to build this crucial skill:
Change your questions to them.
Turn your normal yes or no questions to more open ended questions.
Example: Instead of “How was your day?” go with “What was the most interesting part of your school day today?”
Refrain from stepping in.
These days parents feel like they should be fixing their kids’ problems constantly.
Instead, hold back and force your child to problem-solve on their own. Ask questions and guide them through the problem, but let them know that they are in charge of finding their own solutions.
Play Games And Do Activities That Promote Critical Thinking
Here are a few great ones!
Two Truths & A Lie Game – The players have to decide which statements are true and which one is not. This game is great for learning to read body language too!
Good Debate Topics For Kids – Nothing builds quick critical thinking like a lively debate.
Riddles: What Am I? – These word riddles help kids think through different possibilities.
Guess The Animal Riddles for Kids – More riddles all about animals to get kids thinking.
Encourage creativity.
Provide your child with opportunities to use their imagination.
Sometimes, all this takes is getting your child off screens and outside playing with sticks!
Encourage them to build something , make up a new game, and think outside the box whenever possible.
Let them fiddle with things.
My son has a very “why” brain and loves to mess with stuff. It used to embarrass me when we were around others.
But, one day, my husband and I realized that his “working things out” isn’t bad. We just needed to teach him in what context it is appropriate. Now he fiddles with everything, and it is amazing to watch his mind work.
Let them question.
The same goes for questions. They should be challenging assumptions and questioning the world around them. Too many people take for granted the things that they hear and read. Teach your child to be different.
Promote Active Listening.
Encourage your child to ask questions to clarify understanding and develop communication skills.
Examples: “What I hear is _________.” Or, “How do you know _________?”
Try New Things.
Travel. And regularly expose your kids to new ideas and experiences. This helps them see their regular world in a new light.
Think Critically Yourself.
Finally, your child will be much more likely to think critically if they see a parent who does it. So, apply all of these strategies to yourself as well.
To Consider With Critical Thinking Questions For Kids
Teaching children to form their own opinions is how we build a generation of people that will analyze, evaluate, and make decisions for the betterment of the world.
It’s not just important. It’s critical to our future as a society.
More family-friendly posts you’ll love…
- Telephone Game Phrases & Statement Ideas
- Ice Breaker Kids & Teen Games
- Best Books List For 4 Year Olds
Creative Kids Critical Thinking Questions For Students
Jennifer is the founder and chief editor of Healthy Happy Impactful®. She believes that living, loving, and connecting deeply are the foundation for a good life. She holds a degree in education and is a mom to 3 kids.
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Worksheet library: critical thinking: grades 3-5.
Visit Education World's Worksheet Library for a wide variety of free printables for use across the curriculum and across the grades.
Quotes Solve the math problems to get the letters to a quote. (Grades 3-5)
Jokes Solve the math problems to get the letters to a joke. (Grades 3-5)
The Old House Use math to figure out how to fix the old house. (Grades 3-5)
Balance Algebra Use Algebra to balance the scales. (Grades 3-5)
Balance Benders Given some facts, which objects weight will even off the scales? (Grades 3-5)
Paper Folding Draw how a folded sheet of paper with holes punched in it will look when unfolded. (Grades 3-5)
Analogies With Shapes Which shape completes the analogy? (Grades 3-5)
Penguin Color the thermometer to show the freezing point, then complete the picture of the pengin. (Grades 3-5)
Name That City Read the story. Then make an inference based on the evidence in the story. (Grades 3-5)
Von Bayers Girlfriend Read the true story. Then make an inference based on the evidence in the story. (Grades 3-5)
Whale of a Good Time Read the story. Then make an inference based on the evidence in the story. (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason (#2) Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason (#3) Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason (#4) Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason (#5) Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Rhyme and Reason (#6) Can you figure out the subjects of these simple rhymes? (Grades 3-5)
Antarctica Find 8 errors in this brief article about Antarctica. (Grades 3-5)
The Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster Find 7 errors in this brief article about the Loch Ness monster. (Grades 3-5)
Big Sky Country A friendly letter about Montana helps reinforce letter-writing skills. (Grades 3-5)
Common Nouns Find and write six common nouns found in each picture. (Grades 3-5)
Math Analogies Can you correctly complete each of these math analogies? (Grades 3-5)
Math Analogies (#2) Can you correctly complete each of these math analogies? (Grades 3-5)
The Best Pancake Recipe Find the math answers in this story about Olgas sleepover party. (Grades 3-5)
The Color Spinner Who is most likely to win the Color Spinner game? (Grades 3-5)
Leafy Lengths Complete the graph to show the length of the leaves that Luis and Amy found. (Grades 3-5)
Allowance Graph Answer questions about a graph that show how much allowance five kids get. (Grades 3-5)
Line of Symmetry Which of the six shapes shown on this page are symmetrical? (Grades 3-5)
Find the Nickname These clues will help you figure out each kids nickname. (Grades 3-5)
Order of Age Use the clues to order three kids ages from youngest to oldest. (Grades 3-5)
Lots of Rocks Use the clues to figure out the locations of three rocks. (Grades 3-5)
Theyre in the Band Use the clues to figure out which instrument each kid plays. (Grades 3-5)
Novel Thinking Read the definition. Write the vocabulary word and its part of speech. (Grades 3-5)
Maniac Magee Answer questions with evidence in this excerpt from Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. (Grades 3-5)
The Moon by Night Answer questions with evidence in this excerpt from The Moon by Night by Madeleine LEngle. (Grades 3-5)
Sideways Stories from Wayside School Answer questions about this excerpt from Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. (Grades 3-5)
Pass the Salt Use evidence from this story to answer the questions about it. (Grades 3-5)
Science Detective: Cells Read the article. Then answer the True/False questions about it. (Grades 4-8)
Science Detective: Change of Phase Use evidence from this article about friction and states of matter to answer the questions. (Grades 4-7)
Scratch Your Brain Use addition and subtraction to figure out solutions to these brain benders. (Grades 3-5)
From One Word to the Next Change a letter in the previous word to make the word that completes each phrase. (Grades 3-5)
Root Words Complete this activity about words that have /capt/ or /tact/ as a root. (Grades 3-5)
Spelling Challenge Circle the word in each group that is correctly spelled. Yes, you can use your dictionary. (Grades 5-8)
Prefixes and Roots Complete this activity about words that have /phone/ as their root. (Grades 3-5)
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2 The aMAZEing PuzzleBox. 3 Eight critical thinking puzzles - with answers. 3.1 Puzzle 1 - Letter puzzles. 3.2 Puzzle 2 - Commonalities and differences. 3.3 Puzzle 3 - Falling on his feet. 3.4 Puzzle 4 - Walk this way. 3.5 Puzzle 5 - Shapes and symbols. 3.6 Puzzle 6 - Three hard options.
First, consider the five words below: Cruise ship. Bicycle. Airplane. Walking on foot. Automobile (not a race car) Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at ...
Then working backward and dividing 25 by five, we get five minutes for one cat to catch each mouse. 18. Logic Puzzle: There is a barrel with no lid and some wine in it. "This barrel of wine is ...
Glass. 13. There is a word in the English language in which the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four signify a great man, and the whole word ...
Critical thinking—Problems, exercises, etc. I. LearningExpress (Organization) ... reasoning, judgment, and critical thinking. It is designed to be used by individuals working on their own and by ... Challenging Logic and Reasoning Problems by itself. Use the answer key at the end of the book not only to find out if you got the right answer ...
Multiple Step, Intermediate #2 FREE. These word problems have a farming theme. Students use critical thinking to determine which operations are required for solving each problem. 3rd through 5th Grades. View PDF. Multiple Step, Intermediate #3. Use addition and subtraction to solve each of these four story problems.
When crafting word problems to inspire critical thinking, it is vital that you use the right language. How you frame the question sets up how the student is going to think to come up with the answer.
Exercise #3: Inversion. Inversion is another critical thinking exercise that you can use in any situation. Inversion is sort of like taking on the role of the devil's advocate. In this exercise, adopt the opposite view of whatever issue you're exploring and consider the potential arguments for that side.
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not. 7. Socratic Questioning. This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic.
1. What is metacognition? Thinking about thinking. Thinking about architecture. Dancing about thinking. Dancing about architecture. 2. At what level of critical thinking would you find the problem ...
What makes a good critical thinking question? Open ended questions are perfect for encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving. Kids (and grown-ups) have to think about their answers. Below you will find the best age-appropriate examples to use in the classroom, at home, or during your everyday routine. In fact, there's no question ...
Scratch Your Brain. Use addition and subtraction to figure out solutions to these brain benders. (Grades 3-5) From One Word to the Next. Change a letter in the previous word to make the word that completes each phrase. (Grades 3-5) Root Words. Complete this activity about words that have /capt/ or /tact/ as a root.
PRT Critical Thinking Test: question 1 of 3. Six friends are seated in a restaurant across a rectangular table. There are three chairs on each side. Adam and Dorky do not have anyone sitting to their right and Clyde and Benjamin do not have anyone sitting to their left. Adam and Benjamin are not sitting on the same side of the table.
This flexible resource features critical thinking questions and answers as well as writing and reading activities for students to explore Hurst's heartbreaking story. 15. "The Veldt" This science fiction story by Ray Bradbury was first published as "The World the Children Made" and it is quite fitting as a title!
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources. Critical thinking skills help you to: Identify credible sources. Evaluate and respond to arguments.
One of the best ways to do this is by drawing a picture. A picture could mean a model, a chart, table, etc. Some type of drawing that helps them understand the information from the problem. Step 2: Solve it. This is where students "show their work" and do the necessary math to solve the problem. Step 3: Answer.
These skills enable individuals to analyze complex situations, make informed decisions, and find innovative solutions. Here, we present 25 examples of problem-solving and critical thinking. problem-solving scenarios to help you cultivate and enhance these skills. Ethical dilemma: A company faces a situation where a client asks for a product ...
Two things are crucial: 1) critical thinking is not just thinking, but thinking which entails self-improvement. 2) this improvement comes from skill in using standards by which one appropriately assesses thinking. To put it briefly, it is self-improvement (in thinking) through standards (that assess thinking).
All Products In This Series. Algebra Word Problems Book 1 (Algebra I) - eBook. $29.99. Algebra Word Problems Book 2 (Algebra I & II) - eBook. $29.99.
Fractions Day 16: Word Problems and Critical Thinking. Well . . . I promised a little update on the problem solving from the other day, so here goes! What I often do toward the end of a unit is provide students with a class period or two to work collaboratively or on their own on an assortment of word problems.
Critical thinking is a kind of thinking in which you question, analyse, interpret , evaluate and make a judgement about what you read, hear, say, or write. The term critical comes from the Greek word kritikos meaning "able to judge or discern". Good critical thinking is about making reliable judgements based on reliable information.
1. Linking ideas. This has to do with finding connections between the seemly unrelatable or irrelevant. Exercise: Newspaper link up. Take today's newspaper. Brush through all articles in each section (news, sports, business, etc.). Make a list of the articles as a basic concept.
Share via: Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to ...
As she ramps up her nascent presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris is revealing how she will address the key issues facing the nation.. In speeches and rallies, she has voiced support ...