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» The Thinking Teacher (October 2011)

 

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October 2011
The Thinking Teacher is a monthly compendium of ideas, strategies and resources for teachers and teacher leaders who are working to support critical thinking among K–12 students and staff. The digest is published ten times a year, from September to June, by The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2). [See archived issues.]
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Take 2: Recognizing Bias

This 2 ½ minute video uses a pizza restaurant ad to give students a succinct introduction to the concept of bias. It also presents three specific questions students can ask to detect bias in the media and their daily lives. (Social studies, Social responsibility, Literacy)
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key grade level
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Being a friend in deed

Primary students develop criteria for recognizing the actions of friendly and unfriendly people in this challenge from I Can Make a Difference. Through role-play, they learn how to use friendly actions to support others who are upset or have been slighted. (Social responsibility, Language arts)
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Tools for Thought: Analyze a cartoon

In this lesson from the Tools for Thought collection, students learn to recognize various techniques, such as symbolism and caricature, used by political cartoonists to convey a message. (Social studies, Literacy)
Download PDF or Smart notebook.

grade level
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Archaeological significance

How do we decide if an archaeological find is significant? In this excerpt from Teaching Archaeological Thinking, students focus on key criteria for significance as they learn how an ancient mammoth bone challenged accepted ideas about the arrival of humans in North America. (Science, Social studies)
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grade level
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resource

Humanitarian crisis in East Africa

Drought, conflict, and limited humanitarian access have resulted in a crisis affecting millions of people in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Students can gain background knowledge about the crisis, and Canada’s response, on the website of CIDA, the Canadian International Development Agency. (Social studies, Social responsibility, Science)
Visit the website.

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quote

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

– Helen Keller, blind and deaf American writer (1880 – 1968)

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