critical thinking stories for middle school

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Short stories for middle schoolers: 17 quick reads with lasting impact!

Finding ways to help connect middle school children with the written word is critical for their academic and personal growth. Short stories can be a powerful tool for capturing the interest of young readers and teaching them valuable lessons. In this article, we discuss the importance of short stories for middle schoolers, what makes a good short story, and provide solid recommendations students are sure to enjoy.

Why are short stories a great way to engage middle school students?

Length and digestibility.

Middle school students often have shorter attention spans, making it challenging for them to engage with longer texts. Short stories offer a perfect solution, as their brevity allows students to finish reading in a short amount of time. This gives them a sense of accomplishment, as they can see their progress and feel motivated to continue reading.

Varied genres and themes

Short stories cover all genres, allowing students to explore different writing styles, cultures, and perspectives. This variety can help students find stories that resonate. Additionally, exposure to a diverse range of stories can broaden their understanding of the world and help them develop empathy for people from different backgrounds.

Opportunities for deep discussion and analysis

The best short stories contain rich literary elements and character development, making them perfect for fostering critical thinking and comprehension skills. Teachers can use these stories to engage students in meaningful discussions, encouraging them to analyze the theme. This helps students learn to think more deeply about material they've read. In turn, this allows them to make connections between the story and their own lives.

What makes a good short story?

A great story captivates kids and encourages them to dive deeper into the world of reading. There are several key elements that contribute to a successful short story for kids in this age group.

Compelling characters

Character development is essential in short stories. Young readers should be able to identify with the characters, understand their motivations, and empathize with their struggles. Well-developed characters provide opportunities for students to explore and discuss complex emotions, relationships, and moral dilemmas.

Engaging plot

An engaging plot is crucial for keeping middle schoolers interested in a short story. The story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with a conflict or problem that the characters must overcome. A twist ending  can add an element of surprise, making the story even more memorable.

Strong theme or message

A great short story often conveys a meaningful theme or message. This can range from a moral lesson to an exploration of human nature, or even a commentary on society. When an author is able to include a theme, the story becomes more than a simple narrative. It challenges students to think critically about the issues presented.

Appropriate language and vocabulary for the target age group

Short stories for middle schoolers should use language and vocabulary that is suitable for their age and reading level. This helps ensure that students can comprehend the text without becoming overwhelmed or frustrated. At the same time, the story should introduce new words and descriptive writing, helping students expand their language skills and become more confident readers.

Relatable content

Finally, a good short story for middle school students should contain content that is relatable to their lives and experiences. This can include themes like friendship, family, school, or personal growth. By presenting familiar situations and emotions, the story helps students connect with the text and become more invested.

One of our favorite short stories

It should come as no surprise that we are big fans of our own master of horror, Devlin DeGuise. His series GHOUL SCHOOL is a great read for upper elementary kids and middle schoolers.

👻 Immerse Students in a Spine-Tingling World! 👻

An age-appropriate horror series,  GHOUL SCHOOL takes young readers on a chilling journey, inviting them to discover spine-tingling mysteries and encounter hair-raising creatures.

🌀 Twist Endings Keep Readers Hooked! 🌀

Each volume of GHOUL SCHOOL features a jaw-dropping twist ending that will leave your tween gasping in surprise and eager to find out what happens next. These unexpected twists not only create a memorable reading experience but also instill a love for reading that will follow them throughout their lives. 

📖 Easy-to-Read Format for Maximum Enjoyment 📖

Designed with the reluctant reader in mind, GHOUL SCHOOL features big fonts to minimize intimidation, graphic novel elements that pull readers into the eerie world, and captivating, creepy art on every page. 

🎧 Enhanced Audiobook for a One-of-a-Kind Reading Experience 🎧

Want to take the terror up a notch? Each book comes with a free audiobook that offers a read-along experience with creepy music and Hollywood sound effects so good students feel like they're IN the story.

🔥 Don't Miss Out on this creepy Reading Experience! 🔥

Transform students into eager bookworms with GHOUL SCHOOL, the series that's bound to become a favorite of your students.

Grab your copies now!

Recommended short stories for sixth graders

Selecting age-appropriate short stories for middle schoolers is important to ensure they enjoy reading and gain valuable insights from the texts. Here are some great short stories at a sixth-grade level:

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

This classic short story portrays a seemingly ordinary village with a dark secret. The story explores themes of tradition, conformity, and the potential danger of blindly following societal norms. Students will be drawn in by the plot and can later engage in discussions about the story's message and its relevance to their lives.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

This tale tells the story of a couple who sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other. The story's themes of love, sacrifice, and the true meaning of giving provide ample opportunities for thoughtful discussions and reflections.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling

This adventurous story follows a brave mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as he protects his human family and friends from dangerous cobras. With its exciting plot and vivid descriptions, this story will keep sixth graders engaged while also teaching them about courage and loyalty.

The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers

In this story, a boy named Greg meets an old man named Lemon Brown who shares his life story and a valuable treasure. The story explores themes of family, understanding, and the idea that not all treasures are material possessions.

The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov

Set in a future where children are taught by computers, this short story will spark classroom conversations about the importance of human interaction and the role of technology in education. Students can discuss the differences between their own school experiences and the futuristic world presented in the story.

Recommended short stories for seventh graders

As middle schoolers grow and develop, their interests and reading abilities change. Here are some engaging short stories suitable for seventh-grade students:

The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs

This chilling tale of a magical monkey's paw that grants wishes with unexpected consequences will captivate seventh graders. The story offers a chance to remind kids they should always be careful what they wish for.

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

In this classic, Mathilde borrows a beautiful necklace only to lose it and replace it with a costly replica. The story explores themes of vanity, materialism, and the importance of being content with what we have.

The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton

In this intriguing story, a man must choose between two doors. A beautiful woman waits behind one. Behind the other? A tiger. The open-ended conclusion of the story encourages students to debate the outcome and consider the complexities of human nature and decision-making.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Narrated by a man who commits a terrible crime, this classic is sure to keep students on the edge of their seats. The story provides a chance to study characterization, explore the narrator's descent into madness, and discuss the concept of guilt.

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Set on a planet where the sun rises briefly every seven years, this is the story of a young girl locked away by classmates during the rare moment of sunshine. The story's themes of empathy, jealousy, and the consequences of our actions provide ample material for thoughtful discussions.

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street by Rod Serling

Not a traditional short story, this Twilight Zone teleplay is the tale of a suburban street that finds itself under siege by forces unknown. Once friendly neighbors speculate about who could be responsible for their strange experiences. It isn't long before they discover they may have as much to fear from each other as they do any unseen terrors lurking in the dark.

Recommended short stories for eighth graders

Eighth-grade students are often ready to tackle more complex themes and literary elements in their reading. Here are some thought-provoking short stories suitable for eighth graders:

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

This thriller follows a man trapped on an island with a sinister hunter who has turned humans into his prey. The story explores themes of morality, survival, and the nature of violence. It is sure to spark engaging discussions among students.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

In this dark tale of revenge, the narrator seeks to punish his friend for an unspecified insult. The story provides a great opportunity for students to analyze the motivations behind the characters' actions and discuss the consequences of revenge.

The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst

This emotional story tells the tale of two brothers – one who is physically disabled – and their complicated relationship. Students can explore themes of love, pride, and the consequences of our actions. It also provides a great opportunity to discuss the importance of empathy and acceptance.

The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt

In this heartrending story, a young boy named Georgie, who has experienced a difficult life, wins a rose bush in a school lottery. The story follows Georgie's journey as he learns to trust and find hope in his new circumstances. Themes of resilience, hope, and the power of human connection provide ample material for thoughtful discussions.

The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

This dystopian classic follows a man named Leonard Mead who is arrested for the simple act of taking a walk. Students can discuss the story's themes of conformity, individuality, and the potential consequences of a technology-dominated society.

Fun short story collections for the Summer Reading List 

Skin (and other stories)  by Roald Dahl

In this book, the renowned author invites readers to explore the eerie, dark corners of the human psyche through a series of chilling tales. Each story features an eclectic cast of characters who encounter the inexplicable, often with unexpected consequences. Dahl's distinctive storytelling and keen observations of human behavior make these ghost stories both frightening and thought-provoking, leaving readers questioning the boundaries of reality and the unknown.

Only If You Dare by Josh Allen

A terrifying collection of short stories that proves even everyday objects in our life can turn against us. From a mysterious microwave oven to a threatening board game to a snowman who refuses to melt in the spring, this book is loaded with stories that will leave kids scared of more than the dark.  Buy it here .

Links where more short stories be found

There are numerous resources available online for teachers and students to find engaging short stories for middle schoolers. Some popular websites with short story resources include:

• American Literature : This website features a wide selection of classic short stories, including many that are suitable for middle school students.
• CommonLit : CommonLit is a free online platform that provides access to fiction and nonfiction texts, including short stories, along with comprehension questions and teaching resources.
• ReadWorks : ReadWorks offers a vast collection of reading passages, including short stories, for all grade levels, along with comprehension questions and teaching materials.

Short stories are a fantastic way to engage middle schoolers. These bite-sized tales can help students develop their critical thinking, comprehension, and language skills. By selecting age-appropriate stories that feature compelling characters, engaging plots, strong themes, and relatable content, teachers can create memorable reading experiences.

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Middle school teachers of all subjects are interested in fostering critical thinking in their classroom, but it’s not always an easy task to incorporate in the never-ending quest to match lesson plans to state learning standards. Here are seven resources that will easily add critical thinking to your lesson plans.

The Critical Thinking Community

The Critical Thinking Community is a resource site designed to encourage critical thinking in students. There are teaching strategies, a glossary of important terms, as well as articles by thought leaders in critical thinking, such as one by Bertrand Russell on the importance of developing critical thinking skills. Visit the site.

Here are some recommended pages for critical thinking strategies for the middle school classroom.

• Teaching tactics : Strategies teachers can use to encourage critical thinking in class. For example, asking students to read the instructions of an assignment and then repeat them in their own words. Visit the page.
• Remodeled lessons: How to take a routine lesson plan and remodel it to foster critical thinking. The page has five standard lesson plans, a critique of why they should be changed, and suggestions for improving the lesson plan. Visit the page.
• 35 dimensions of critical thought: Strategies are organized into three groups: Affective, Cognitive Macro-Abilities, and Cognitive Micro-Skills. Each strategy details its importance for student development. Visit the page.

Success story: tips for teaching critical thinking

KIPP King Collegiate High School has developed 10 ideas for teaching critical thinking. These methods are applicable for middle school aged students, giving them exposure to thinking critically before arriving to high school. One notable technique from KIPP is to teach students to constantly ask questions. Visit the page.

Critical thinking in the 21 st century

Microsoft Education offers material for teaching critical thinking for the 21 st -century student. What’s special about this guide is its focus on thinking critically on the Internet. Lesson plans focus on fine-tuning search skills, how to evaluate discoveries and then incorporate findings in student work. Visit the site.

Creative and critical thinking activities

On teachers.net Gazette, a teacher named Emmy recommends five specific activities that are easy to use, take little preparation, and stimulate creative thinking. The most popular feature of this site is its teacher collaboration. Visit the page.

Back to basics

This site details the basics about critical thinking: what it is, the characteristics, and why it should be taught. It also provides several differing perspectives about critical thinking for readers to consider. Different teaching strategies are also discussed, plus links to helpful resources. Visit the site.

Riddle me that

BrainDen.com has a large number of critical-thinking riddles and brain teasers that can be used in the classroom. The answers are provided for the teacher as well as tips for stimulating further discussion on the topic. Teachers can use the exercises as warmup activities at the beginning of class, or at the end of class on days when work is unexpectedly completed early. Visit the site.

Brain boosters

Discovery Education has a “Brain Boosters” section listing specific logical thinking challenges and brain teasers that students love. The activities can be done with groups or individually. The answers are provided for the teacher. Visit the site.

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Tagged as: Engaging Activities ,  Middle School (Grades: 6-8)

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Teaching Students About the Tea Act: A Comprehensive Guide

Teaching students about concubines: unveiling the history, teaching students about the iconic “martin” show, teaching students about karen duffy: an inspiration for overcoming challenges, teaching students about stingray barbs: uncovering the mysteries of a unique marine adaptation, 12 colleges with the most nba players, what you can buy with the 529 plan, teaching students about shaun alexander: a lesson in perseverance and success, how to set up and start using a cash app account, teaching students about sean avery: embracing unconventional lessons in sportsmanship, 20 critical thinking activities for middle schoolers.

Introduction:

Critical thinking is vital for middle school students, as it helps them develop problem-solving skills, make informed decisions, and understand different perspectives. Integrating critical thinking activities into classroom learning experiences can greatly enhance students’ cognitive abilities. The following are 20 engaging critical thinking activities designed for middle school students.

1. Brain Teasers: Use age-appropriate puzzles to challenge students’ cognitive abilities and encourage them to find creative solutions.

2. Socratic Circles: Divide the class into groups and encourage them to participate in a philosophical discussion on a given topic, asking questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast: Assign two similar but different texts for students to compare and contrast, analyzing similarities and differences between each author’s perspective.

4. What-If Questions: Encourage children to think critically about hypothetical scenarios by asking what-if questions, such as “What if the internet didn’t exist?”

5. Debate Club: Organize a debate club where students are encouraged to research and defend differing viewpoints on a topic.

6. Mind Mapping: Teach students how to create a mind map – a visual representation of their thoughts – to help them brainstorm complex issues effectively.

7. Mystery Bag: In small groups, give students a bag containing several random objects and ask them to invent an innovative product or story using all items in the bag.

8. Critical Thinking Journal: Have students maintain journals where they analyze their thought processes after completing activities, promoting self-reflection and metacognition.

9. Moral Dilemmas: Present students with moral dilemmas, requiring them to weigh pros and cons before making ethical decisions.

10. Fact or Opinion?: Give students various statements and ask them to differentiate between fact or opinion, helping them build critical thinking skills when handling information.

11. Research Projects: Assign project topics that require deep research from multiple sources, developing students’ abilities to sift through information and synthesize their findings.

12. Think-Pair-Share: Have students think individually about a complex question, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share with the class.

13. Art Interpretation: Display an artwork and ask students to interpret its meaning, theme, or message, pushing them to look beyond the surface.

14. Reverse Role Play: Assign roles for a scenario where students exchange positions (e.g., teacher-student, parent-child), fostering empathetic understanding and critical thinking skills.

15. Critical Evaluation of Media: Analyze news articles, commercials, or social media posts by asking questions about their purpose, target audience, and accuracy.

16. Six Thinking Hats: Teach students Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” technique to improve critical thinking by exploring diverse perspectives when solving problems.

17. Analogy Building: Encourage students to create analogies from one concept to another, enhancing abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities.

18. Current Events Analysis: Keep track of current events and have students critically evaluate news stories or blog posts to encourage informed decision-making in real-world contexts.

19. Brainstorming Sessions: Hold group brainstorming sessions where students invent solutions for complex problems while practicing active listening and critical thinking.

20. Reflection Activities: Use reflective writing prompts at the end of lessons or activities to foster metacognition, self-awareness, and the development of critical thinking skills.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking activities are vital for middle schoolers as they foster intellectual growth and prepare them for future learning experiences. By incorporating these 20 activities into your classroom curriculum, you can help students develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

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20 Critical Thinking Activities for Middle Schoolers

September 17, 2023 //  by  Lesa M.K. Bullins, EdS

Critical thinking is the process of using higher-order thinking skills in which students observe, conceptualize, apply, evaluate, and synthesize information that they learn in order to solve problems and make decisions effectively. Critical thinking is crucial for middle school students to be equipped to respond to academic, social, and emotional challenges successfully.

As an educator, developing critical thinking in students is paramount. Critical thinking skills are built through exploration, inquiry, questioning, discussion, and collaboration. Below are my top 20 classroom activities to transform your middle school students into critical thinkers!

1. Service Projects

Service projects support the development of global-mindedness in addition to building creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Service projects allow students the opportunity to engage their interests, apply learning to real-world situations, and actively problem-solve. Service projects could relate to classroom topics, holidays, or community areas in which students have concerns.

Learn More: Kid Activities

2. Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning builds creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving while creating opportunities for student motivation and engagement. You can learn about how to execute project-based learning here.

Learn More: PBL Works

3. Problem-Based Learning

The other “PBL” of education is problem-based learning. Problem-based learning activities are critical to the development of problem-solving skills. You can learn how to implement problem-based learning approaches here.

Learn More: Educators for Social Change

4. Get Outside the Classroom

Take learning outside the classroom. Applying learning to the world around them will support students in making crucial connections that build critical thinking. Check this video for ways to bring the outdoors to your classroom!

Learn More: Edutopia

5. Promote Inquiry

Inquiry-based learning is a cornerstone of critical thinking skills that creates in students an avid thinker of creative solutions. Instead of giving students the questions and then the answer, flip it! Give students information and have them build questions from their own thinking, or give students questions then allow them the space needed to find comprehensive solutions. Inquiry builds analytical skills.

Learn More: Taylor & Francis Online

6. Incorporate Turn and Talks

Turn and talks allow students to briefly share, review, and make connections to things they are learning. It is one of the top critical thinking resources when executed effectively in the classroom. Turn and talks allow for the exploration of an array of topics.

Learn More: Smekens Education and The Thinker Builder

7. Group Work Galore

While group work teaches cooperation, it also provides an opportunity for building critical thinking attributes like task deconstruction, planning, and explanation of thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

8. Bring Centers Back

Centers are not just for elementary students. Centers create a diverse learning interaction that allows opportunities for students to be more expressive in the learning process. Critical thinking skills come out of such active learning. It is also a great way to leverage resources, especially teacher one-on-one time!

Learn More: Rachel Mccollum

9. Revive Reader’s Theatre

Using a reader’s theatre gives students a more enriching reading comprehension experience due to the highly engaging and interactive approach. Read more here about why you should use this reading approach to support critical thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Beers

10. Hold Debates

Debate is an opportunity for individuals to consider, discuss, and analyze a controversial topic. Middle school students have ideas that they want to express and discuss. Giving them healthy opportunities for expression not only builds their critical thinking but also their confidence and sense of self.

11. Provide Creative Choices

Choice prompts critical thinking because it allows students to practice in a safe learning environment. Student choice can enhance the learning environment through deeper interest and engagement as well. Providing choice is a very effective opportunity for differentiation, and can even support metacognitive development.

Learn More: The Modern Classrooms Project

12. Promote Invention and Innovation 

Creating inventions and innovations involved analyzing situations, considering outcomes, developing processes, and making connections to prior and related knowledge. Innovation and invention are essentially complete critical thinking activities.

Learn More: Invention and Education

13. Make Opportunities for Students to Teach

The deepest learning occurs when we teach others. Your kids will really be able to tap into their critical thinking skills in this exercise where you’ll invite them to play teacher! It’s a fantastic way to deepen their understanding of concepts as you’ll encourage them to reteach learning material to their peers.

Learn More: ASCD

14. Always Make Time for Reflection

Reflection is indispensable to the critical thinking process. Reflection empowers students as learners and prompts deeper thinking. Reflection allows students to tackle higher levels of thinking resulting in better consciousness of self and learning. You can provide opportunities for silent reflection, exit tickets, journals, etc.

Learn More: Responsive Classroom

15. Create Mysteries

Critical thinking hinges significantly on students interpreting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. Mystery activities are exciting ways to engage these elements of critical thinking in a variety of subjects! Check out the example of a classroom mystery lesson here to inspire the use of mysteries in your own classroom subjects.

Learn More: Engaging Effective Teaching

16. Create Escape Rooms

It is not just mysteries that present logical thinking challenges and encompass the elements of critical thinking for practice in the classroom! Escape rooms are exceptional critical thinking activities. For some ideas on how to create escape rooms for different subjects in your class, check here.

Learn More: 23 Escape Room Games for Kids of All Ages

17. Prompt Class Discussions

Class discussions are the most naturally occurring critical thinking resources, so just harness the power by guiding and building skills for class discussion processes in your classroom. Class discussion fosters enhanced articulation, deep thinking, stronger connections to prior knowledge, deeper connections across content, and much more!

Learn More: University of Waterloo

18. Create a Job Board

Application of critical thinking skills in real-life scenarios like work is essential. Having classroom jobs is a practical way to put skills into practice. Classroom jobs can build a sense of community and responsibility in the classroom culture. I suggest using a job board approach and incentives for taking jobs such as free choice activities, extra time, etc. instead of assigned jobs. You can also make the job board a game similar to the popular Among Us game (minus the killing of course), to grab student interest.

Learn More: The Literary Maven

19. Encourage Habits of Mind

Habits of Mind are the same skills that make up the critical thinking concepts. Habits of Mind prompt analytical thinking, build strong learning habits, and sufficiently change patterns of thinking for students to truly become critical thinkers.

Learn More: Increasing Autonomy with Habits of Mind

20. Push a Growth Mindset

In conjunction with the skills of habits of mind, a growth mindset also presents students with an avenue to build lasting change in thinking patterns to become skillful critical thinkers. Students with a strong growth mindset have the power of resiliency.  Resilience is a crucial aspect of critical thinking as it helps us to manage stress and adapt to change. Analyzing and solving problems requires adaptability.

Learn More: In Control Middle School SEL

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14 Best Short Stories for Middle School

Middle school short stories are one of my favourite things to teach. I use them to teach the elements of the novel, figurative language and critical thinking skills. In this blog post, I list and summarize my top 14 short stories for middle school that I use in my classroom.

Each short story title is linked to a lesson. I selected these titles as they are easy to find with a quick Google search or can be found in many ELA anthology textbooks found in many schools. At the bottom of this post, I share links to my complete short story units that are perfect to use for any units teaching short stories for middle school.

Engaging Short Stories for Middle School 

• The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier – Roch’s favourite Montréal Canadiens sweater is too small. His mother orders a new sweater from Eaton’s catalogue. Much to Roch’s despair, a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater arrives. Chaos will ensue for Roch, who idolized Maurice Richard and would NEVER betray his idol.
• Amigo Brothers by Piri Thomas –  Two best friends learn the true meaning of friendship when they face off in the boxing ring.
• The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant –  Mme. Loisel learns that jealousy can change the course of a person’s life.
• Lose Now, Pay Later by Carol Farley –  Deb and Trinja discover a new food shop in their local mall, but is it as good as everyone claims?
• The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov –  Margie and Tommy discuss the olden days when schools did not have mechanical robot teachers.
• All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury –  On Venus, the children are jealous of Margot because she is from Earth. The sun only comes out once every 7 years on Venus, and some of the children have no memory of this event.
• The Zoo by Edward D. Hoch –  Who is really on display in this zoo, the human people or the space creatures?
• The Scholarship Jacket by Marta Salinas –  Martha desperately wants to win the highest school award during her eighth-grade graduation ceremony – winning the scholarship jacket. When she accidentally overhears her teachers discussing the selection criteria, she is devastated.
• Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl – Mary Maloney is the perfect wife until the day her husband announces he wants a divorce.
• The Chaser by John Collier –  Alan Austen wants nothing more than for the love of his life to notice him. He buys a love potion to make his dreams come true, but matters of the heart cannot be entrusted to a potion.
• The Lady or The Tiger by Frank R. Stockton – When a princess falls in love with a man below her status in life, consequences are issued by her father, the king.
• The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty –  Set during the Irish Civil War, a young soldier learns the true cost of war.
• Thank You, Ma’am, by Langston Hughes – A young boy tries to steal a woman’s purse and learns a valuable life lesson.
• Test by Theodore Thomas – Before he can drive, Robert Proctor must pass his driving test. During this driving test, things go horribly wrong.

Find lessons on all of the above short stories for middle school, as well as more short story resources on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD . 

Try These Short Stories for Middle School Teaching Resources

6th Grade Short Story Unit : Use this Grade 6 short story unit to engage your students. This differentiated short story unit focuses on literary elements and literary devices (plot, character, setting, theme, conflict, similes, metaphors, symbols and foreshadowing). Use this short story unit to introduce or review literary elements and literary devices with your students.

You can find the 6th Grade Short Story Unit on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD . 

Short Story Unit 1 : This short story unit (great for 7th/8th grade) contains short stories for middle school classrooms. Students will enjoy this differentiated and engaging unit. This unit focuses on literary elements of plot, character, setting, theme, and conflict as well as these literary devices: similes, metaphors, symbols and foreshadowing.

Use this unit to introduce or review literary elements and literary devices with your students. This unit is Google Classroom™️ compatible with individual PDFs and Google Slides™️ graphic organizers included. Short Story Unit 1 and 2 contain the same lessons but have different short stories, answer keys and final test.

You can find the Short Story Unit 1 on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD . 

Short Story Unit 2 : This short story unit (great for 8th grade) contains short stories for middle school classrooms. Students will enjoy this differentiated and engaging unit. This unit focuses on literary elements of plot, character, setting, theme, and conflict as well as these literary devices: similes, metaphors, symbols and foreshadowing.

Use this unit to introduce or review literary elements and literary devices with your students. This unit is Google Classroom compatible with individual PDFs and Google Slides graphic organizers included. Short Story Unit 1 and 2 contain the same lessons but have different short stories, answer keys and final test.

You can find the Short Story Unit 2 on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD .

I hope you can use these suggested short stories for middle school with your students. If you want to see an example of a short stories for middle school lesson, download the “Just Once” free resource featured below.

Unsure if you want to teach short stories for middle school? Check out this blog post, 4 Reasons to Teach Short Stories, to find some reasons why this text form is so great! Don’t forget to read 3 Considerations For Planning a Middle School Short Story Unit before you start planning out your middle school short stories unit.

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20 Critical Thinking Activities for Middle Schoolers

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

  Critical thinking is vital for middle school students, as it helps them develop problem-solving skills, make informed decisions, and understand different perspectives. Integrating critical thinking activities into classroom learning experiences can greatly enhance students’ cognitive abilities. The following are 20 engaging critical thinking activities designed for middle school students.

1. Brain Teasers: Use age-appropriate puzzles to challenge students’ cognitive abilities and encourage them to find creative solutions.

2. Socratic Circles: Divide the class into groups and encourage them to participate in a philosophical discussion on a given topic, asking questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast: Assign two similar but different texts for students to compare and contrast, analyzing similarities and differences between each author’s perspective.

4. What-If Questions: Encourage children to think critically about hypothetical scenarios by asking what-if questions, such as “What if the internet didn’t exist?”

5. Debate Club: Organize a debate club where students are encouraged to research and defend differing viewpoints on a topic.

6. Mind Mapping: Teach students how to create a mind map – a visual representation of their thoughts – to help them brainstorm complex issues effectively.

7. Mystery Bag: In small groups, give students a bag containing several random objects and ask them to invent an innovative product or story using all items in the bag.

8. Critical Thinking Journal: Have students maintain journals where they analyze their thought processes after completing activities, promoting self-reflection and metacognition.

9. Moral Dilemmas: Present students with moral dilemmas, requiring them to weigh pros and cons before making ethical decisions.

10. Fact or Opinion?: Give students various statements and ask them to differentiate between fact or opinion, helping them build critical thinking skills when handling information.

11. Research Projects: Assign project topics that require deep research from multiple sources, developing students’ abilities to sift through information and synthesize their findings.

12. Think-Pair-Share: Have students think individually about a complex question, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share with the class.

13. Art Interpretation: Display an artwork and ask students to interpret its meaning, theme, or message, pushing them to look beyond the surface.

14. Reverse Role Play: Assign roles for a scenario where students exchange positions (e.g., teacher-student, parent-child), fostering empathetic understanding and critical thinking skills.

15. Critical Evaluation of Media: Analyze news articles, commercials, or social media posts by asking questions about their purpose, target audience, and accuracy.

16. Six Thinking Hats: Teach students Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” technique to improve critical thinking by exploring diverse perspectives when solving problems.

17. Analogy Building: Encourage students to create analogies from one concept to another, enhancing abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities.

18. Current Events Analysis: Keep track of current events and have students critically evaluate news stories or blog posts to encourage informed decision-making in real-world contexts.

19. Brainstorming Sessions: Hold group brainstorming sessions where students invent solutions for complex problems while practicing active listening and critical thinking.

20. Reflection Activities: Use reflective writing prompts at the end of lessons or activities to foster metacognition, self-awareness, and the development of critical thinking skills.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking activities are vital for middle schoolers as they foster intellectual growth and prepare them for future learning experiences. By incorporating these 20 activities into your classroom curriculum, you can help students develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

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Tell Me a Story

Storybooks that teach critical thinking.

Grades: PreK-1

Critical Thinking, Language Arts

•  Award Winner

This fun, easy to use picture book is made up of two stories. Students tell each story by analyzing the pictures and responding to the guided questions on each page. The questions are engaging and produce a deeper analysis of the scene and the storyline by encouraging students to provide details, describe events, explain motives, make evidence-based predictions, and use cause and effect leading up to the scene. Each story develops important critical and creative thinking skills.

• Observation
• Identifying and evaluating evidence
• Comparing and contrasting shapes and objects
• Inference (evidence-based prediction)
• Cause and effect
• Identify and describing a sequence of events

These stories also develop pre-reading skills.  Pre-readers progress from “listening” to a story to “telling” a story, becoming more engaged in the reading process as they identify and shape the storyline.  Reading involves more than just decoding written text.  A large part of reading is gaining meaning from symbols—both letters and pictures.

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything.

In an age of “fake news” claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it’s vital to ask questions about everything, but that it’s also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts. They’re also useful when discussing important issues or trying to understand others’ motivations in general.

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

Questions like these help students ponder who’s involved in a story and how the actions affect them. They’ll also consider who’s telling the tale and how reliable that narrator might be.

• Is the protagonist?
• Is the antagonist?
• Caused harm?
• Is harmed as a result?
• Was the most important character?

• Is responsible?
• Is most directly affected?
• Should have won?
• Will benefit?
• Would be affected by this?

• Makes the decisions?

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

Ask questions that explore issues more deeply, including those that might not be directly answered in the text.

• Background information do I know or need to know?
• Is the main message?
• Are the defining characteristics?

• Questions or concerns do I have?
• Don’t I understand?
• Evidence supports the author’s conclusion?
• Would it be like if … ?
• Could happen if … ?
• Other outcomes might have happened?
• Questions would you have asked?
• Would you ask the author about … ?
• Was the point of … ?
• Should have happened instead?
• Is that character’s motive?
• Else could have changed the whole story?

• Can you conclude?
• Would your position have been in that situation?
• Would happen if … ?
• Makes your position stronger?
• Was the turning point?
• Is the point of the question?
• Did it mean when … ?
• Is the other side of this argument?
• Was the purpose of … ?
• Does ______ mean?
• Is the problem you are trying to solve?
• Does the evidence say?
• Assumptions are you making?
• Is a better alternative?
• Are the strengths of the argument?

• Are the weaknesses of the argument?
• Is the difference between _______ and _______?

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about where the story is set and how it affects the actions. Plus, consider where and how you can learn more.

• Would this issue be a major problem?
• Are areas for improvement?
• Did the story change?
• Would you most often find this problem?

• Are there similar situations?
• Would you go to get answers to this problem?
• Can this be improved?
• Can you get more information?
• Will this idea take us?

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about timing and the effect it has on the characters or people involved.

• Is this acceptable?
• Is this unacceptable?

• Does this become a problem?
• Is the best time to take action?
• Will we be able to tell if it worked?
• Is it time to reassess?
• Should we ask for help?
• Is the best time to start?
• Is it time to stop?
• Would this benefit society?

• Has this happened before?

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

Asking “why” might be one of the most important parts of critical thinking. Exploring and understanding motivation helps develop empathy and make sense of difficult situations.

• Is _________ happening?
• Have we allowed this to happen?
• Should people care about this issue?

• Is this a problem?
• Did the character say … ?
• Did the character do … ?
• Is this relevant?
• Did the author write this?
• Did the author decide to … ?
• Is this important?

• Did that happen?
• Is it necessary?
• Do you think I (he, she, they) asked that question?
• Is that answer the best one?
• Do we need this today?

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

Use these questions to consider how things happen and whether change is possible.

• Do we know this is true?
• Does the language used affect the story?
• Would you solve … ?
• Is this different from other situations?

• Is this similar to … ?
• Would you use … ?
• Does the location affect the story?
• Could the story have ended differently?
• Does this work?
• Could this be harmful?
• Does this connect with what I already know?
• Else could this have been handled?
• Should they have responded?

• Would you feel about … ?
• Does this change the outcome?
• Did you make that decision?
• Does this benefit you/others?
• Does this hurt you/others?
• Could this problem be avoided?

More Critical Thinking Questions

Here are more questions to help probe further and deepen understanding.

• Can you give me an example?

• Do you agree with … ?
• Can you compare this with … ?
• Can you defend the actions of … ?
• Could this be interpreted differently?
• Is the narrator reliable?
• Does it seem too good to be true?

• Is ______ a fact or an opinion?

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 10 tips for teaching kids to be awesome critical thinkers ., you might also like.

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them. Continue Reading

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Short Stories for Middle School

To encourage the love of literature in classrooms all over the world, we recommend these short stories for middle school students, chosen to encourage a passion for reading, thinking about, and discussing great literature.

Our selection showcases the incredible variety of approaches and techniques that great writers have used to entertain us with the short story genre. These stories wander from suspenseful to humorous to surprising; often with a "twist ending" and drive home the concept of irony. We hope they inspire meaningful classroom discussions, build critical analysis skills, and are fun to read. For an encore list, enjoy Short Stories for Middle School II , and then on to Short Stories for High School . Check out Foodie Stories and Poetry for Students

• The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry This tender story is a "must read" and one of the most famous in the short story genre. The story is a discussion-starter for the role of irony. Reading this story first, then following up the next lesson with The Necklace will allow students to compare and contrast two important short stories while absorbing import life lessons. Use our helpful The Gift of the Magi Study Guide
• The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant Madame Mathilde Loisel is blessed with great beauty but little wealth. Though she dreams of attending extravagant parties and balls bedecked with sparkling jewels, she is married to a low-paid clerk of modest means. Her husband sets the story in motion when he manages to acquire an invitation to a society party in a quest to make her happy. This is a classic morality tale highlighting the twin pitfalls of vanity and pride. Enrich the story with our The Necklace Study Guide
• A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce A soldier in the American Civil War disappoints his Virginian father to join the Union army and fight for the North in this emotionally jarring masterpiece by Ambrose Bierce. Check out our helpful A Horseman in the Sky Study Guide

• The Open Window by H.H. Munro A mischievous young woman with a very big imagination and a gift for drama "entertains" a house caller waiting on her aunt by spinning a theatrical tale. One can safely assume that Mr. Framton Nuttle will never be the same again. The point here is simple: short stories are fun!
• To Build a Fire by Jack London "The dog did not know anything about thermometers" but it had the sense to know "that it was no time for travelling." The man's judgement was not as good as the dog's, and that sets the stage for a classic man vs. nature story.
• The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs Three wishes and a Monkey's paw. What could possibly go wrong? The English author W.W. Jacobs demonstrates how the short story can be used effectively to relate a horror story and a cautionary tale. A good introduction to the broader Gothic genre as well. Students may with to review our The Monkey's Paw Study Guide
• The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty The setting for the The Sniper is the Battle of Dublin, a series of street fights that occurred between June 28th and July 5th, 1922. These battles marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War. The protagonist is a sniper that takes a calculated risk; the consequences of that decision have lethal consequences . . . But for whom?

• The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank Stockton The problems of middle school pale in comparison to the dilemma faced by the princess. The title of this iconic story has become a catchphrase to describe a problem that has no solution. Enjoy our The Lady, or the Tiger? Study Guide
• The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell Another story where a forced "choice" has nothing but deadly consequences. The suspense keeps building until the very end!
• The Treasure in the Forest by H.G. Wells Allow H.G. Wells to provide an introduction to the morality tale as two Englishmen use an ill-gotten map to hunt for treasure.
• The Star by H.G. Wells Another selection from H.G. Wells . This is a suspenseful, gripping and well written story, where the author smartly plays "what if" with a potential ending of the world, and turns a beautiful phrase or two while doing it, "So, too, barbarism and savagery, already tired of the novelty, went about their nightly business, and save for a howling dog here and there, the beast world left the star unheeded."

• The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln There is no American more american than Abraham Lincoln's. His struggle was our struggle and his voice was our voice. And it was with his voice -- in both writing and speaking -- that the country finally broke free and clear of European traditions in prose to find a distinctly American voice.
• Federigo's Falcon by Giovanni Boccaccio This tale, from Boccaccio's The Decameron (1353), makes an interesting companion piece to O. Henry's classic The Gift of the Magi . Both stories feature irony and a twist, but they make an interesting foil when paired together for classroom discussion.
• The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde This is a rather long short story but a funny and rewarding read, as Oscar Wilde turns the typical ghost story on its head. Sir Simon de Canterville has been happily haunting Canterbury Chase, frightening its inhabitants, for over three hundred years. Then the estate falls into the hands of an American family armed with American manners and sensibilities. It really is more than an aristocratic British ghost can bear.
• The Hand by Guy de Maupassant Be warned, this story is gruesome and will really creep you out; a fantastic example of Gothic Literature . Enjoy other Halloween Stories

More recommended titles are available in Short Stories for Middle School II

Return to American Literature Home Page

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Critical Thinking Lesson Plans PDF for Middle School / High School vs ChatGPT

CRITICAL THINKING LESSON PDF – March 11, 2024: ChatGPT makes it so easy not to think.

Sure, we can ban ChatGPT from schools. But how will we learn how to think critically about artificial intelligence if we’re not exposed to it?

Critical Thinking involves helping students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information objectively so they can form an informed perspective.

Help your students out with these 24 fun lessons on critical thinking.

They’ll learn how to spot fake news and wrong information, so they can make smart choices and solve problems in the real world.

Here are 24 critical thinking lessons to engage your Middle School and High School Students!

• Where does bias come from?
• What is fake news?
• How reliable are citizenship journalism posts on social media?
• Can we trust Mainstream Media (MSM Traditional News)?
• Should we trust state-funded news organizations to tell the truth?
• When is social media better than the news?
• Are alternative news sources trustworthy?
• Can students take the time to see things from different perspectives?
• BONUS: Should ChatGPT be allowed in schools? Or, is this cheating?

FREE, NO-PREP Chat GPT debate lesson

ChatGPT has completely changed the game.

Did you know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) sometimes “hallucinates” and says things that are completely made up?

The problem is that the AI chatbot doesn’t realize it’s hallucinating until you point out the error (if you’re able to spot the fake news!)

This just means we have to double check the things ChatGPT and AI tells us.

• Even lawyers don’t realize that ChatGPT can invent information (i.e. AI hallucinations).

What about our students? Will our students realize that AI can completely make up answers?

Here’s a FREE NO PREP Chat GPT debate lesson on YouTube so you can have an informed debate with your students.

Yes, ChatGPT can be exciting and scary. Should we panic? No.

Watch the video lesson on YouTube .

Should Chat GPT be allowed in schools? Or is this cheating?

• ChatGPT Critical Thinking Debate
• Writing Reflection Assignment

As easy as 1, 2, 3:

• Print the worksheets : You can get the worksheets here .
• Watch the video lesson on YouTube.  There are two versions: 1) a  SHORTER  version and 2) a  FULL LESSON  with handout instructions.
• Moderate Class Discussion

Hi, I’m Mike! Your Virtual Support Teacher

The Virtual Support Teacher video lesson provides all the information your students need to have an informed debate.  

• No independent research is required.
• Play the video in class and then moderate the discussion.

CHAT GPT and Google Magi (artificial intelligence) has completely changed the way students can learn and cheat.

But a lesson on ChatGPT is really about developing  21st-century learning skills  and  social-emotional learning skills  to survive and thrive in a changing world.

It’s not enough to say don’t cheat. We need to help students understand how to use this tool.

After all, you’re at a competitive disadvantage if you can’t keep up with major technological revolutions.

Critical Thinking Topics explored by the FREE YouTube video lesson

• What is Chat GPT?
• Explain like I’m five years old: How well can Chat GPT summarize and find the main idea from complex texts?
• Include this list of personal information into your answer: Can Chat GPT really produce creative writing with personal examples?
• The Google Search Algorithm has learned to be sexist (and what you can do about it.)
• Should I panic about Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence?
• Should I trust my robot friend?

Students fill out worksheets to document their learning  at multiple points in the lesson: (beginning, middle, and end)

• Evidence  from the text
• Explain  their own thinking

The ChatGPT debate lesson gives students an opportunity to collaborate and participate in small group and whole class conversations to develop a deeper understanding of the issue.

• These conversations can provide multiple opportunities to listen to students to see what they understand. (Anecdotal observation / assessment.)

Students brainstorm criteria to decide if Chat GPT should be allowed in schools or is this cheating. (Worksheet 5)

• What’s the point of school?
• What does cheating mean?

The long version of the video walks students through a FOUR CORNERS debate .

Finally, students fill out a written response: Should Chat GPT be allowed in schools? An optional rubric is included.

• Explain  how the evidence from the text proves their point using criteria.

The video lesson is FREE on YouTube

The optional worksheet handouts are on sale for $1.00 for a limited time. (The price will increase on Monday May 8, 2023)

Download the ChatGPT lesson handouts.

PS. Save time and money. The ChatGPT handouts have been added as a bonus in this 6Cs Critical Thinking unit .

It’s not April Fools anymore, but it’s still a good Critical Thinking Lesson

Now is the perfect time to do this April Fools’ Critical Thinking Lesson… Why? Because if you did this lesson on April 1, 2023, your students would be too suspicious.

Now, you can see if they notice the clues in the media text to determine if this is fake or not.

Can your students figure out if this is a real Google™ product?

60 minutes of engaging content divided into two parts:

• Part 1: Fake News vs Tulips + Exit Ticket (30 min)
• Part 2: Taking up the Answers + Student Reflection (30 min)

CRITICAL THINKING LESSON

Slideshow lesson teaches critical thinking concepts.

• Use the Five Ws (who, what, when, where, why/how) to analyze the video.
• Ask “Why” or “How” questions for deeper understanding.

EXIT TICKET

• Assessment for students to demonstrate their understanding.
• Marking Guide includes sample “look-fors.”
• Generic rubric categories for easy adaptation to different grades.

Check out the April Fools’ Joke and critical thinking lesson here .

We live in a time of fake news, misinformation, and school-yard gossip!

This means, students need to think critically pretty much all the time.

• They did what?!
• Is this true? Did it really happen like that?
• Does that even make sense? Am I in an echo chamber where my friends just agree with me?

What do our students do when they

• See viral posts on social media,
• Read a “fact” in a textbook or website,
• Hear rumors about classmates!

How can we use logic and reason to form opinions? What can we do to make decisions and solve problems in a controversial world?

Critical Thinking and making informed decisions is part of Social Emotional Learning.

This SEL resource includes Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF), a detailed script, discussion questions, and sample student answers… you get it all!

Fake News Versus… A new series of Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (Middle School / High School)

I’ve just launched the first lesson in a series I call “Fake News versus”

The first one is called “Fake News vs The Five Ws.”

• I published it on March 28, 2022 and it will be free for a limited time.
• It’s been downloaded over 739 times!
• You can get it here .

Fight Fake News using the Five Ws!

Use the Five Ws (who, what, when, where, why/how) to think critically about the story  behind  the message.

60 minutes of content:

• Part 1:  Fake News vs The Five Ws & Exit Ticket  (30 min)
• Part 2:  Taking up the Answers & Student Reflection  (30 min)

Exit ticket assessment  gives students a chance to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson.

Marking Guide  includes sample “look-fors.”

• Incorrect answer
• Simple / straightforward answer
• Answers demonstrating increasing complexity
• A list of “Next Steps” is included on the exit ticket. You can choose one for the student, or they can self-select what they think they need to work on.

Generic rubric categories are used instead of numbers or marks:

• Epic, Great, Good, Okay, Needs Improvement, Major Misunderstanding.
• This way, you can use this activity with different grades – just shift the benchmark where you attach your grades.

The “Taking up the Answers” slideshow

• shows students how to take a simple answer and create a more complex idea using “idea volleyball.”

Social-Emotional Learning is built directly into the lesson and assessment:

The exit ticket is designed to help students develop  self-awareness skills .

After students see the correct answer, the “Taking up the Answers” slideshow walks students through the goal-setting process to improve:

• What did you do well?
• What ideas did you miss this time?
• What is your goal for next time?
• What might help you to improve?

The “Taking up the Answers” slideshow gives students examples of actions they can take to improve:

• Use a different  Strategy
• Apply more  Effort .
• Optimize  results (by looking at previous work to see if there are patterns.)
• Tinkering  with new ideas

Transferrable learning skills can help students make informed decisions to solve problems

(even when angry or when things aren’t fair).

We live in crazy times. People have very strong opinions on both sides of controversial issues:

• Systemic racism
• Religious freedom
• Freedom of speech
• Gun control
• Woke politics
• Parental rights in Education vs Gender Identity
• ChatGPT in Education

Before, we lived in a world where people might not have all of the facts. Or, the facts were inaccurate. (We call this mis information.)

Now, we live in a world where people are actively putting out propaganda and intentionally incorrect information. (We call this dis information.)

And then we have Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) that can hallucinate and completely make up facts… and tell you with confidence that these facts are true… until you point out to the AI why it’s incorrect.

And this is the world right now.

Our students will be facing a completely different world when they grow up.

We’re already seeing hints of what that world will look like with ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence powered Search Engines

And this chat based model with artificial intelligence is the way the world is heading.

• Microsoft Bing is powered by ChatGPT integration with current search results.
• Google has Gemini

The way we use the internet is changing and we need to think even more critically about the information we get from the internet gatekeepers – search engines.

Of course, Google has been exploring AI. But they haven’t implemented AI fully in their search engine. Why? Because AI results were generated false and biased statements.

 In recent years, Google has used large language models to improve the quality of its search results, but held off on fully adopting A.I. because it has been prone to generating false and biased statements. Source: New York Times – Google Devising Radical Search Changes to Beat Back A.I. Rivals

Can Google and ChatGPT be sexist or discriminate?

Machine Learning algorithms have been shown to give false information and sexist.

• Make sure to sign up for the Educircles Club newsletter.
• I have an incredible Chat GPT critical thinking video and lesson coming out.
• And you like freebies , don’t you?

Now, more than ever, we all need to understand how to think critically about the information we get.

Students need to have some basic tools to help them decide what’s right and wrong (for them.)

This Critical Thinking unit has everything to do with ChatGPT, Covid controversies, conspiracy theories, illegal occupations, war propaganda, and woke politics… without having anything to do with them.

• The critical thinking worksheets and lessons focus on transferrable skills without using examples from current controversies.
• There’s no mention of ChatGPT, Ottawa Protests, George Floyd, January 6, the war in Ukraine, or woke politics.
• That makes this resource timeless.

New and Improved UPDATE to my 6Cs Critical Thinking Curriculum Unit

Based on teacher feedback, I’ve made it a lot easier to find the files you need.

Make sure to look at the product preview for each resource. You can see full screenshots of exactly what you get in each critical thinking lesson package.

A. Lost at Sea (FREE!)

Download the FREE resource

Help students develop critical thinking skills by prioritizing a list of 15 items to help them survive if lost at sea.

• 5 pages of handouts,
• 23-page detailed critical thinking lesson plan (PDF).

Lost at Sea is a classic activity that can be found all across the Internet.

The original activity comes from  PACE , which published the “Lost at Sea” activity in the public domain. 

Instead of relying solely on emotional, intuitive responses, I’ve adapted this activity to highlight the importance of criteria-based thinking (critical thinking).

Ultimately, the goal is to begin a conversation about critical thinking and how to use criteria to make informed decisions.

B. Thinking about Thinking

Download the resource

Help students improve Self-Awareness and Social Awareness. Guide them through this series of Social Emotional Learning activities!

• By becoming aware of who we are,
• we can begin to think more critically to understand the perspectives of others –
• especially those from different backgrounds or points of view.

Students explore three activities to understand better how our emotions, thoughts, and values can influence our point of view.

Section B has 108 slides, 14 pages of handouts, and 30 pages of Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF format)

C. Search Engine Bias Experiment

Help students improve Social Awareness and Responsible Decision-Making by understanding how search engines influence our bias and behaviour!

Students analyze an informational text (Google™ search engine results) and develop critical thinking internet skills!

• Should online dictionaries give the same definition for a given word?
• Should Google and other search engines give the same results for a given search phrase?

Search engines provide personalized results that can reinforce our point of view and bias. We know Netflix gives us personalized suggestions of what to watch next.

But did you know Google personalizes our results as well? 

We live in an invisible “search bubble” that filters the results we find on the internet.

• Search engine algorithms filter what shows up at the top of the list.
• Becoming aware of this search bubble is a way for students to think more critically.

Informational texts are things based on facts.

• In ELA, we often look at biographies, historical accounts, or textbook articles.
• But, a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is also an informational text.
• Students explore the text form to analyze and identify potential bias.

In this 9 lesson package, students conduct experiments to see what happens if different people search for the same thing on the internet.

Section C has 117 slides, 14 pages of handouts, and 36 pages of detailed script and Critical Thinking Lesson Plan PDFs

D. Fake News

Help students improve Social Awareness and Responsible Decision Making by exploring fake news from multiple points of view!

Students compare the reliability of information from Social Media and Traditional News Media. 

Three critical thinking strategies help students make more informed decisions.

Students also reflect on how their attitudes change as they learn more information. 

In this lesson package, students try to

• be OPEN-MINDED  as they explore different points of view and examples.
• become FULL-MINDED  and explore how money is made online through ads before learning about Fake News websites during the Trump election.
• USE CRITERIA  to determine if local news anchors reciting the same script about the dangers of social media is an example of Fake News.

Media skills and understandings are embedded throughout the Common Core State Standards rather than treated in a separate section.

In this lesson, students will

• Cite the evidence  that supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly and implicitly.
• Determine and analyze different points of view.
• Analyze a case  where multiple sources provide conflicting information on the same topic (Sinclair incident.)

In this 6 lesson package, students explore how their perspective of social media and traditional news media might change as we learn more information about the Sinclair Script incident. (Essentially, a bunch of local news anchors read the exact same script word-for-word about the dangers of social media and fake news.)

Section D is hands down one of my favourite lessons because it walks students through different sides of a “fake news” issue.

There are 186 slides in the slideshow lesson. You also get 15 pages of handouts. Finally the Critical Thinking Lesson Plan PDFs walk you through 59 pages of detailed scripts and discussion points.

E. Videos F. Consolidation / Review

Help students improve Self-Awareness and Responsible Decision Making skills by using critical thinking to think about critical thinking!

Students analyze four videos to explore critical thinking: 12 cognitive biases, online filter bubbles, and unconscious bias.

After each video, students brainstorm strategies to 1) trick people and 2) help us think critically.

The slideshow lesson reviews three strategies to analyze the videos.

• Be OPEN-MINDED.  Consider alternate points of view.
• Be FULL-MINDED.  Seek out high-quality information.
• USE CRITERIA  to make an informed opinion.

Students also watch a fourth video  about critical thinking to explore other critical thinking strategies.

They then compare strategies  to develop a deeper understanding of how to trick people and think more critically. 

In the Consolidation/Review section, students use a vocabulary-building graphic organizer (Frayer model) to explore critical thinking.

Students brainstorm examples, non-examples, features, and must-have criteria.

Section E/F is the consolidation chapter of this Critical Thinking Unit. It has 50 slides, 12 pages of handouts. You also get 50 pages of Critical Thinking lesson plans PDF FORMAT.

Teach students HOW to think critically to solve problems

We live in a world filled with news media and social media focus on sensational topics.

This is especially true today with new information constantly coming to us about Coronavirus (Covid-19)

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’re constantly overloaded with information.

Also, it’s easy to get caught up and respond emotionally.

We all need to be able to think critically when we’re drawing conclusions.

How many of your students get caught up in these situations:

• something goes viral on social media.
• someone spreads a rumour on the school yard.
• something scary happens in the world.
• something unfair happened to them.

A lot of people might say that critical thinking skills and strategies are really just common sense.

But, as we all know from teaching in the classroom, there’s nothing common about common sense.

Explicitly teaching strategies help provide a foundation for critical analysis of everything we see, hear and learn.

Social-Emotional Learning includes critical thinking – whether we’re talking about

• helping students with responsible decision making
• figuring out how to resolve conflict and develop relationship skills
• having self-management skills to set (and work towards) personal goals
• being open-minded and embracing social awareness to ensure we have lots of high-quality information instead of relying on stereotypes
• having self-awareness and examining who we are, and how that might introduce prejudices, biases, and filter the way we see the world.

Sometimes, the News, Social Media, or Artificial Intelligence / ChatGPT can give us a skewed view of the world.

Critical Thinking skills help students work to use logic and reason instead of emotion and fear when making decisions or drawing conclusions. This is a lesson students need but don’t often realize they need.

Critical thinking lesson plans can help teachers empower students to make informed decisions in everyday life independently.

We can do this by giving students specific strategies on how to think critically in multiple situations. Whether you are:

• dealing with fake news
• trying to make an opinion or drawing conclusions
• trying to be fair

Teach students to have opinions based on high-quality information and to seek out opposing points of view to make an informed decision.

• Use criteria
• Be Full minded.
• Be Open minded

(Psst, want a free taste of these 3 critical thinking strategies? Check out this free slideshow lesson and worksheet package .)

Students are often told to find different points of view on an issue or in a story. But, students don’t always recognize that simply identifying the missing point of view is not the same as figuring out what that missing point of view would say.

This lesson package helps students to recognize different aspects of their identity, points of view that might be different from theirs, and the need to figure out those viewpoints to help us make an informed decision.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize we need to think critically!

Here’s an example:

Students often know we need to use the critical thinking process to make informed decisions about the information we receive.

But, did you know we also need to think critically about the information we are fed in the first place?

Notice how that sentence says “the information we are fed” and not “the information we find”?

That’s because computer algorithms are “curating” the content we receive:

• Search engines personalize your results.
• Social media personalizes your feed.
• Streaming media like Netflix personalizes suggestions for other shows you might like to see.

This means, we get information we want to see and not necessarily other points of view.

(Here’s a lesson to help teach students about this search bubble .)

Teaching critical thinking strategies to students is especially important right now to help students solve problems.

This can be in your language arts class, your homeroom, or beyond!

Critical Thinking High School – English

This lesson package would work well in a 9th Grade or 10th Grade English class.

I used to teach 8th Grade in a grade 7-12 High School. Here’s what I often heard from my secondary colleagues:

• Students coming up from elementary school often don’t know the basics.
• Their paragraph structure might be weak.
• Independent grammar and spelling skills have gone by the wayside in an era of spellcheck and Grammarly.
• Students often can’t infer deeper meaning and hidden points of view in a text.

The Common Core State Standards recognizes the importance of informational texts across subjects as students progress from elementary to middle to high school.

Good critical thinking skills are key in academic success as well as to help out when we are drawing conclusions in everyday life. Critical thinking strategies are transferable.

• Teach students HOW to think critically about search engines, news media or social media by putting the focus on the critical thinking strategies we use. Explicitly focus on different strategies…
• Then, when we teach subject-based content or explore informational texts in our English language arts classes, we can refer to these critical thinking strategies and draw back on our prior experiences when we analyzed search engines or debunked fake news.

Critical Thinking Middle School – English Language Arts / Homeroom / Advisory

These critical thinking activities for middle school work well if you teach in a 7th or 8th grade English Language Arts class. (Also, 6th grade if you teach at a grade 6-8 middle school or junior high school.)

Middle school is a great age! Students are old enough to delve into more complex issues, but still young enough to care. (They’re like giant marshmallows! Tough on the outside, but still sweet on the inside!)

Making the critical thinking process meaningful to students is one way to drive student engagement and participation in class.

• The search bubble lesson is interesting because students are collecting real-time data and comparing results. This isn’t a simple web quest where the answers are in the teaching manual. This is a real-world analysis of search results.
• The fake news lesson is a great way to teach point of view. The lesson walks middle school students through different perspectives of the Sinclair Script incident where 193 local news anchors said the exact same script about fake news.
• The invisible lens / thinking about thinking lesson is fun because students get to explore who they are and how that filters the world they see. Plus, your middle school students will be completely shocked that they’ve missed the bear . (Unless they’ve seen it before.)

Critical Thinking for Elementary Students

There’s a lot that older elementary students can get excited about.

One of my favourite parts in the critical thinking lesson plan (PDF) is when students analyze the differences between social media and traditional news media.

We often think that because citizen journalism in social media can be heavily biased because, well, anyone can post on social media.

Then the slideshow lesson asks students to analyze this video :

Crazy, right?

The critical thinking lesson plan PDF file provides a detailed script to help your students make an informed decision about social media vs traditional media.

Usually, we use the critical thinking process to help students realize not to trust everything they see on social media.

But, to be fair, we need to use that same critical thinking process regardless of where we get our information!

Critical Thinking Strategies When Reading

This critical thinking lesson unit ties in nicely with critical thinking reading strategies .

Sometimes students have difficulty using critical thinking strategies when reading.

But we evaluate stuff all the time in real life!

So, if we start our reading strategy lessons first by showing how we think critically all the time in real life, then we just tell our students that we use the same strategies when reading!

Here’s a free YouTube video lesson on the evaluating Comprehension Reading strategy. It goes nicely with this critical thinking unit:

5 weeks of Critical Thinking Lessons (ELA)

We spent over 120 hours of research and lesson development on this product so you wouldn’t have to. 

IMPORTANT: You will have to spend a little bit of time going through the slides and handouts to tweak them to fit your specific needs.

The teaching slideshow has been split into 6 smaller slideshows for each mini-unit.

This would be ideal for teaching critical thinking in English Language Arts as you get more options to divide the content throughout the year.

Note, the critical thinking lesson plans (pdf) include screenshots of each slide as well as slide numbers to help you get oriented. It’s a big file.

Slides 1 – 539: ALL

• Slides 1– 80: Lost at Sea
• Slides 81 – 189: Thinking about Thinking (Teaching Point of View in English Language Arts)
• Slides 190 – 306: Search Bubbles
• slides 307 – 492: Fake News
• slides 493 – 520: Videos
• slides 521 – 539: Understanding 

IMPORTANT DIGITAL LEARNING NOTE:

Digital learning – designed for google classroom (english language arts).

The lessons on hidden search engine bias (Slides 190 – 306: Search Bubbles) have been broken apart into smaller files that can be easily uploaded to separate Google Classroom assignments. 

In the Critical Thinking Search Engine Bias Informational Text section, you would set up 9 assignments. Each assignment would have 

• a lesson ( Google Slides file with the appropriate slides) – you share this VIEW ONLY
• a work handout (Google Doc) – you set the Google Classroom assignment to make every student their own copy of the work handout.

YOU GET 5 WEEKS (24 days) of Language Arts lessons  to do with your class to help them think more critically by using strategies: USE CRITERIA, BE OPEN MINDED, BE FULL MINDED.

IN THE ZIPPED FILE, you get…

• 543 slides  in GOOGLE SLIDE format
• 24 Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF) – approx 45 min per lesson
• LOST at SEA activity ( CRITERIA BASED thinking )
• THINKING about THINKING activity (The invisible gorilla, The invisible lens, Aspects of Identity)
• Should SEARCH ENGINES and ONLINE DICTIONARIES give us the same results? (Two online experiments exploring filter bubbles)
• BREAKING NEWS examples on social media
• The MONEY behind FAKE NEWS (How websites make money online and what this had to do with FAKE NEWS in the US election.)
• LOCAL NEWS media and the Sinclair script from 6 different POINTS of VIEW. (Oh, not sure what the Sinclair script is?  Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair made local news anchors recite the same script, word for word . Check out  this video that went viral .)
• Vocabulary Building Graphic Organizer HANDOUT
• Critical Thinking Learning Skills SELF-EVALUATION handout
• Critical Thinking Review Assessment – What did you learn? (12 short answer questions and answer key)

If you want to teach CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, we just saved you an incredible amount of prep work!

Critical Thinking Lesson Plans (PDF) Curriculum – Table of Contents

24 DAYS of Critical Thinking Lessons in 5 WEEKS.

You can use this Critical Thinking Curriculum as part of your English Language Arts class, homeroom / advisory / guidance class, or if you teach a Critical Thinking class.

PART 1. EXPERIENCE

• DAY/LESSON 1 – Introduction / Lost at Sea (slides 1-35) – 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 2 – Lost at Sea continued (slides 36-80) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 3 – Thinking about Thinking (slides 81-102) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 4 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 103-145) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 5 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 146-170) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 6 – Thinking about Thinking cont (slides 171-189) 45 MINUTES
• DAY/LESSON 7 – Sources of Information (slides 190-225) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 8 – Online dictionary experiment (slides 226-233) 45 MINUTES
• DAY/LESSON 9 – Online dictionary experiment cont (slides 234-236) 40 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 10 – Search engine experiment (slides 237-276) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 11 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 277-302) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 12 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 303) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 13 – Search engine experiment cont (slides 304-306) 40 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 14 – Fake News (slides 307-334) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 15 – Fake News continued (slides 335-363) 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 16 – Fake News continued (slides 364-398) 55 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 17 – Fake News continued (slides 399-430) 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 18 – Fake News continued (slides 431-455) – 45 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 19 – Fake News continued (slides 456-492) – 50 MIN

PART 2. WATCH

• DAY/LESSON 20 – Part 2 Videos (slides 493-500) – 55 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 21 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 501-509) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 22 – Part 2 Videos continued (slides 510-520) – 50 MIN

Part 3 UNDERSTAND

• DAY/LESSON 23 – Vocabulary Builder (slides 521-537) – 50 MIN
• DAY/LESSON 24 – Self Evaluation / Review – (slides 538-539) – 50 MIN

This is the good stuff. No, seriously.  Check out the preview PDF to see everything that you’re getting.

HEADS UP WARNING! YOU MAY WANT TO MODIFY SLIDES FOR YOUR SCHOOL

(This warning is also in the critical thinking lesson plans PDF) 

Everyone has a different school reality: 

• Some of the examples we use in this resource may not be appropriate for all grades, school climates, and classroom realities.
• Sometimes, as much as we’d love to, we simply don’t have time to have our lessons derailed into teachable moments.  

We tried to come up with different examples from various perspectives, but of course, we are human and have an unconscious bias as well.  

PLEASE ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS. THIS IS A FANTASTIC HIGH-INTEREST MEGA LESSON ON CRITICAL THINKING in ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS.

Here are a few of the slides that we wanted to give you a heads up about. There may be other slides that you may want to modify. We suggest going through the material to make sure everything fits your needs.

NOTE: All of our slideshow files and handouts can be modified.

• Slide 170  looks at various protected grounds in Canada as a way to help students brainstorm different groups of people. The slide discusses race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression, marital status, family status, disability, genetic characteristics and convictions for which a pardon has been granted or a record suspended.
• Slide 180  looks at possible answers for different aspects of identity. The slide lists: socio-economic status, nationality, language, colour, age, religion, orientation, gender, race, ability, and culture. 
• Slide 320-323:  Wikileaks release of alleged CIA documents showing CIA covert hacking program to listen through SMART TVs and other devices
• Slide 324-331:  Death of Osama bin Laden which was reported on Twitter first. 
• Slide 459:  The title of article is “We’re journalists at a Sinclair news station. We’re pissed.”
• Slide 481:  The title of article is “How I made a dumb video making fun of Sinclair Broadcasting and somehow started a media war”. 

NOTE: YOU CAN MODIFY, DELETE, and EDIT ALL of the lessons, handouts, and presentations.

• You get GOOGLE SLIDE and GOOGLE DOCS formats SO YOU CAN CHANGE THINGS FOR YOUR CLASS.
• The critical thinking lesson plans pdf is comprehensive and includes suggested talking points for each slide.

Critical Thinking Lessons about Hidden Bias in Search Engines

Informational text unit designed for google classroom.

A search engine is an informational text that we should think critically about. 

But, not everybody knows how to analyze the Search Engine Results Pages effectively to identify hidden bias. (Heck, most people don’t realize the search results we get in everyday life are very personalized and influenced by our search habits.) 

We need to think more critically before we draw conclusions- not only about the information we read online but also about the information choices we receive from our digital gatekeepers  (search engines, media streaming platforms, any other online service that provides a personalized experience based on algorithms.)

Informational texts are things that are based on facts. 

• They can include things like biographies, speeches, opinion pieces, and historical or technical accounts. 
• Informational texts can also include information that appears in graphs, charts, and maps. 
• All of these examples are different from fiction and literature which includes things like novels, short stories, drama, and poetry,

Here are 9 critical thinking lessons to help you explore search engine results.

This is the literacy lesson we should be teaching our students, but it’s a text form and topic that not everyone is familiar with. Search Engine results pages are informational texts that we can (and should) analyze.

Use these high-interest slideshows to help you teach and break down the following concepts. 

• critical thinking strategies and the concept of bias
• different search engines used around the world
• how search engines work
• how to read a Search Engine Results Page
• understanding form, conventions and techniques when it comes to this informational text 

The Google Slideshow critical thinking lessons will teach and walk students through two activities:

• an dictionary experiment to explore whether different dictionaries give the same results
• An search engine experiment to explore whether different search engines and search conditions (i.e. browser, geographic location, date) give the same results

The big guiding question for students to explore in everyday life: Are Search Engines biased? 

• Should different search engines give us different results for the same search phrase? Why or why not?

This unit can be taught in the classroom or for digital learning using Google Classroom.

• The Google Slides presentation has been cut into lessons so you can easily attach the mini lesson to your Google Classroom assignments

Get the Search Engine Bias critical thinking lessons

Note: this unit is included in our critical thinking chapter ..

What critical thinking lesson plans do you use in your classroom?

10 Fun Critical Thinking Activities for Middle School Students

Last Updated on October 11, 2022 by Editorial Team

Wouldn’t it be exceptional to see your children learning from games? That’s what activities usually ensure by giving them hands-on experience. While we see academic lessons thriving through activities, can teaching an idiosyncratic concept like critical thinking through activities be possible?

Critical thinking can be boosted at any age. However, being a part of overall development in students, schooling systems today are paying auxiliary attention to it. But, how do you inculcate critical thinking in middle schoolers? 

Just like grown-ups, middle schoolers would love some activities that hit at the right spot to help them think logically and rationally. In this post, we will dive into what critical thinking is, its benefits for middle schoolers, and finally, some cool activities to preach it better. 

Critical Thinking- What it actually is?

Appropriate thinking is imperative if it comes to the pinch. Purposeful thinking, decision making, and appropriate problem solving make a person a critical thinker. 

By Definition, Critical thinking is the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” This definition stipulates you have some crucial attributes. We have talked about this essential trait in our previous posts , but what aspects of critical thinking should middle schoolers be aiming at?

Aspects of critical thinking

You need to comprehend crucial attributes that form a critical thinking mix for middle school students with the definition. These are:

• Quick Thinking

Critical thinkers attribute quick thinking in the first place. It is vital for making quick judgments regarding problems. Recognizing and remembering things is the basis for quick thinking. Identifying a problem, and thinking promptly yet logically about the solution makes a student an avid thinker. 

• Creative Aspect

Being creative requires you to think broadly about the logic and reasons behind every problem. Additionally, it can bring out multiple perspectives, making solutions easier. Moreover, a person needs to visualize the given challenge and distinguish it to infer better to be creative.

• Analytical Aspect

The final aspect is Analytical thinking . This includes taking proper inference, analyzing, and synthesizing the challenge. This not only is for a problem but even for data. This aspect of critical thinking typically succors students during examinations, where a student needs to analyze questions to draft an exemplary answer. 

Critical thinking activities- A virtue for middle schoolers

Based on the above-discussed aspects, some activities inculcate the best critical thinking characteristics that help students in the most quintessential ways. Lending a hand to middle schoolers and indulging them in critical thinking activities would give the students a taste of a better future; other benefits of these activities include-

• Critical thinking activities make students understand the challenges so that they can plan for a solution. Ultimately, fearing and running away from challenges is not healthy.
• Activities improve the student’s problem-solving ability. Brainstorming and getting out of the situation ultimately boosts the diagnostic and investigative spheres, which helps the child think logically, rationally, and critically.
• Decision-making skills make an individual ardent and capable of mighty things. Practices and tasks that enhance critical thinking ensure students become independent during and after school. 
• Activities help students perform better in school. This results in an improved academic performance as these activities also make them self-reliant learners.  

Critical thinking activities for middle school students

1. mind squeeze .

In this activity, the teacher would choose a set of 5 words for every student. The whole process revolves around the teacher showing these words for a few seconds and then hiding them; later, the student would recite the words aloud by remembering them. 

A lot like the memory game, Mind Squeeze tests the recalling ability of the students while giving them a chance to improve their memory. Thus, this is a good recognizing and recalling activity for middle schoolers.  

2. Anonymous Passage

Practising passages would be a great routine to develop reading habits in students. It also helps them retain crucial details. To start with, the teacher makes a passage and a set of questions. The teacher reads the passage aloud so that all the students can hear it. Now, a few questions are asked on the basis of the passage. 

The activity stipulates the students to remember the whole passage so that they can answer the questions being asked later. This game helps students improve their recalling memory, as the whole game is about remembering the passage. Moreover, the communication and understanding skills of the students are put to the test as their answers would wholly depend on it.  

3. The Scene Setting

Creativity is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. To be creative, students need to be good at visualising scenes too. The teacher shows a prop in this game—any object like a pencil, bird, or ball. Students need to create a scene and story around it. This game gets interesting as the prop gets unique. For instance, asking students to write a story around a needle can explore the depth of their creativity. 

At first, it might seem like a challenging and daunting task. But later, it becomes quite fun, and students gather ideas of how to present their prop in front of the whole class. This not only boosts their creativity but also appraises their communication skills. 

4. Touch On The Error

The students can know about their abilities to distinguish by this activity. The teacher gives children a chance to play with letters here. For instance, the teacher provides children with a sentence where some letters are replaced with ‘Z.’ Now, children may be asked to distinguish the errors and find out the right answers for the same. 

The activity’s primary purpose is to form a pattern which the students can notice and later identify the actual word or sentence. For example, The teacher might give words like- BZG, CZT, ZND, ZPPLE. The common letter here is ‘z’; now, the students need to figure out what this Z stands for. 

Teachers may also mark off all vowels or cross 3rd word of each sentence. By increasing the difficulty level of these words, the teachers can help students brainstorm, which would ultimately add to their critical thinking skills. 

5. Settle the Confusion

Critical thinkers seldom get bewildered. In fact, they make the right inferences from gathered information. Students are offered a confusing question to ensure the same. This way, they can infer and conclude better. In this activity, the teacher can read out a story or play a video for the students. Later, confusing and challenging questions can be asked for the kids. This helps them think harder and answer rationally based on their understanding. 

The questions might look baffling at first, but when a child pushes the right buttons, the complexity would not look like a stumbling block.

6. Award the Winner

Here a student is called upon and asked to judge traits of peers. To prop up this, they asked to choose one peer whom they wanted to award. It doesn’t end here; they need to offer reasons behind their choice. To make it more exciting, teachers can take the call of pairing two extremely unlike students together and give them some time to know some crucial things about each other. Later, they can award each other based on their impression given during the few minutes. 

This shows and improves their judgment skills and, ultimately, critical thinking. 

7. One in Million Sentence

Great for helping students get a new idea about the day-to-day objects, this activity would start with each student asked to write a small phrase on a piece of paper and put them in a box.  Once everyone is done with it, the teacher shuffles them up and hands one slip to each student; Later, the whole class is divided into small groups of 5-6 members. Now, each group is asked to arrange their slips to make a meaningful sentence. 

The way students unjumble the sentences to make them look the most meaningful would showcase a lot about their capabilities. Such activities also put their cognition capacity to the test.

8. Make Out Utilities

Creative thinker analyses an object or challenge in multiple dimensions. Making out Utilities can help students to do the same. In this activity, students are provided with an item—say vegetables. They have to mention five ways to use them. Thinking about the five uses of vegetables can bewilder students and encourage them to think hard. This activity teaches students how to take multiple inferences from day-to-day properties.  

Teachers must give unique words to students. Words that have easily thinkable 5 uses should be avoided. This will make them deliberate through, which will ultimately impact their creative and critical thinking, 

9. One day President 

The ultimate agenda of a critical thinker is to put things together for a solution. The activity, One day president, makes every student take the position of a president. Now, each of them should state what changes they can make in the country in three aspects: financial, educational, and people. Other than brainstorming, a lot of the child’s general awareness too can be judged by this activity. 

This game would be riveting if the children are aware of their surroundings and know what’s happening around the globe. As a president in the activity, they will also experience being a leader, which is crucial for free thinking.

10.  Adventure time

As the name implies, Adventure time activity lets students explore. In this, the entire class is divided into groups of 2-3 students. Each group is given a topic on which they have to make a board game. The best board game is the winner.

This activity makes students think about every aspect of the given topic. For instance, if the topic is forest, students will explore what can be the challenges they would face in a forest— wild animals, weather, and many more.

Being a critical thinker can be far-reaching and make the students more decisive, insightful, and coherent. They can be a cut above when mastered at a tender age. 21st-century kids need essential critical thinking skills to apply knowledge and solve unconventional problems. These distinct skills are not limited to an inborn attribute but can be grasped through relevant practices. Personal practices accompanied by activities can give astounding outcomes; thus, the same should be ingrained in students. Ponder the activities above to see if they make a remarkable change.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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6 Ways to Improve Students’ Math Literacy

Middle and high school math teachers can use these ideas to build students’ reading comprehension and reasoning skills using real tasks like budgeting.

While a lot has changed in math instruction over the years, the idea that students need to be math literate has been constant. Being math literate means much more than calculations. Life events such as buying a home, paying taxes, or even estimating how much you’ll spend on groceries require modeling and reasoning skills.

State and district tests often include problems that are real-world based, and that means that students will need to use reading comprehension, along with math skills, in order to show proficiency. This can be particularly difficult for students with learning disabilities, those who have had interrupted schooling, and/or emergent multilingual learners. It’s imperative that math teachers develop a tool kit to help students decipher the math moves needed for such problems.

Through my dissertation research and my many years of teaching mathematics with great math teachers, I have found simple ways to help students become more math literate. Here are some practical ideas on how teachers can help students become math literate, from the perspective of Algebra 1 teachers from various backgrounds.

6 Ways to Help Students Gain Math Literacy

1. Use sentence frames. Sentence frames are a simple way to help students of all backgrounds learn how to state their answers and ask any questions they have about a word problem. Teachers can post sentence frames on a board or even on students’ desks for easy access. Here are some examples:

• “I agree with this answer because ____.”
• “I believe the answer is ____ because ____.”
• “I showed my work by ____.”
• “One strategy that may be helpful is ____ because ____.”

2. Bring back the highlighter. Many Algebra 1 teachers agree that the highlighter is a great way to help emphasize learning in mathematics. The highlighter gives students control of the parts of the problem that they find important. A good suggestion is to demonstrate the use of highlighting key words and have highlighters available for every task and assessment. It also helps students see the patterns in math problems.

3. Speak “algebra.” Students in all math classes need to be speaking math in their classes. It’s important to use the appropriate vocabulary words that pertain to the lesson. This is particularly important as students see formal math language in textbooks and standardized tests. Yes, breaking down the vocabulary for comprehension is a great tactic, but bringing it back to the standard math vocabulary is how we make connections.

4. Use word walls. The word wall was an important part of many math classrooms a few decades ago. They made sure that students saw math words that related to a particular topic being taught. For example, when introducing a polynomial unit, teachers would often put words such as monomial , trinomial , and polynomial on the word wall.

Many Algebra 1 teachers feel that having the visual is most important as students learn about new topics. Students need visual reminders. One suggestion was for students to “own” the word wall by passing out the words in advance and having them hang up each word as it was introduced throughout the unit. Students can make the words artsy and creative in an effort to personalize the resource.

5. Provide foldables or graphic organizers. The use of foldables in the math classroom is a game changer for many students, especially in the post-pandemic era. These low-tech student- or teacher-made “books” constructed out of folded paper provide learners with a handy place to write down the main concepts introduced in a unit. Students have been so used to math technology that there is a need to bring them back to tactile methods.

Providing a foldable to sum up or even begin a unit is a cost-effective method and allows students to use paper and scissors in a creative way to refer to math vocabulary and common word problems. You can find lots of free ideas for foldables online , and there are sites that sell them as well. Some of the designs are very creative and bring a bit of visual art into your math classroom.

6. Have students write relevant word problems. Every time there’s a new curriculum or textbook, word problems get a refresher to connect with the current generation, but there’s no reason why students can’t make up their own. Allow them to write their own word problems, using the context you’re teaching. Not only will students own their own learning, but also they will be able to use critical thinking skills to combine math, vocabulary, and everyday life to further their understanding.

Making the math classroom become a laboratory of reading and math enables students to become owners of the learning process. Students can be math literate, which will allow teachers to facilitate learning processes with all types of word problems, and consequently improve math scores and prepare students for the world of infusing mathematics into their everyday lives.