Critical Thinking Insights

Hello everyone! Welcome to our Critical Thinking Skill Training for Grade 7 students! I am your guider Alice. Today, we'll explore four key areas:

1. What Is Critical Thinking?

2. Critical Thinking Skills.

3. Importance of Critical Thinking.

4. Individual Project.

So, what exactly is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information using reliable evidence and reach logical, balanced conclusions.

It involves: researching Evaluating evidence, applying your knowledge to find solutions or make decisions

This process helps you develop a deeper understanding of any topic.

Now, let’s talk about the four key skills you’ll need to master critical thinking!

First up: Observation.

Observation means carefully noticing your surroundings and the information you receive. Ask yourself: What details stand out? Can I spot any patterns?

How to improve? Practice mindfulness by focusing on what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. This trains your brain to process information more carefully.

Next: Interpretation

Interpretation is about understanding information clearly. Ask: Do I get the main points? Could I explain this to someone else?

How to improve? Summarize a story's plot in a few sentences Try teaching a skill to a friend—can you explain it clearly?

Then comes: Evaluation

Evaluation and analysis are important aspects of critical thinking. Not only do you need to understand the information, but you also need to identify what is important to solve the problem or make a decision. It is also the ability to ask relevant questions, gather facts from trustworthy sources, and assess your research.

How do we improve evaluation skills? Try read a news article and then look for alternate sources with the same topic. Are there any differences in the information between the articles? Can you recognize what is fact and what is opinion? How do you know?

Last but not least: Inference

When we make a conclusion based on our collected evidence and research, we are making an inference. You may not have all the information you need, but it can help you narrow down your choices for a solution or decision.

How do we improve? Read a story and try to predict what will happen next as you go through the text. Write down or highlight the evidence or clues that you are basing your inferences on. Evaluate if your conclusions were correct or not.

So, why is critical thinking so important?

It increases confidence in our ability to analyze and evaluate information，

Helps us make informed decisions, problem solve, and cope with challenges

Empowers us to trust the choices and decisions we make

Aids us in adapting to changes more effectively and positively

Improves our ability to recognize facts, opinions, and misinformation.

Finally, your Turn! Individual Project Time.

You can review each of the four critical thinking skills and how to improve them. Choose one improvement method from the slides and complete the provided worksheet.

Thank you for watching, see you next time.