Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM CRITICAL THINKING · Critical thinking is a valuable 21st century skill that contributes to higher-level learning. Creating is the ultimate form

CRITICAL THINKING

Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM

Photos by John Pinderhughes


CRITICAL THINKING

Champion Creatively Alive Children Series

Creativity

Communication

Collaboration

Arts-Infused Education Advocacy

PLUS

The 4 Cs: 21st Century Skills

Creativity Connects Us

Creativity Connects Schools with Families

Creativity Connects the World

Critical Thinking Using original ideas to solve problems


CRITICAL THINKING

Objectives for Critical Thinking Workshop

What we will be

doing together…

Participant

expectations…


CRITICAL THINKING

What comes to

mind when you

hear the words

“critical

thinking”?

Introductions and Warm-Up Exercise


CRITICAL THINKING

Why the 4 Cs?

Which skills and content areas are growing in importance?

Source: The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working

Families, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Society for Human

Resource Management. (2008). Are They Really Ready to Work?

78%

74%

Creativity

74%

Critical Thinking Communication

81%

Collaboration


CRITICAL THINKING

Arts-Infused Education Builds

The Four Cs


CRITICAL THINKING

What Is

Critical Thinking?

Stretching what a student knows,

building on prior understanding and

persevering to find new solutions

Making complex choices and solving

problems in innovative ways

Bringing together existing

knowledge and new understandings,

“connecting the dots” and applying

knowledge to new contexts


CRITICAL THINKING

4 Cs of Critical Thinking

Challenge

Compare–Contrast Choices

Connect

Create


CRITICAL THINKING

Challenge

Stretch to generate

novel and original

thoughts.

Inspire fresh thinking.

Build on prior

knowledge.


CRITICAL THINKING

Compare–Contrast

Choices

Evaluate the risks and benefits

of pursuing each choice.

Observe and gather information.

Analyze the relevance and

usefulness of information.

Differentiate among the choices.


CRITICAL THINKING

Connect

Synthesize to

reassemble and

reorganize thoughts

for understanding.

Reflect on what is

already known and

newly discovered.

Bring ideas together.


CRITICAL THINKING

Create

If you were the artist,

what might you do

differently and why?

Evaluate ideas.

Plan ways to create a

desired outcome or project.

Persevere, since creating

a project might not come

easily or quickly.


CRITICAL THINKING

CRITICAL THINKING VIDEO

http://www.crayola.com/creativelyalive


CRITICAL THINKING

Dispelling Myths

Myth

Critical thinking only applies to

school subjects like science

and math.

Reality Critical thinking is a crucial skill in

all subjects—and for solving

everyday problems.

Critical thinking means

“remembering information.”

Critical thinking is a higher-level,

complex cognitive process.

There is just one solution or

one right answer to a problem.

Critical thinking involves exploring

many solutions and deciding

which one best fits the situation.


CRITICAL THINKING

Take a Closer Look

at the Thinking Behind

Children’s Art

Group Exercise

Lucienne H., Grade 4, Korea

Devita H., Grade 3, Indonesia

Neha R., Grade 7, India Jamia Mel T., Grade 7, Philippines

What do you think was this artist’s inspiration?

What challenge was the artist addressing? What

stretched the artist to generate original ideas?

What choices do you think this artist considered?

What compare–contrast process do you think the

artist used?

What mental connections do you think this artist

made? Where do you see evidence of the artist

bringing ideas together? Reflecting on what was

already known and newly discovered? How did the

artist reassemble or reorganize thoughts?

How do you think the artist planned the methods

for creating? Do you think the artist persevered in

creating the desired outcome?


CRITICAL THINKING

Magic Creativity Glasses

“When you put on these glasses, you see the

world with different eyes. Creativity is so

wondrous and magical that it changes the

whole world.”

—Erica J.,

Buena Park, CA,

6th grade


CRITICAL THINKING

Creativity Gives Us Wings

“Creativity shapes the world giving us wings. If

there is no creativity, the world is a barren field

without color.”

—Emma Z.,

Belmont, MA,

5th grade


CRITICAL THINKING

My Colourful World

“Creativity means no matter what

or who you are, it is how we

communicate. Creativity makes

the world colorful and better.”

—Aisyah Nasywa U.,

Indonesia,

1st grade


CRITICAL THINKING

A Thousand Feathers on Earth

“A drawing is worth a thousand words and

says so much. These feathers tip to many

cultures around the world since we are all

one united team."

—Tiffany W.,

Duluth, GA,

6th grade


CRITICAL THINKING

Magic Creativity Glasses

“When you put on these glasses, you see the

world with different eyes. Creativity is so

wondrous and magical that it changes the

whole world.”

—Erica J.,

Buena Park, CA,

6th grade

My Colourful World

“Creativity means no matter what

or who you are, it is how we

communicate. Creativity makes

the world colorful and better.”

—Aisyah Nasywa U.,

Indonesia,

1st grade

A Thousand Feathers on Earth

“A drawing is worth a thousand words and

says so much. These feathers tip towards

many cultures around the world since we

are all one united team."

—Tiffany W.,

Duluth, GA,

6th grade

Creativity Gives Us Wings

“Creativity shapes the world giving us wings. If

there is no creativity, the world is a barren field

without color.”

—Emma Z.,

Belmont, MA,

5th grade


CRITICAL THINKING

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Small-Group Discussion


CRITICAL THINKING

Thinking—Critical to Survival

Challenge—Compare-Contrast Choices—Connect—Create

Hands-On Exercise

• What predators might attack your animals? How

do your animals escape or protect themselves?

• Where will your species live?

• What will your species eat? How will this

food affect your animals’ physical attributes?

• How will your species move? Consider unlikely choices.

• How will your species communicate and relate to

other family or tribe members?

• What unique features will help your species survive?

• What will you name your species? How will you

present what you have created?


CRITICAL THINKING

Educators, parents and community members

can foster critical thinking using the arts as a

springboard to creative problem solving.

Key Points

Critical thinking is a valuable 21st century

skill that contributes to higher-level learning.

Creating is the ultimate form of critical

thinking. The arts are a natural way to foster

critical thinking and creativity.

The 4 Cs of critical thinking—Challenge,

Compare–Contrast Choices, Connect

and Create—provide a structure for

complex thinking.


CRITICAL THINKING

Thank you for your work as you

Champion Creatively Alive Children

For additional resources including arts-infused lesson plans visit:

Crayola.com/educators

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Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM CRITICAL THINKING · Critical thinking is a valuable 21st century skill that contributes to higher-level learning. Creating is the ultimate form