Best Practices: Critical and Creative Thinking

Elementary students use encapsulation as a tool for learning how to synthesize and communicate information.

Elementary students use visualization to imagine the characteristics of various regions and climates.

Elementary students use visualization to brainstorm ideas for a house design.

Elementary students participate in a student-led discussion that poses questions and encourages open-ended expression of ideas.

Elementary students look at the impact of decision-making to learn more about citizenship.

High school English students use questioning techniques to better understand their reading.

Students participate in the Great Debate - an exercise in presenting opposing viewpoints and persuasive arguments.

High school art students use the PMI strategy to examine artistic styles.

Elementary school students use the POV strategy to look at various characters in history.

High school theater students use the POV strategy to help understand and interpret different characters on the stage.

Elementary school students use questioning techniques to better understand music theory and practice.

Elementary students use the PMI strategy to examine ancient civilizations.

Elementary students use analogies to better understand music class.

A high school art class uses mind-mapping as a strategy to understand and define art.

First grade students use the FOFE strategy for innovative learning about economics.

A middle school theater class uses the FOFE strategy for improvisational learning.