Ideas to build critical thinking skills in the third grade classroom.

1. Teaching Techniques to
Build Critical Thinking
Development Into a
Mathematics Curriculum
By Wendy Culver
Grand Canyon University
UNV-588 Curriculum and Instruction Capstone
Dr. Darrell Rice, Instructor
October 26, 2016

2. Icebreaker
1. Think about what these descriptions
mean to you.
2. Group discussion: What are the positive
and negative qualities of each type?

3. What has led to our decision to investigate
improving critical thinking in mathematics?
School Performance Data: The School
Accountability Report Card for last year
shows that only 20% of third graders
achieved proficient or advanced on the
CAASPP.
http://www.lusd.org/Page/6179
Classroom Observations: As a team, we
have observed our current students
struggling to retain, master, and
demonstrate independence with
mathematics concepts.

4. Essential Question #1: Why do our students
struggle with critical, independent thinking?
O https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GZ6
GGlfIog
Discussion: Have we seen this to be true in
our classrooms? Do we want to get out of
this “contract” with our students?

5. Do you see the “didactic contract” prescribed in
the textbook?

6. Do these cues make independent thinking more
or less possible for students?

7. Essential Question #2: What teaching methods help
our students become independent, critical thinkers?
Share a video
Incorporate
Movement
Give students the
opportunity to build
something
Establish a “math
congress”
Create a
Shared
Experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggTl6Uy8PSU

8. Essential Question #2: What teaching methods
help our students become independent, critical
thinkers?
O https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QYR
CY-44Kw
Discussion: What roadblocks do we
encounter to providing our students with
open tasks?

9. What problem on this page could be turned into an
open task?
Page 162

10. Essential Question: What teaching methods help our
students become independent, critical thinkers?
O https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWUF
jb8w9Ps
Discussion: Is it possible to teach more by
providing less support to students?

11. Where should our lessons begin?

12. Is there a way to slim down this question so that
students have to do more critical thinking?

13. Essential Question: What professional development
can support teachers in addressing a major change in
instructional practice?
O https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVH
0u4tUWo
Discussion: What steps have we
addressed? What steps are we agreeing to
undertake?

15. Next Steps
1. Review the “Research in Action
Observation Report” and determine
whether you have any questions about
tomorrow’s activity.
2. Collect observation data during the
demonstration and note questions for
further discussion.
3. Be prepared to debrief the observation
and make collaborative decisions
regarding our collective implementation
plans.

16. Evaluating Your Experience
Please visit the following site to share your
rating of today’s professional development
session:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BN3N5PR