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TRANSCRIPT
CRITICAL THINKING
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
Photos by John Pinderhughes
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
CRITICAL THINKING
Objectives for Critical Thinking Workshop
What we will be
doing together…
Participant
expectations…
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
CRITICAL THINKING
What comes to
mind when you
hear the words
“critical
thinking”?
Introductions and Warm-Up Exercise
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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
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CRITICAL THINKING
Arts-Infused Education Builds
The Four Cs
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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
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
CRITICAL THINKING
4 Cs of Critical Thinking
Challenge
Compare–Contrast Choices
Connect
Create
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CRITICAL THINKING
Challenge
Stretch to generate
novel and original
thoughts.
Inspire fresh thinking.
Build on prior
knowledge.
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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.
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CRITICAL THINKING
Connect
Synthesize to
reassemble and
reorganize thoughts
for understanding.
Reflect on what is
already known and
newly discovered.
Bring ideas together.
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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.
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
CRITICAL THINKING
CRITICAL THINKING VIDEO
http://www.crayola.com/creativelyalive
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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.
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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?
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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
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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
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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
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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
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
CRITICAL THINKING
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Small-Group Discussion
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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?
Champion Creatively Alive ChildrenTM
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.
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CRITICAL THINKING
Thank you for your work as you
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For additional resources including arts-infused lesson plans visit:
Crayola.com/educators