1. Critical Thinking Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone with critical thinking skills is able to do the following : *understand the logical connections between ideas *identify, construct and evaluate arguments *detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning *solve problems systematically *identify the relevance and importance of ideas *reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs and values

2. Bloom’s Six Levels Knowledge, Comprehension Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation

3. Applying Bloom’s Knowledge – List the items used by students while working in a chemistry lab setting. Comprehension – Explain why chemists like carbon the best of any elements Application – Demonstrate what tool a chemist would use to properly start the bunsen burner Analysis – Compare a buret to a pipet. Synthesis – Propose how the periodic table would be different if there were no Inert Gases. Evaluation – Judge whether the mole is the most important unit in chemistry. Defend your opinion.

4. Warm-Up Activities • www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/critical_thinking/ • Puzzles, Brain Teasers • Brain Games • Problem Solving • Word Vocabulary • Math Puzzles • Science Problems

5. Critical Thinking Questions You Can Ask About Anything. What is the purpose, goal, or point? What is the problem or issue being solved or described? On what data or evidence is the decision / definition / problem based? What inferences are being made from what kind of data, and are these inferences legitimate? What is the solution, outcome, or resolution of the problem or issue? What are the short-term and long-term implications of the solution / consquences of the outcome? What are the biases or assumptions behind the inferences, selection or collection of data, or framing of the problem / experiment? What are the basic concepts or terms being used? How do these definitions affect the framing / understanding of the problem? What point of view is being expressed? What political / ideological / paradigmatic considerations inform or govern or limit point of view? How would someone from a related but different discipline look at the problem / solution / issue, and could an interdisciplinary approach improve the analysis / discussion / evaluation?

6. 21st Century Tools • Etherpad.com (http://typewith.me/gtn4F271s7) • SurveyMonkey.com • Classtools.net • www.google.com/educators/index.html • 123facts.com • webquests

7. Rubric • Using a rubric to validate student performance • Many options at your fingertips • Meta-cognitive assessements

8. Project Based Learning; Webquests • www2.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/Webquest/Atoms/index.htm • oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~cb338090/Web%20Quest/planewebquest_.htm • sciencespot.net/Pages/otrail.html • www.sciencenetlinks.com/matrix.php • www.thinkfinity.org/