Description
How do we move students beyond memorization to meaningful thinking? What does critical thinking actually look like in classrooms across different grade levels? Critical thinking is not an add-on skill — it is essential for helping students analyze information, ask thoughtful questions, and justify their reasoning. Research consistently shows that students who engage in higher-order thinking develop stronger problem-solving skills, deeper content understanding, and greater independence as learners. In this workshop, Lauren Boucher breaks down what critical thinking looks like from early elementary through high school and how teachers can intentionally design learning experiences that promote analysis, evaluation, and reasoning. Participants will explore practical questioning strategies, instructional protocols, and tech-supported tools that help students move beyond surface-level responses and engage in deeper thinking across content areas. The focus is on strategies that fit seamlessly into existing lessons and routines.
Objectives
Identify characteristics of critical thinking behaviors at different grade levels Explain how intentional task design supports deeper thinking Use questioning strategies and protocols to promote critical thinking in lessons Examine instructional tasks to determine opportunities for deeper reasoning Assess student responses for evidence of higher-order thinking Design a lesson or activity that intentionally fosters critical thinking
