Performance Objectives:
Dispositions Reflective of Critical Thinking:
- Trying to be well informed
- Staying focused
- Willing to evaluate alternatives
- Taking a supportable position
- Seeking precision
- Proceeding in a logical and orderly manner
- Being sensitive to others’ positions
"Universal Intellectual Standards" in Relation to Personal Expression: (See www.CriticalThinking.org/)
- Clarity - Elaborate fully your idea.
- Accuracy - Be certain to check things out.
- Precision - Be specific; provide an example.
- Relevance - Make certain that what you are saying is related to the problem.
- Depth - Address all major factors that influence the problem being addressed.
- Breadth - Have you considered other perspectives?
- Logic - Is what you saying make sense to others?
- Significance - Is your argumentation important in relation to the problem?
- Fairness - Are you being intellectually honest and avoiding bias?
A Critical Thinking Activity: Pin Boards
Using the provided 5-by-5 pin boards, come up with a formula for the area (A) that is enclosed by a rubber band stretched around 3 or more pins. The unit of area is the isosceles triangle - half of a square. Only square boundaries and 45-degree bi-sectors are permitted (e.g. only 0, 45, and 90 degree boundary lines relative to the board edge). The area is a function of the number of boundary pins (Nb) and interior pins (Ni) not touched by the rubber band. Assume that area is a linear combination of Nb and Ni [that is, A = f(Nb) + g(Ni)], and that both f and g are linear functions.