Consider the learning potential of simply shifting the way you ask your child

questions - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/askingquestions-which-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Can you see the rainbow in the sky? versus I wonder how does the rainbow
get into the sky?
What is this part of the elephant called? (pointing to trunk) versus What
would you do if you had a trunk? - See more at:
http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-which-encourage-creativethinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Can you see its raining? versus How does the rain get into the sky? - See
more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-which-encouragecreative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What colour is this? versus What does this colour make you think of? - See
more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-which-encouragecreative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What type of dinosaur is this? versus Do dinosaurs have friends? - See

more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-which-encouragecreative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Can you see the bird flying in the sky? versus What would happen if you
could fly? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questionswhich-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Where do fish live? versus What do you think would be most exciting about
living underwater? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/askingquestions-which-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What will we do tomorrow? versus How do you think tomorrow gets here, to
where we are? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/askingquestions-which-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What is that noise? versus What would that noise look like if we tried to
draw it? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questionswhich-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Can you see the lizard? versus Why do you think lizards lie in the sun? See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-whichencourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What colour is this (autumn) leaf? versusWhen the leaves change colour,
how does the new colour get into the leaf? - See more at:
http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questions-which-encourage-creativethinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Which of the balls floats? versus How does the ball float on top of the
water? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questionswhich-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Can you find the red wool? versus How many different ways could this wool
be used? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questionswhich-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

What colour is that butterfly? versus How could we make a butterfly

catcher? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/asking-questionswhich-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

How many snails can you see? versus How could we make a playground for
a snail to play in? - See more at: http://childhood101.com/2010/08/askingquestions-which-encourage-creative-thinking/#sthash.R3HLdTRS.dpuf

Good questions encourage children to think outside the square, to think and
solve problems creatively. And creative thinking is a problem solving skill that
the employers of today (and tomorrow) are looking for.

We often remark on the marvelous creativity of young children's drawings, dramatic play, and invented
language. Children show imaginative use of color, themes, and flights of fancy in their language. As
teachers, we play an important role in supporting children's ability in art, dramatic expression, and creative
responses to problems.
Often, our primary goals are directed at keeping children healthy and safe, teaching cognitive skills such as shape
and color recognition, encouraging prosocial behavior, and introducing basic literacy and numeration skills. With all
the time that needs to be devoted to these areas, there is less opportunity to think about the importance of nurturing
children's creative abilities. And yet, creative power increases a young child's desire to learn and supports intellectual
development.
Ask five different teachers to define "creativity" and you'll probably get five different answers. One definition of
creativity focuses on the process of "divergent thinking," which involves:
the breaking up of old ideas
making new connections
enlarging the limits of knowledge
the onset of wonderful ideas
When we encourage divergent thinking, we help to maintain children's motivation and passion for in-depth learning.
Encouraging children to keep on generating new ideas fosters their creative-thinking abilities.
When children learn how to become comfortable with ambiguities, they are developing complex thinking skills. For
example, Joey, an older toddler; was glad to be invited to his friend's birthday party, but he also felt grumpy because
he did not get the toy train that his friend received as a birthday gift. Children need help to understand that it is not
only possible, but acceptable, to hold contradictory or opposite ideas and feelings in their minds at the same time.
Give children experiences in playing with ideas that may be ambiguous or uncertain.
You can help children understand that:

Some feelings and wishes are the same as those of other people, and some are different.
A friend may want to play the same game as you some of the time but not all of the time.
You can do some things now, and some things later.
One idea could be a good idea or not a good idea. (Singing songs is fun, but not at naptime when others are
resting.)

There are consequences, and alternatives, to actions. This kind of thinking sharpens reasoning skills and

sparks a child's own creative solutions to conflicts.

Creative Teaching
To enhance children's creativity, keep the following in mind:
One important way a child learns of his self-worth is through his interactions with you.
Be generous in positive descriptions of children's work and ideas.
Remain focused on the uniqueness of each child and the challenge to nurture her trust and creativity.
Hold group meetings where children can freely express ideas, particularly in the area of problem solving.

Questions Without Answers

Socratic or open-ended questions are a great way to get children's creative juices flowing. These questions help a
child distance himself from the here and now. Choices, comparisons, entertaining new ideas, and formulating
personal responses to these questions are all-important ingredients in creative thinking.
Here are some open-ended questions to ask children to inspire their creativity:
What could happen if it always rained on Saturdays?
What if cars never wore out?
If you saw a mouse in your backyard chewing your mother's favorite flowers, what would you do?
Why don't we wake up with our hair neat and combed?
What would happen if a cow, a bee, and a clover got together?
What could happen if cats could bark?
What could happen if all the shoes in the world were the same size?
Remember that some questions may be too difficult for a child who has had little related experience in the real world
(some city children have never seen a cow or clover). Be sure to tailor your questions to the current experiential
knowledge of the children. When possible, take children on a field trip, show them a video, or invite "experts" in
different areas to come and talk to the class in order to expand children's background of experience.
It's interesting to explore ways of jump-starting children's creativity in different curriculum areas. Whether children are
involved in art, dramatic-play, or music and movement activities, careful thought and planning can help them delve
further into their creative-thinking abilities.
Dipping Deeper Through Art
Easel and finger painting while listening to classical music; drawing; clay work; making prints; slithering cornstarch
goop between fingers-these are just a few of the art activities that promote creativity and are already staples of many
early childhood classrooms. Sensitive observation will reveal creative discoveries. For example, a teacher may hand
a large paintbrush and a cup of blue paint to each of a small group of preschoolers. She may notice as one dabs blue
on her paper. In dreamy pleasure, the child watches the patch of blue on her paper. She then dips her brush and
watches wide-eyed as the blue of her initial swath deepens in color, and great drips of blue paint slowly creep down
the easel paper.-She marvels at creating a deeper tint of blue.
In her observation, the teacher was able to appreciate the child's discovery that layering more and more color
changes the intensity of the color and the amount of the drip. Your sensitivity to the power of a child's discovery is
what unlocks the child's passionate commitment and delight that are bedrock requirements for creativity.
Magical Movement
Some little folks need to be in intense active movement a lot of the time. For them, it might be wise to encourage
dance and movement as often as possible. Divide children into two groups. Have one group "make music" by
clapping their hands, playing rhythm instruments, or tapping their feet on the floor. Ask the second group to listen
carefully to the rhythms provided by their peers and dance to the music in their own inventive ways.

Children learn to represent things by using their bodies in space. Toddlers love to try to hop like a bunny. Older
children might enjoy moving like a turtle, a dragonfly, or an elephant. Ask the children whether they can use their
bodies to represent emotions, such as joy, anger, or surprise.
Creative thinking is implicit in many cooperative games, such as "Big Snake." In this game, children stretch out on
their stomachs and hold the ankles of the person in front of them to make a two-person snake. The "snake" slithers
over on its belly to connect up to make a four-- person snake and so on. The children have to figure out how the
snake could slither up on a mountain or figure out a way to flip over the whole snake on its back without losing its
parts.
"Just-Imagine" Games
"Imagine this" games permit children to take off on flights of fancy that require them to retrieve information from
memory, compare and contrast ideas, and make connections between disparate bits of information.
At rest time, you might let children conjure up different imaginary scenarios, such as being a fly busily walking across
the ceiling. What are they looking for? How do the children on their cots look to the fly from its upside-down vantage
point on the ceiling?
You can also ask children to pretend: "You can be any animal you wish. Which animal would you choose? What
would you do all day long as that animal?"
Some creativity games, such as the "One Goes Back" game, help children learn more about themselves, including
their preferences and reactions. In this game, you might ask:
"Suppose you were given these three objects (teacher names objects): Which one of the three would you give up if
you had to give one back? Why? What could you do with the other two things? Could you use them together? How?"
The "Uses" game draws on children's ability to conjure up lots of unusual and unconventional uses for objects, such
as a tin can, paper clip, or cardboard tube from a paper towel roll. When a teacher gave some men's ties to a group
of 6-- year-olds, they pretended to use them as seatbelts while taking a plane trip. They also pretended the ties were
slithery snakes crawling along the floor. Give children the chance to play out their imaginative scripts with such props
and then enjoy your peek into the window of their creative conjuring!
Indoor Picnic
Plan with children to create imaginative indoor scenarios to lift everyone's mood during dark winter days. For
instance, try creating a summer picnic in the classroom. Spread a large sheet on the floor Put seashells and maybe a
few handfuls of sand in shallow plastic tubs of water Work with children to prepare a variety of sandwiches and slices
of fresh fruit. Ask parents to send in some summer clothing so that preschoolers can change into swimsuits and carry
towels. Have a small plastic swimming pool on the floor After children "go for a swim," they can make sand pies or
sort seashells on the edge of the "sand" sheet.
Poetic Pathways
Read poetry! Brain researchers emphasize how important it is to wire in neural pathways with variety and richness of
language interactions. "Use it or lose it" seems to be the rallying cry for brain development during the first years of life
and "cells that fire together wire together." You can use poetry to encourage children to problem solve and to ask
what is coming next.
Try this humorous and rollicking poem from the book Blackberry Ink by Eve Merriam (Turtleback Books, 1994;
$10.15):
Bella had a new umbrella
Didn't want to lose it,
So when she walked out
in the rain
She didn't ever use it.
Her nose went sniff,
Her shoes went squish,
Her socks grew soggy,

Her glasses got foggy,

Her pockets filled with water
And a little green froggy.
All she could speak was a weak Kachoo!
But Bella's umbrella
Stayed nice and new.

Arranging for Creativity

How you set up your classroom paves the way for creative adventures. Provide enough space for a safe block corner
and enough cars and blocks for creating highways and traffic jams. Have easels out and smocks with plastic flexible
neck-- bands ready for children to put on when inspiration strikes. Try to have fewer time constraints for activities so
that children's creative juices can flow unfettered by a classroom clock.
Although story-reading times and group times are wonderful ways to increase social cohesiveness, be aware of the
implications of requiring all children to participate together for other planned activities. Children may be discovering
on their own something that is not part of your specific plan for them. For example, if all the children are playing a
game outdoors and one child wants to create a sandcastle, a flexible teacher will not be threatened by this personal
choice. Perceptive teachers handle such individual needs in ways that nurture a child's growth rather than squash
budding initiatives.
Dramatic-Play Patterns
An indispensable classroom ingredient is the dramatic-play area. Teachers often ask themselves, "Can rigid dramaticplay scenarios be considered creative in any way?"
As they chase peers, some children play "monster" as other children screech and run away. The repetitive "monster"
play requires no surprise scripts. Yet, the teacher who wants to promote creativity can help connect the stereotyped
behavior of a given child with the larger world of imaginative play. We, as teachers, are constant observers and learn
about each child's unique style, fears, strengths, and use of fantasy. Notice children's repetitive themes and how
these serve to buffer them against anxiety. Question children to get a better understanding of their dramatic-play
themes and wishes.
The relationships between teachers and children, how classroom time and space is organized, and materials
available are important factors in the development of creativity. Classrooms where children are supported in their
eagerness to explore relationships and materials without fear or disapproval from teachers or peers, where teachers
are prepared to unearth resources to satisfy children's creative thirst to know, are classrooms where creativity is likely
to blossom and grow.

Creative Play Helps Children Grow

by Marilyn Lopes

Every child is born with creative potential, but this potential may be stifled if care is not taken to
nurture and stimulate creativity. Creativity shows one's uniqueness. It is the individual saying: "I
can be; I can do." Isn't this what we want for our children? Creativity is the ability to see things in
a new and unusual light, to see problems that no one else may even realize exist, and then come

up with new, unusual, and effective solutions to these problems.

WAYS TO STRENGTHEN A CHILD'S CREATIVITY
Relax the controls. Adults who constantly exert supervision and control diminish the spontaneity
and self-confidence that are essential to the creative spirit.
Inspire perseverence. All the creative energy in the world is useless if the product is not seen
through to completion. Show appreciation for a child's efforts. Suppress the impulse to accomplish
tasks for children.
Tolerate the "offbeat." Let children know that it is not always critical to have the "correct"
answer to the problemthat novel, innovative, and unique approaches are valued as well.
Provide a creative atmosphere. Creative materials should be available to the young child for his

use. Some of the basic equipment includes books, records, drawing materials,
objects to make sounds with, clay, and blocks. Toys for imagining: Supply preschoolers with
unstructured toys and materials. Provide the child with toys that can become a variety of things.
Be careful about discouraging daydreaming. Daydreaming is really an imagery process. Some of
what goes on in the name of daydreaming is really problem solving.
Planning and problem-solving. Encourage creative problem solving in a variety of ways. Teach
a youngster to look at alternatives, evaluate them, and then decide how to carry them out
successfully.
Offer - but do not pressure. Resist the temptation to overcrowd children with organized
activities in an attempt to cultivate their creativity. Allow the child time to be alone to develop the
creativity that is innate in all of us.
CREATIVE GAMES
OBJECT CREATION
Have the children create a "machine" piece by piece. Some players become parts that move and
make noise, while other players operate the machine. Others can then guess what it is. Try
making a lawnmower with people as wheels, body, and handle, and have another player push it.
Everyone can join in the sound effects as it tackles the lawn. More good objects to role play:
eggbeater, record player, garbage disposal, toaster, pencil sharpener, and water fountain.
CONTINUING STORY
Someone starts a story and each person adds a part.
CREATIVE DRAMATIC PLAY
One of the best ways children have to express themselves is through creative dramatic play. Here
they feel free to express their inner feelings. It occurs daily in the lives of young children, as they

constantly imitate the people, animals, and machines in their world. It helps them understand and
deal with the world. Stimulate this spontaneous kind of drama by providing simple props and
encouragement.
Animal Cracker Game - Child chooses one cracker; looks at it; then eats it. Then the child
becomes that animal for 1-2 minutes.
Read a story and then act it out.
Puppets
CREATIVE MOVEMENT

A child can develop and express his or her personality in his own waypretending
to be animals, snowflakes, fairies, giants, snails, mice, etc.
Role playing family happenings, everyday activities such as a visit to the doctor, store or bank, day
care situations, etc., stimulates creative thinking and is a good way to help children see the
viewpoints of others, help them explore their own feelings, and handle their emotions.
The following are some creative play activities that require the use of large muscles and help in
the development of those muscles:
Follow the Leader - The leader child moves freely about. He or she may imitate animals, hop,
skip, or whatever. The others must follow the leader and act as the leader does.
Guess What I Am? - Without saying a word, a child tries to act out the movements of some
object. Suggestions include an airplane making a landing, a rooster strutting around the barnyard,
a cement truck dumping its load, a clock telling the time of day. The child may think up things to
do, or the teacher may whisper suggestions.
Building with Sand, Mud and Clay - Children use large muscles to build sand mounds with
moats around them. Sand pies and sand forts can be built in a sandbox, on a sand table, or at the
beach. Children use mud to make large structures. Clay is also used to create structures and
shapes.
CREATIVE QUESTIONING
Ask open-ended questions: Show the child a picture, then ask questions to stimulate and
create a thinking atmosphere, for example: What are the people in the picture doing? What are
the people saying? What would happen if ...?
Ask children to use their senses: Young children may often have their creative talents
stretched by asking them to use their senses in an unusual way.

Have children close their eyes and then guess what you have placed in their hands - a

piece of foam rubber, a small rock, etc.

Have children close their eyes and guess at what they hear - use such sounds as shuffling
cards, jingling coins, rubbing sandpaper, ripping paper, etc.

Ask children about changes: One way to help children to think more creatively is to ask them to
change things to make them the way they would like them to be, for example:

What would taste better if it were sweeter?

What would be nicer if it were smaller?

What would be more fun if it were faster?

What would be better if it were quieter?

What would be happier if it were bigger?

What could be more exciting if it went backwards?

Ask questions with lots of answers. Any time you ask a child a question which requires a
variety of answers, you are aiding creative thinking skills. Here are some examples using the
concept of water:

What are some of the uses of water?

What floats in water?

How does water help us?

Why is cold water cold?

What always stays underwater?

What are the different colors that water can be?

Other concepts: fire, sand, cars, smoke, ice

Ask "What would happen if..." questions. These questions are fun to ask and allow the
children to really use their imaginations. Here are some:

What would happen if all the trees in the world were blue?

What would happen if all the cars were gone?

What would happen if everybody wore the same clothes?

What would happen if you could fly?

What would happen if no one cleaned the house?

Ask "In how many different ways..." questions. These questions also extend a child's
creative thinking.

In how many different ways could a spoon be used?

In how many different ways could a button be used?

In how many different ways could a string be used?

How do I, as an art teacher work at nurturing a culture of

divergent thinking in studio artwork?
1.

I avoid using stereotyping drawing guide books, drawing

formulas (number of heads in a body), patterns, coloring books, dot to
dot games, etc. In our family, our kids had lots of art materials, but no
coloring books. They colored within lines that they created.

2. I encourage work from real

experiences, observations, and

imagination, not from imitation ?

Experiences are remembered.

Observation simply means that children can look at things and learn to
draw them. Imagination is the unique ability that makes us human.
Animals imitate. Children imitate things to learn uncreative stuff and they
imagine things to practice being creative. Children can color their own
drawings to develop their fine motor skill - no need to give them coloring
books?
3.

I provide ample materials and blank paper, not workbooks and

coloring books?

4. I motivate with open questions questions to encourage

innovation. An open questions has more than one answer. Often I say,
"This part is good. Is there anything else that your picture needs?" This
is a very open question that asks for thinking.
5. I ask "thinking"

questions - I do not make suggestions I do not draw for the child. To remind a child to include ears, I
do not say, "Does your girl need ears?" A thinking question would be,
"What kind of music does your girl like to listen to? How can she hear
the music?" I do not ask, "Does the face need a mouth? I ask, "What is
the best tasting vegetable? How does your boy eat it?" Artwork is
owned by the artist who comes up with the ideas. Questions, not
suggestions, allow this ownership based on observing, on experiences
and on the imagination.

6. I encourage children to be choice

makers.

I have child

decide what their work needs.

If a child asks me for help, I help by

asking the child to give me several of her ideas. Then I say that these
are good ideas, and ask her which one she likes best.
Also #8 below.
7. I encourage practice-practice-practice while coaching to
improve practice techniques and to make the hard stuff easy enough so
that discouragement does not set in. I try to make learning hard enough
to be challenging (not boring), and easy enough to avoid total
frustration.
8. I encourage experimentation as learning. Instead of showing how
something is done, I ask them to try it several ways (maybe on another
piece of paper). I then ask the the child to select the best idea or
discovery that comes out of experimentation. I remain open to
and encourage fresh ideas from children. Even when I think something
will not work, it is often better to encourage a child to learn from
experience rather than to extinguish the experiment before it starts.
9. I affirm and celebrate mistakes as learning. The lack of mistakes
is an indication of "playing it too safe." Many new ideas emerge from
mistakes and solutions to mistakes. Both art and science are filled with
important discoveries that began as mistakes. A Wikipedia search of the

word "serendipity" lists many such examples. As teachers, we make a

mistake when we penalize mistakes rather than help students make
discoveries from them. Too often we teach children to fear mistakes
rather than discover what can be learned from them.
10.To build awareness I focus attention to visual detail such as
texture, proportion, counting parts, color changes, tonal changes, and
so on during observation and during experiences even when the child is
not actively drawing. This can happen in many places such as a nature
walk, looking at buildings, studying toys, visiting an animal, and so on. I
use lots of questions. Later, when drawings are done, they include much
more.
11. I ask for careful attention to experiences. I ask lots of awareness
questions about what we are seeing, touching, smelling, tasting,
hearing, etc. Drawings and life will be richer. I ask for conclusions from
observations. Review with emphasis on childs own observations and
experiences. Ask, "How could you draw, paint, or model this?"
12.I emphasize the importance divergent approaches by changing habits of
work. "Where do you like to start your drawing? What happens when
you start it at a different place?" "What if you start with the
background?" "How is it different when you plan the arrangement of
things than when you just start with what is most important?" What does
this say about freedom? It generally means that assignments must
have new requirements and limits, but it does not show a model to
follow.
13.I encourage creative peer interaction where children are coached to
cooperate and compete with peers in demonstrating divergent thinking
and outcomes. I use games activities that give points or positive
feedback for unique ideas and expressions rather than copying and
mimicking each other. I coach children to ask each other questions as
they help each other learn to do new things.
14.I encourage the "What if". . . . . ." questions and use the "Try it." answer.
Workbooks and coloring books are probably a fairly small part of the
issue. What other possible reasons are there for the huge drop in
divergent thinking ability from Kindergarten to grade two? Human
instinct and normal development may be largely responsible for our

drop in divergent thinking as we mature. Does this excuse us when we

teach in ways that reward copying and minicking rather than letting kids
know the secrets and strategies that highly creative people use when
they think

Cri

Improving Your Child's Thinking Skills

by the Council for Exceptional Children
Six Major Thinking Skills
One of the simplest and easiest ways to develop kids' thinking skills is by wording questions in the
right way. When teachers and parents learn to ask questions that stimulate kids' thought processes,
learning can be fun for children of all ages.
Whether we are conscious of it or not, different types of questions require us to use different kinds or
levels of thinking. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, a widely recognized classification system, human
thinking skills can be broken down into six categories. Click below to find out more about each
category and what you can do to help your child improve her thinking skills.
Knowledge, comprehension, and application are more concrete thinking
skills. Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation require more abstraction and are known as critical
thinking skills.
Knowledge
Knowledge involves remembering or recalling appropriate, previously learned information to draw
out factual (usually right or wrong) answers.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words and phrases such as: how many, when, where, list, define, tell, describe, identify, etc., to
draw out factual answers and test your child's recall and recognition skills.

Sample questions:
How many eggs in a dozen?
When was Abraham Lincoln president?
Comprehension
Comprehension involves grasping or understanding the meaning of informational materials.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words such as: describe, explain, estimate, predict, identify, differentiate, etc., to encourage your
child to translate, interpret, and extrapolate.
Sample questions:
Explain how an egg becomes a chicken.
What important events occurred during the years Lincoln was president?
Application Application involves applying previously learned information (or knowledge) to new
and unfamiliar situations.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words such as: demonstrate, apply, illustrate, show, solve, examine, classify, experiment, etc., to
encourage your child to apply knowledge to situations that are new and unfamiliar.
Sample questions:
What do an egg and the shape of the globe have in common? Can an egg grow into a cow?
How did Abe Lincoln's personal views on slavery fit with the events of the time?
Analysis
Analysis involves breaking down information into parts, or examining (and trying to understand the
organizational structure of) information.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words and phrases such as: what are the differences, analyze, explain, compare, separate,
classify, arrange, etc., to encourage your child to break information down into parts.
Sample questions:
What is one difference between eggs laid by a frog and a chicken?
Compare and contrast some significant contributions made by presidents during the 1800s.
Synthesis
Synthesis involves applying prior knowledge and skills to combine elements into a pattern not clearly
there before.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words and phrases such as: combine, rearrange, substitute, create, design, invent, what if?, etc.,
to encourage your child to combine elements into a pattern that's new.

Sample questions:
What might happen if a cow laid eggs? Knowing what you know about egg-laying animals, what
could you say about animals that don't lay eggs?
What if Abe Lincoln lived today? What problem might he solve?
Evaluation
Evaluation involves judging or deciding according to some set of criteria, without real right or wrong
answers.
Asking the Right Questions:
Use words such as: assess, decide, measure, select, explain, conclude, compare, summarize, etc., to
encourage your child to make judgements according to a set of criteria.
Sample questions:
What do egg-laying animals have in common?
What might have happened if Abe Lincoln never lived? What are some ways that history might be
different?
The use of critical thinking is one of the most valuable skills we can pass on to our children. Gifted
children, especially, tend to take mental leaps and you might notice that they use synthesis and
evaluation without teaching or prompting. Supporting and nurturing these skills is crucial to the
development of strong academic and lifelong problem-solving skills.
Remember, the most important thing is to have fun with these skills. When kids enjoy discussions
with their parents and teachers, they'll love to learn.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://school.familyeducation.com/giftededucation/cognitive-psychology/38660.html#ixzz3DD55Ov7R

How to Teach Critical Thinking

43,099 views

11 Editors

Edited 17 days ago

Seven Parts:Observation and conclusionsMaking comparisons and contrastingAnalysisBehaving

cooperativelyNo endingSocratic methodArgument analysis

Critical thinking skills are skills that children (and adults) need to learn to be able to
solve problems. This includes analyzing and evaluating information that is provided,
whether that information is through observation, experience or communication. The core
of critical thinking is being responsive to information and not just accepting it.
Questioning is the most important part of critical thinking. It is a part of scientific,
mathematical, historical, economic and philosophical thinking, all of which are
necessary for the future development of our society. Here are a few ways to teach
critical thinking that can be used whether you are a teacher or a parent.

Part 1 of 7: Observation and conclusions

1.

1
Observe and draw conclusions.

When children begin to make detailed observations about objects or information,

they are then able to draw conclusions or make judgments based on those observations.
When a child asks the question "Why?," respond with "Why do you think?" to

encourage the child to draw his or her own conclusions.

This is the beginning of scientific observation skills that will be useful and

necessary throughout life.

Ad

Part 2 of 7: Making comparisons and contrasting

1.

1
Compare and contrast items and topics.

This allows children to tell the ways things are similar and different and helps
them analyze and categorize information.

A simple example of this activity is to have children compare and contrast an

apple and an orange. Allow them to describe all the ways they are similar and different.

Comparing and contrasting stories is another way to encourage critical thinking.

Children are analyzing characters, settings, plot and other story elements when they list the way
stories are the same and different.

Part 3 of 7: Analysis

1.

1
Discuss and analyze stories.

Have children "retell" a story you have read in their own words. This encourages

them to summarize the main ideas of the story instead of just responding to specific questions
with facts.
Ask questions that do not have direct answers in the story. This makes the

children infer and draw their own conclusions based on their understanding of the story. An
example of this would be to ask "What do you think the author meant when?" or "Why do you
think the character?".
Ask the children to analyze character and setting elements in the story. This is a

good opportunity to have the child compare and contrast within the story and outside of the
story.

Have the children relate the story to their own lives or outside events. This is the

beginning important critical thinking skill called synthesizing, where children begin to use the
information in new ways and apply it to different ideas.

Part 4 of 7: Behaving cooperatively

1.

1
Learn cooperatively.

Providing cooperative learning opportunities will help children develop critical

thinking skills as they share ideas and learn from each another.
Encourage children to read stories together and share their evaluations of the

story. This can spark a healthy debate with older children, in which they must defend their
opinions.

Let children explore creatively with common play activities, such as with water,

sand or bubbles. Ask them questions about what they are doing.

Part 5 of 7: No ending
1.

1
Provide stories without conclusions.

Telling a story without an ending and asking the children to finish the story is

another way to encourage critical thinking skills such as synthesis. The children must take the
information from the story and creatively compile it, draw conclusions and come up with their
own ending.
o

This can also be done by asking a child "What do you think happened next?" on
a familiar story that does have an ending, such as a fairy tale.

Part 6 of 7: Socratic method

1.

1
Practice the Socratic method.

Socrates was famous for teaching critical thinking through questioning. Children

are already naturals at questioning, so turn the tables a little and question them back. Take an
opposite position and try to get them to defend their opinions on a topic by asking pointed
questions.

Part 7 of 7: Argument analysis

1. 1
Identify a problem or a premise or a statement to discuss.

2. 2
Search or discuss possible solutions or counter-arguments.

3. 3
Discuss how to judge the credibility of information. Discuss the "appeal to authority"
approach, to assist a person in knowing whether an appeal to authority is real or fallacious. Use
a book such as Jill LeBlanc's "Thinking Clearly: A Guide to Critical Reasoning". She posits four
ways to identify a true appeal to authority; it must meet all four ways to be supported:
o

The authority must be identified

The authority must be respectable

The matter must be in this authority's field of expertise

The matter must be one on which there is a consensus of experts.

4
Clarify the difference between opinion, judgment and fact.

5
Explain how to avoid common fallacies related to the topic.

What is Critical Thinking?

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking comprises a number of different skills that help us
learn to make decisions. It is the ability to evaluate information to determine whether it is right or
wrong. To think critically about an issue or a problem means to be open-minded and consider
alternative ways of looking at solutions. As children grow into pre-adolescents and teenagers,
their critical thinking skills will help them make judgments independently of parents.
To be good at thinking, children must believe that thinking is fun and want to be good at it.
Parents can make thinking fun throughout the academic year as well as during the summer and
on vacations. Good thinkers practice thinking just like they practice basketball or soccer.
You can talk about these ways of thinking with your children by watching this video together.
Afterwards, have a discussion about how they can practice being like Fair-Minded Fran.

5 Ways to Help Kids Think Critically

The Foundation for Critical Thinking developed a short series of five Intellectual Standards,
ways of helping elementary-aged children learn to think better. Teach these standards to your
kids, and then interact with them in ways that reinforce the five standards.

Invite them to BE CLEAR by asking for explanations and examples when they
dont understand something. Let children know it is okay to be confused and
ask questions.

Urge kids to BE ACCURATE, to check to see if something is true by

researching the facts.

Encourage children to BE RELEVANT by discussing other topics that are

pertinent to the discussion or problem at hand. Help them stay on track by
linking related and meaningful information to the question they are trying to
answer or the topic they are learning about.

Support your childs ability to BE LOGICAL. Help her see how things fit
together. Question how she came to her conclusions and whether her
assumptions are correct.

Set expectations that your child BE FAIR. Promote empathy in his thinking
processes. Make sure he considers others when drawing conclusions.

There are many ways of leveling, measuring, and thinking about critical thinking skills,
but there the two major taxonomies that I hear about most frequently: Blooms
Taxonomy, and Webbs Depth of Knowledge. I have categorized my critical

thinking questions according to both Blooms Taxonomy (the revised version)

and Webbs Depth of Knowledge (DOK), since the teachers that I surveyed
said that they use both, depending on where they teach. Neither one of the
systems seems to be much more widely accepted over the other, although many people
seem to think that DOK is better aligned with the Common Core State Standards. So
far, I have not found Webbs DOK mentioned specifically in the Common Core! If you
have found it somewhere in there, I would love to know about it! Please let me know in
the comments section.

I have done my best to compare the Blooms Taxonomy vs. Webbs Depth of
Knowledge and explain them both in plain English that seems useful to me as
a teacher of primary children! You can download the pictures from this post
and the descriptions here. In doing this, I have pulled my information from multiple
sources on the internet, (you can find most of them on my Pinterest Board for Critical
Thinking). I have also drawn some conclusions of my own, because there was almost
no information online for applying Blooms or DOK to instruction for young children! So
at the risk of setting myself up for criticism, I would invite you all to let me know if you
disagree with any of my categorizations for the questions. Please also let me know if
you disagree with my descriptions for each of the levels of critical thinking as well! I
want this to be as useful as possible to as many people as possible, because it was
quite time consuming to figure it all out! However, I do think that if we wind up with a
way to define the different levels of critical thinking in a way that is clear and useful to
teachers of young children, then it will all be worth it!
To say that this level in Blooms is the same as that level in DOK, is really an oversimplification, because of the requirement of complexity in DOK! So even though it
may seem like a simple correlation, its really NOT! Each question must be looked at
individually against the definition of each level. For example, comparing two characters
in the same story would be a DOK level two question, but comparing to characters from
two different stories would probably be a level three DOK, because the student must
think more complexly about two different texts. So be careful in classifying your
questions into one level of critical thinking or another!

All of the questions below came were generated just from the information on this page, with the
exception of a few at the very end.
All of the questions I came up with were generated based on reading just ONE page
pictured above from my Holiday Traditions Around the World Book, with the exception of
a few of the very last questions on the highest level of Webbs Depth of Knowledge,
which require multiple sources of information. In that case, I pulled in information from
other parts of my Holiday Traditions Book, which can be found here either as a
download or in print. My assumption is that once you see how to formulate the
questions for one of these traditions, it would probably not be too hard to come up with
more questions for the rest of them! In any case, I formulated critical thinking
questions for three of the countries (or regions) and their traditions in my
book, and am giving all three of them to you as free downloads today. Just
click on the links below. (If they are popular and there is a demand, I could write more
for sale, though!) I have also written out the questions for Norway and Denmark
below.
1.
2.
3.

Norway and Denmark (The Jul Nisse)

France (Pere Noel)
Spain and Latin America (Three Kings Day)

Both the printed version and the downloadable version of the HeidiSongs
Holiday Traditions book come with student coloring pages for children to do
when you are done talking, if you choose! I like to let children chat (and even
sing!) while they color the pictures! It creates some extra time for discussion without
the pressure of children getting restless while one child is talking. To read my blog post
about this Holiday Traditions Around the World book and find out more about it, click
here.
Here is the text from my Holiday Traditions book (from the page pictured
above)that I would read to the children before asking any of these questions.
Christmas and the Jul Nisse Norway and Denmark In Norway and Denmark, an elf
called the Jul Nisse brings presents to children, but also plays jokes on people! On
Christmas Eve, families leave a bowl of rice pudding or porridge out for him so that he is
friendly and plays only nice jokes.

Questions from All Levels of Blooms Taxonomy

for Holiday Traditions Around the World

Blooms Taxonomy Explained in Plain English (Hopefully!) You can download a copy of this
document here.)

Level 1: Remember
(This refers to concrete information straight from
the story. No guess work!)
Who brings presents to the children in Norway and Denmark?
What else does he do other than bring presents?
When does the Jul Nisse visit?
Where does the Jul Nisse go? (What countries?)
Why does the Jul Nisse sometimes play jokes on people?

How do families get him to play only nice jokes?

Level 2 Blooms: Understand

(This is the ability to grasp meaning from the text
and understand it well enough so that you can
explain it in your own words.)
Tell me how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark.
Act out how the what happens in Denmark and Norway during the holidays.
Draw me a picture of how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark and tell me
about it.
Color a picture of how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark, and then
write me a few sentences that tell how it is celebrated.

Level 3 Blooms: Apply

(This is the ability to use or apply what youve
learned in a concrete way, such as predicting,
dramatizing, sequencing, solving problems, and
applying the situation to your own life.)
Predict: What would happen if the families put out some spinach and broccoli for the
Jul Nisse?
Sequence: What happens first when the Jul Nisse comes? What happens last when the
Jul Nisse comes?
Apply the situation to your own life: If you lived in Norway or Denmark, would you
leave the Jul Nisse rice pudding and porridge, or spinach and broccoli? Why?

Level 4 Blooms: Analyze

(This is the ability to break down the different parts

of the material and distinguish between them.
Includes compare and contrast, classify and
categorize, cause and effect, infer, and draw
conclusions, and experiment or postulate.)
Compare & Contrast: How is the Jul Nisse the same as Santa? How is he different?
Classify & categorize: Is the Jul Nisse real or make believe? Why do you think so?
Classify & categorize: What kind of person or character is the Jul Nisse? (ie., an elf)
Cause & Effect: What do you think caused the Jul Nisse to be a kind of mean elf?
Experimentation or postulation: What else do you think you could give the Jul Nisse if
you ran out of porridge and rice pudding, but still wanted him to be friendly and play
nice jokes?
Infer, or make guesses at what has NOTbeen said: What kind of things do you think
the Jul Nisse would do if he played a nice/mean joke?

Level 5 Blooms: Evaluate

(This is the ability to judge, rate, or form an opinion
on material for a given purpose and explain why
you think so.)
Rate: Do you think it is better to have Santa visit during the holidays or the Jul Nisse to
visit, or something else? Put your choices in order from best to worst.
Judge: Do you think that the Jul Nisse is a good elf or a bad elf? Explain why you think
so.
Evaluate: Is the Jul Nisse the best elf to visit during the holidays, or not the best elf?
Why, or why not? Form an opinion: Do you like the Jul Nisse? Why or why not? Would
you like to live in Norway or Denmark during the holiday season? Why or why not?
Graph where the class would like to live during the holidays based on each countrys
holiday traditions.

Level 6 Blooms: Create!

(This is the ability to put parts together to create
something new and unique. It includes activities
such as adapting the elements of an existing story
to create a new one, connecting ideas from one
text to another to create a new story, and creative
project based learning activities that give children
the opportunity to create something new.)
Connect ideas from one text to another: Get some blocks to build with and cut out
some pictures from the holiday book of the different characters and props or objects
that are in it. (Real objects are even better!) Have the children build a new setting for
a certain holiday character and tell a new story to a friend about what your new
character did during the holidays.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Take the Jul Nisse and put him in France.
Would he ride in on a donkey? Would he still play tricks on people or would he always
be nice? Write a class story (or your own story) about the Jul Nisse holiday in France.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Suppose La Befana from Italy gave her broom
to Sinterklaas in Holland and Sinterklaas gave his white horse to La Befana? What
would the children think or do if they saw La Befana on a white horse or Sinterklaas
riding a broom? Do a Think, Pair, Share activity and talk about it. (Pair up and think
about it, and then share out with the group.) Brainstorm ideas and write stories, or
make up a class story and have everyone draw a picture.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Think about the Hanukah menorah with candles
on it and the tradition of putting a candle in the windows of Ireland. How are they the
same or different? Write a story of an Irish family celebrating Christmas in Israel, or an
Israeli family celebrating Hanukkah in Ireland. What would they do? (You could also do
this with Kwanzaa and Diwali.)
Adapt the story and create a new one: Thinking about all of the different holiday
traditions we have learned about, make up your own holiday character that either
brings presents or plays tricks on children. What would he or she do? Dont forget to
draw a picture!

Creative Project Based Learning Activities That Also Include Critical Thinking
Skills: Holidays often include feasts! Think about the Eid-ul-Fitr feast, the parties with
food and games in Mexico for Las Posadas, the Kwanzaa feast, the big special dinners
for Chinese New Years, and the Diwali parties with candies and snacks. Can you create
one new dish you could serve that would have something in it from each culture (like a
casserole or soup?) Now plan and design the greatest feast EVER!
Creative Project Based Learning Activities That Also Include Critical Thinking Skills:
Create your own fictional holiday that has some elements from at least three of the
different holidays around the world. Think of a name for your holiday! Design
invitations and send them out to parents, friends, or family members. Plan and cook a
feast that has some foods from each cultures holiday, and serve it to the parents that
come to the holiday celebration. Make gifts that have something to do with the cultures
you studied for the people that come!
Creative Project Based Learning Activities That Also Include Critical Thinking Skills:
Write a holiday play that contains characters from at least three of the cultures you
studied. There should be a setting, a main character, a beginning, middle, and a
conclusion. Cast your play from the students in the room and then think of some easy
costumes or hats you could use to help put it on! Gather props and practice your play.
Can you think of any music to include? Make invitations and distribute them to parents,
friends, and family members. Create a program for your special show that you could
pass out to those that attend; it should have the cast members names and other credits
on it. Then perform your play!

Questions from All Levels of

Webbs Depth of Knowledge for
Holiday Traditions Around the
World

Webbs Depth of Knowledge, Explained in Plain English (Hopefully!) You can download a copy of
this document here.

Level 1 DOK: Recall &

Reproduction
Can the student recall a simple fact from the
story? Requires a shallow understanding and no
analysis. This is correlates fairly directly to Blooms
Taxonomy at the bottom two levels (Understand &
Remember). So I just took all of questions from
those two levels and put them here:
Basic Recall and Comprehension Questions:

Who brings presents to the children in Norway and Denmark?

What else does he do other than bring presents?
When does the Jul Nisse visit?
Where does the Jul Nisse go? (What countries?)
Why does the Jul Nisse sometimes play jokes on people?
How do families get him to play only nice jokes?
Tell me how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark.
Act out how the what happens in Denmark and Norway during the holidays.
Draw me a picture of how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark and tell me
about it.
Color a picture of how they celebrate Christmas in Norway and Denmark, and then
write me a few sentences that tell how it is celebrated.

Level 2 DOK: Skills & Concepts

Can the student think beyond recalling a fact?
Students may be asked to interpret, infer, classify
and categorize, organize, compare & contrast, and
determine whether fact or opinion, predict,
determine cause & effect, apply, reconstruct or
sequence a story, Some of the questions from
BOTH the third and fourth levels of Blooms fit
here! It depends on the complexity of the
question.
I think that almost all of the questions Iwrote for both the third and fourth level of
Blooms Taxonomy fit in here because we are only talking about one text at a time. The

question I wrote for experimentation and postulation doesnt fit here because the
child must think beyond the text to get the answer. Generally, if you can get the kids to
think about more than one text at a time, think beyond the text to get the answer, and
get them to formulate opinions, youll have hit the third level in DOK.
Predict: What would happen if the families put out some spinach and broccoli for the
Jul Nisse?
Sequence: What happens first when the Jul Nisse comes? What happens last when the
Jul Nisse comes?
Apply the situation to your own life: If you lived in Norway or Denmark, would you
leave the Jul Nisse rice pudding and porridge, or spinach and broccoli? Why?
Compare & contrast: How is the Jul Nisse the same as Santa? How is he different?
Classify & categorize: Is the Jul Nisse real or make believe? Why do you think so?
Classify & categorize: What kind of person or character is the Jul Nisse? (ie., an elf)
Cause & effect: What do you think caused the Jul Nisse to be a kind of mean elf? Why
do you think so?
Infer: What kind of things do you think the Jul Nisse would do if he played a nice/mean
joke?

Level 3 DOK: Strategic Thinking

Can the student think beyond the text to his world
or another text for an answer, or adapt the text to
create something new? Can he explain, generalize,
or connect ideas from one text to another? Can he
evaluate text, formulate opinions, and then
explain them? Summarizing information from
multiple sources falls into this category as well.

Experimentation or postulation: What else do you think you could give the Jul Nisse if
you ran out of porridge and rice pudding, but still wanted him to be friendly and play
nice jokes? Why?
Rate: Do you think it is better to have Santa visit during the holidays or the Jul Nisse to
visit, or something else? Put your choices in order from best to worst and explain your
choices.
Judge: Do you think that the Jul Nisse is a good elf or a bad elf? Explain why you think
so.
Evaluate: Is the Jul Nisse the best elf to visit during the holidays, or not the best elf?
Why, or why not? Form an opinion: Do you like the Jul Nisse? Why or why not? Would
you like to live in Norway or Denmark during the holiday season? Why or why not?
Graph where the class would like to live during the holidays based on each countrys
holiday traditions. Show the class pictures of Norway and Denmark using Google Earth
or by some other method to help them decide.
Connect ideas from one text to another: Get some blocks to build with and cut out
some pictures from the holiday book of the different characters and props or objects
that are in it. (Real objects are even better!) Have the children build a new setting for
a certain holiday character and tell a new story to a friend about what your new
character did during the holidays.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Take the Jul Nisse and put him in France.
Would he ride in on a donkey? Would he still play tricks on people or would he always
be nice? Write a class story (or your own story) about the Jul Nisse holiday in France.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Suppose La Befana from Italy gave her broom
to Sinterklaas in Holland and Sinterklaas gave his white horse to La Befana? What
would the children think or do if they saw La Befana on a white horse or Sinterklaas
riding a broom? Do a Think, Pair, Share activity and talk about it. (Pair up and think
about it, and then share out with the group.) Brainstorm ideas and write stories, or
make up a class story and have everyone draw a picture.
Adapt the story and create a new one: Think about the Hanukah menorah with candles
on it and the tradition of putting a candle in the windows of Ireland. How are they the
same or different? Write a story of an Irish family celebrating Christmas in Israel, or an
Israeli family celebrating Hanukkah in Ireland. What would they do? (You could also do
this with Kwanzaa and Diwali.)

Adapt the story and create a new one: Thinking about all of the different holiday
traditions we have learned about, make up your own holiday character that either
brings presents or plays tricks on children. What would he or she do? Dont forget to
draw a picture!
(I added these questions to this section, although they were not included above for
Blooms.)
Experimentation: Suppose Iwanted to find out what would happen if Ileft the Jul Nisse
broccoli and spinach, what should Ido? Should Itry this at my own house or someone
elses house? Why or why not?
Compare & contrast: (This question assumes you have already read about holiday
traditions in France and Italy.) Who would visit your family if you were born in France
and lived there until you were five, and then moved to Denmark or Norway? And then
when you were seven, your family moved to Italy? Would Pere Noel, La Befana, AND
the Jul Nisse all visit you? Or would just one? If so, which one? Why????

Level 4 DOK: Extended Thinking

Students take information from more than one
source and are asked to apply this information to a
new task that includes complex thinking, usually
over time. (Ex. A project-based-learning activity
for younger students. For older students, this
could include a research project or term paper.)
Holidays often include feasts! Think about the Eid-ul-Fitr feast, the parties with food
and games in Mexico for Las Posadas, the Kwanzaa feast, the big special dinners for
Chinese New Years, and the Diwali parties with candies and snacks. Now plan and
design the greatest feast EVER! Can you create one new dish you could serve that
would have something in it from each culture (like a casserole or soup?)
Create your own fictional holiday that has some elements from at least three of the
different holidays around the world. Think of a name for your holiday! Design
invitations and send them out to parents, friends, or family members. Plan and cook a
feast that has some foods from each cultures holiday, and serve it to the parents that
come to the holiday celebration. Make gifts that have something to do with the cultures
you studied for the people that come!

Write a holiday play that contains characters from at least three of the cultures you
studied. There should be a setting, a main character, a beginning, middle, and a
conclusion. Cast your play from the students in the room and then think of some easy
costumes or hats you could use to help put it on! Gather props and practice your play.
Can you think of any music to include? Make invitations and distribute them to parents,
friends, and family members. Create a program for your special show that you could
pass out to those that attend; it should have the cast members names and other credits
on it. Then perform your play!
I hope you get a chance to try some of these questions out with your class! Please let
me know how it goes if you do! You can download a pdf copy of the questions from
Blooms Taxonomy here. You can download a copy of the questions from Webbs Depth
of Knowledge here.

Critical Thinking Exercise 1: Tour Guide for an Alien

Pretend that you have been assigned the task of conducting a tour for aliens who are
visiting earth and observing human life. You're riding along in a blimp, and you float over
a professional baseball stadium. One of your aliens looks down and becomes very
confused, so you tell him that there is a game going on.
Try to answer the following questions for him.
1.

What is a game?

2.

Why are there no female players?

3.
4.
5.

Why do people get so passionate watching other people play

games?
What is a team?
Why can't the people in the seats just go down on the field and
join in?

If you try to answer these questions fully, it will quickly become apparent that we carry
around certain assumptions and values. We support a certain team, for instance, because it

makes us feel like we're a part of a community. This sense of community is a value that
matters to some people more than others.
Ads
Easy HS Chemistry Book
www.highmarksinschool.com
High Marks:Regents Chem Made Easy by Sharon Welcher 95000 sold
$10.95
BACB Exam Preparation
siriming.com/exam-preparation
Online course to prepare for the behavior analyst certification exam
Furthermore, when trying to explain team sports to an alien, you have to explain the
value we put on winning and losing.
When you think like an alien tour guide, you are forced to take a deeper look at the things
we do and things we value. They don't always sound so logical and true from the outside
looking in!

Critical Thinking Exercise 2: Fact or Opinion

Do you always know fact from opinion? It's not so easy to do sometimes. Recent
developments in the media have made it easy for groups with political agendas to
masquerade as impartial sources, and for fake web sites to offer fake information-and that
makes it more important than ever for students to develop critical thinking. You must use
trustworthy sources in your school work!
If you don't learn the difference between fact and opinion, you'll get stuck reading and
watching things that only reinforce beliefs and assumptions you already own. And that is
the opposite of learning!
Try to determine whether each statement sounds like a fact or an opinion, and discuss
with a friend or study partner.

My mom is the best mom on earth.

My dad is taller than your dad.

My telephone number is difficult to memorize.

The deepest part of the ocean is 35,813 feet deep.

Dogs make better pets than turtles.

Smoking is bad for your health.

Eighty-five percent of all cases of lung cancer in the U.S. are

caused by smoking.

If you flatten and stretch out a Slinky toy it will be 87 feet long.

Slinky toys are fun.

One out of every hundred American citizens is color blind.

Two out of ten American citizens are boring.

You will probably find some of the statements easy to judge, but other statements
difficult. If you can debate the truthfulness of a statement with your partner, then it's
probably an opinion!