Lesson Plan

Discipline: Critical thinking and writing

Teacher’s name: Rakhimbaeva B.T. Date:
Group: PA-32 SS’ number: 9 Time: (40 mins)
25/30.11./2.12.21
Theme: Understanding cognitive bias

Lesson aims
Main aim: To introduce SS the idea of cognitive bias.
To help SS see the difference between four types of cognitive bias
To give SS practice of thinking critically in using the strength of positive or negative emotional reactions
To consider the ways of when to trust heuristics and when to distrust them
To analyze the effects of confirmation bias
Subsidiary aim(s):To give SS practice of thinking critically in carrying out the assignments
Personal aims:
To give clear instructions
To manage timing

Class profile (strengths, weaknesses, interests, learning preferences, etc.) Materials (Including copyright)
Critical thinking: Your guide to effective argument, successful analysis &
independent study. Tom Chatfield. SAGE Publications inc. 2017. p. 197-215

Anticipated problems Proposed solutions

SS may not know the terms Give definitions /Encourage SS to use dictionary

Whiteboard plan
 Lesson Plan

1 Why we spend most of the time using short cuts in our thinking
2 Four everyday short cuts used in thinking
3 What we mean by a cognitive bias
4 Common types of cognitive bias and how they affect our judgement
5 Why people are bad judges of their own expertise

Stage, Aim & Time Suggested procedures Interaction patterns * Notes

Stage 1 Greeting  T introduces the theme T

 T talks about the objectives and outcomes
of the learning unit
Aim: to provide SS with the unit
information
To establish rapport with students

Time (minutes): 5 mins

Stage 2 Lead-in
Aim: to get SS into the topic.
To generate SS interest in the
lesson
 T asks SS to work in pairs and brainstorm T-SS
the associations to the word “bias”,
‘heuristics’ S-S
 SS work in pairs T-SS
 Feedback: whole class feedback SS-T
 SS tell the teacher their associations
 T writes them on the board

Time (minutes): 3 mins

Stage 3 Pre-reading discussion
Aim: to help SS establish the
difference between two terms.
 T presents “heuristic=cognitive” and asks SS T-SS
to discuss in pairs how far they agree with
the statement.
 SS discuss. T monitors discussions. S-S
 Feedback: whole class feedback SS-T
 SS share their ideas. T comments on them.

Time (minutes): 3 mins

 Lesson Plan
Stage 4 Reading for gist
Aim: to provide SS with the
context.
Time (minutes): 5 mins
Stage 5 Presentation
Aim:
Time (minutes): 9 mins
Stage 6 Practice 1
Aim: to introduce the word
“cognitive bias”
To provide students with practice
of critical thinking
Time (minutes): 7 mins
Stage 6 Practice 2
Aim: to introduce the word
“stereotype”
To provide students with practice
of critical thinking
 T asks SS to discuss their answers in pairs. Smart studies
 SS discuss in pairs. T monitors discussions.
 Feedback: whole class feedback
 T nominates 2 students to answer
 SS discuss in pairs. T monitors discussions.
 Feedback: whole class feedback
 T dictates the definition of four types of
cognitive bias
 SS work individually
 T asks SS to compare their ideas with peers.
 SS discuss in pairs. T monitors discussions.
 Feedback: whole class feedback
 T introduces the term “Stereotype”
 T asks SS to grasp a situation as objectively
as possible.
 SS work in pairs. T monitors.
 Feedback: whole class feedback – SS share
their ideas
 T asks SS questions:
 Can a person be entirely objective or
entirely sceptic? (No)
 Lesson Plan

Time (minutes): 5 mins

Stage 7 Follow-up T asks SS to think about four questions they
may ask themselves when they need to think
twice.
Aim: To summarise the studied SS work in pairs. T monitors the discussion.
material Feedback: whole class feedback.
To provide students with peer SS share their ideas
discussions. T concludes the lesson with 4 questions for
becoming a better sceptic.

Time (minutes): 3 mins

* Individual work: IW (S) Pair work: PW (S-S)Group work: GW(Ss-Ss)Open class: OC(T-Ss; Ss-T; S-Ss)