FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADES
Thinking skills are always incorporated into the core curriculum. However, there are some strategies and metacognitive methods that can be directly taught to enhance student thought. Listed below are also some activities related to Socratic Seminar or Socratic Dialogue. If you have any questions about any of these resources or have suggestions for additions, please send a MESSAGE.
NOTE: There is no extra cost to you, but when you purchase Amazon products linked here, I make a few pennies on the dollar (read more here). Being an Amazon Affiliate helps me offset the costs of maintaining and securing this site, which really makes my husband happy!
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS / CURRICULUM
Socratic Smackdown – a discussion game for Socratic Seminar (see video)
TED Connections (MENSA) for Socratic Dialogue
Philosophy for Kids (see blog post)
Lesson Plans: Center for Philosophy for Children
Design Thinking ~ What is It?
Stories With Holes ~ series by Nathan Levy
Instant Challenges – practice exercises for Destination Imagination®
Chess Kid ~ online chess lessons and games
Thinker’s Toolbox (blog post)
Socratic Dialogue Guidelines – (see blog post ~ ideas for introducing student-led discussions)
LESSONS and UNITS
Invention Impact (critical thinking strategy)
Unintended Consequences (30 min. lesson)
Lesson with a Twist (paradigm-shifting reading of a text ~ blog post)
S.C.A.M.P.E.R. – Introductory Lesson (FREE) – created for K-3 but could be used up to 5th
“Thinking Outside the Box” ~ A Lesson (blog post)
Classroom Conversations: Video-Prompted Dialogue (blog post)
The Fun Theory: A Lesson in Creative Thinking
Two Puzzles are Better than One: Customize Puzzles for Learning ~ (blog post)
Think Law Sample Lesson: The Chair ~ TPT freebie / critical thinking ~ see blog post
Think-a-Thon ~ Indoor/ Outdoor Field Day (event)
Visual-Spatial and Lateral Thinking Activities and Puzzles
Hexagonal Thinking ~ blog post (Engage Their Minds)
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF NEW LINKS AND BLOG POSTS (no more than one email each week). Some school districts block unapproved external sites, so you may want to use a personal email address.
THIS IS AN AD-FREE SITE and SUBSCRIBER EMAILS are kept confidential- forever!