Critical Thinking Competency Standards - The Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking In High School Physics
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Transcript of Critical Thinking In High School Physics
Critical Thinking in High School Physics
By Alan ZollnerED 5251: Curriculum and Methods for
Adolescent EducationMount St. Mary College
April 23, 2008
Research Topic
What is critical thinking, and how is it developed in the context of a high school Physics Class?
Surprise Quiz:Why, except during a full moon, is part of the
moon in a shadow?
Source: http://moon.nightskyobserver.com/index.php
Moon Shadow Explanatory hypothesis
The earth blocks light from the sun,causing a shadow.
The moon happens to sit on the boundary of that shadow;
hence, part of the moon is lit up, while the rest is in darkness.
Example from Paul Hager, Ray Sleet, Peter Logan, & Hooper, M. ,2003.
Moon Shadow Did you accept this hypothesis without first thinking about it? Thinking uncritically Did we compare this hypothesis to others?
Alternate hypothesis:
Earth and Moon as viewed from Mars
Target Name: Earth, Moon
Spacecraft: Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Instrument: Mars Orbiter Camera
Produced by: NASA/Malin Space Science Systems
Copyright: NASA Copyright Free Policy
Date Taken: 8 May 2003
Date Released:
22 May 2003
http://www.solarviews.com/cap/earth/PIA04531.htm
What is Critical Thinking? Reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what
to believe or do. (Source: Ennis, 1996 cited in Hager, et al, 2003 )
Characteristics of a critically thinking person:(Source: Gadzella & Penland, 1995 and Halpern, 1998 cited Kaplan, 2004 p. 123)
Makes inferences, Identifies assumptions, Analyzes arguments, Assess the reliability of a source, Distinguishes fact from opinion, Recognizes bias, fallacy, and irrelevance.
An individual’s ability and inclination to make and assess conclusions based on evidence.
(Source: Glassner, Weinstock, & Neuman, 2005 and van Gelder, 2005 cited in Eggen & Kauchak 2007 p. 282)
What is Critical Thinking? Reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what
to believe or do. (Source: Ennis, 1996 cited in Hager, et al, 2003 )
Characteristics of a critically thinking person:(Source: Gadzella & Penland, 1995 and Halpern, 1998 cited Kaplan, 2004 p. 123)
Makes inferences, Identifies assumptions, Analyzes arguments, Assess the reliability of a source, Distinguishes fact from opinion, Recognizes bias, fallacy, and irrelevance.
An individual’s ability and inclination to make and assess conclusions based on evidence.
(Source: Glassner, Weinstock, & Neuman, 2005 and van Gelder, 2005 cited in Eggen & Kauchak 2007 p. 282)
What is Critical Thinking? Reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what
to believe or do. (Source: Ennis, 1996 cited in Hager, et al, 2003 )
Characteristics of a critically thinking person:(Source: Gadzella & Penland, 1995 and Halpern, 1998 cited Kaplan, 2004 p. 123)
Makes inferences, Identifies assumptions, Analyzes arguments, Assess the reliability of a source, Distinguishes fact from opinion, Recognizes bias, fallacy, and irrelevance.
An individual’s ability and inclination to make and assess conclusions based on evidence.
(Source: Glassner, Weinstock, & Neuman, 2005 and van Gelder, 2005 cited in Eggen & Kauchak 2007 p. 282)
What is Critical Thinking? Reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what
to believe or do. (Source: Ennis, 1996 cited in Hager, et al, 2003 )
Characteristics of a critically thinking person:(Source: Gadzella & Penland, 1995 and Halpern, 1998 cited Kaplan, 2004 p. 123)
Makes inferences, Identifies assumptions, Analyzes arguments, Assess the reliability of a source, Distinguishes fact from opinion, Recognizes bias, fallacy, and irrelevance.
An individual’s ability and inclination to make and assess conclusions based on evidence.
(Source: Glassner, Weinstock, & Neuman, 2005 and van Gelder, 2005 cited in Eggen & Kauchak 2007 p. 282)
Challenge of Critical Thinking Critical Thinking is hard.
Most people are not very good at it. “When asked to provide evidence to justify an opinion, more than
have the population flounders.” (van Gelder, 2005 cited in Eggen and Kauchak, 2007)
Not a natural disposition for humans. “Our minds seem to have an intrinsic tendency toward illusion,
distortion, and error.” (Sherman, 2002 and Piatelli-Palmarini, 1994 cited in Eggan and Kauchak, 2007)
Belief Preservation: The tendency to make evidence subservient to belief, rather than the other way around. Changing belief disrupts cognitive equilibrium, which requires energy
to reestablish it.
Takes practice.
Higher Thinking
Creativity
Higher Thinking
Critical ThinkingConcepts
Rules
Problem Solving
(Source: Levine, 2002, p.190)
Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Cognitive Domain
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Highest Level
Lowest Level
Most Authentic
Less Authentic
(Source: Bloom et al., 1984 cited in Borich, 2007, p. 93)
Form judgments. Make decisions.State the basis of judgments.
A Step-by-step Approach to Critical Thinking
Step 1 Enumerate the facts describe objectively
Step 2 Uncover the point of view detective work.
Step 3 Establish the student’s own bias
What’s my point of view, myfeelings?
Step 4 Search for errors and exaggerations appearance vs reality
Step 5 Get outside help other people’s opinions
Step 6 Weigh the evidence Pull it all together
Step 7 Communicate formulate opinions using words
(Source: Levine, 2002, p.203-206)
Teaching Critical Thinking1) Nurture a positive attitude toward critical thinking.
2) Instruction and practice in critical thinking skills.
3) Demonstrate how to transfer critical thinking skills from one situation to another.e.g.: More money for a missile system, repairs of old car,
marry longtime girlfriend. Sunk costs problem
4) Direct and assess thinking. Did it work?
(Kaplan, 2004 p. 123 – 125)
Instructional Strategies Evaluative Strategy:
Evaluative Questions: e.g. Why? What reasons? How do you know? Explain.
Evaluative Criteria Help students generate criteria for making judgments
Think-Aloud Modeling Student summaries
Help students develop criteria
Physics
…and how is critical thinking developed in the context of a high school Physics class?
The Great Ideas of Physics: Exemplars
The sun-centered planetary model Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543)
Heavy and light objects fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance. Galileo (1564 – 1642)
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
1. Make Observations 2. Formulate a hypothesis 3. Test the hypothesis4. Analyze the results5. Reach a Conclusion6. Modify the hypothesis
Practice in …Thought experiments, Classroom demonstrations, Lab experiments
Developing Concepts by Evaluating Hypotheses Sound: Particles or waves?
What are the implications of each hypothesis? How can we prove one or the other? Interference – wave phenomenon
Caloric fluid theory vs. thermal energy
Questions and Assessments
“Two mass-spring systems vibrate with simple harmonic motion. If the spring constants are equal and the mass of one system is twice that of the other, which system has a greater period?”
T = 2 √ mk
(Source: Serway & Faughn, 2006, p. 381)
Questions and Assessments “Two cars are moving in the same direction in
parallel lanes along a highway. At some instant, the instantaneous velocity of car A exceeds the instantaneous velocity of car B. Does this mean that car A’s acceleration is greater than car B’s? Explain and use examples.”
(Source: Serway & Faughn, 2006, p. 381)
Summary:Developing Critical Thinking in High School Physics Critical thinking refers to an individual’s ability and
inclination to make and assess conclusions based on evidence.
Higher order thinking: Evaluation
Opportunities when teaching Physics: Great ideas of Physics Evaluating hypotheses The scientific method Evaluating claims Thinking aloud Questioning Assessments
Sources Borich, G. D. (2007). Effective teaching methods: Research-based practice (sixth ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2007). Educational psychology: Windows on classrooms (Seventh ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Kaplan, P. S. (2004). Adolescence. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Orlich, D. C., Hardner, R. J., Callahan, R. C., Trevisan, M. S., & Brown, A. H. (2007). Teaching strategies: A guide to effective instruction (Eigth ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Paul Hager, Ray Sleet, Peter Logan, & Hooper, M. (2003). Teaching Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Science Courses. Science & Education, 12, 303-313.
Serway, R. A., & Faughn, J. S. (2006). Physics. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
van Gelder, T. (2005). Teaching critical thinking: Some lessons from cognitive science. College Teaching, 53(1), 41-46.
Additional Resources:
This website has a photo of the Earth and moon as viewed from Mars aboard the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter on May 8, 2003, courtesy of NASA: http://www.solarviews.com/cap/earth/PIA04531.htm
Langrehr, J. (2001). Teaching our children to think. Bloomington: Solution Tree.
Critical Thinking in High School Physics