NCTE Jeff Golub, Chair Because thinking skills are so closely related to reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills the committee on Classroom Practices decided in 1984 to deal with this topic. The ability to analyze, classify, compare, formulate hypotheses, make inferences, and draw conclusions is essential for all adults, and can help students be successful both in the school setting and outside. This book, resulting from the convention, contains thirty practical classroom activities from primary to college classrooms, that engage students in thinking processes. All content areas are included, but with an emphasis on literature. I have selected ones that interest me and are most relative to middle school.
Questions generated from student are often better than the teacher's.
Class discussion of the literature requires the teacher prepare questions prior to class. For discussion the teacher thinks of these areas as intersecting circles. The conjuncture of all three circles include parts of each area and are the most complex questions. These are good topics for the class discussion. In this activity students get the benefit of becoming an expert on a particular topic as well as take on a power position by altering history a little.