CRITICAL

THE
THINKING
W O R K B O O K
Games and Activities for Developing
CRITICAL THIN
KING SKILLS
 What is
Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is clear, rational, logical, and
independent thinking. It’s about improving thinking
by analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing how
we think. It also means thinking in a self-regulated
and self-corrective manner. It’s thinking on
purpose!

Critical thinking involves mindful communication, About This Workbook

problem-solving, and a freedom from bias or
egocentric tendency. You can apply critical The activity pages in the Critical Thinking
thinking to any kind of subject, problem, Workbook are meant to be shared and explored.
or situation you choose. Use it as an electronic document or as
worksheets.

You can either print off the pages and use them as
activity sheets, or you can edit them directly right in
the document on your computer.

There are also Answer Keys for the activities

that need them provided at the back of
the book. Now, go get thinking!
 Activities for

COMMUNICATION
 ?
FACT or This exercise is about differentiating between fact and opinion. A fact can be proven either
true or false. An opinion is an expression of feeling or point-of-view and cannot be proven
OPINION true or false.

The teacher will create some statements that are either fact or opinion. If it’s a fact, check on F and
then briefly explain how it can be proven. If it’s an opinion, check on O and briefly explain why you feel
it can’t be proven. Compare answers with your friends and share your views with each other.

Statement: 10.

1.

F
2.

F
3.
F
4.
F
5.

F
6.
F
7.
F
8.
F
9.

F
 O
Reasoning:
O
F O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

COFFEE Use this one for role-playing and interpersonal communication skills. Fill out the character sheet

HOUSE below to create a persona. Next, the class should be given an historical event or current issue
related to the lesson to discuss. Students should also get some time to do some research, and to
CHAT think about how they want to represent their character’s views.

The class will split into groups. What follows will be a 20 min. cafe-style conversation about the
chosen topic. Be sure to practice things like being open-minded and disagreeing respectfully.

Character Name: Age: Gender: Marital Status:

Occupation: Education Level: Hobbies:

Create a brief background for your character:

Research notes for your chat:

Work on some skills using metaphor and choosing words carefully with this fun, challenging exercise.
Imagine you live in a world where there are only 10 words you can ever use. You can repeat them

WORLDLY as much as you want, but you can’t ever use any other words. Write down the 10 words you’d
choose.
WORDS Next, make sentences with them in order to communicate something to your group. Use feeling and gesture
to help them understand you. You can measure their understanding by writing your actual intended
meaning below the sentence. Remember, you’ve only got 10 words to use, so choose them well!
Your 10
words: Create sentences with them here:

1. Love

2. Time
4. Sleep

3. Stay
 5. Eat
1. I LOVE you, I love to sleep
Actual meaning: Love is when you choose to be at your best when the other person is not at their
best.

2. TIME to sleep, Time to eat, and Time to love

Actual meaning: events that occur in an apparently irreversible succession from the past

3. I stay with you

Actual meaning: To stop at some place with someone or alone

4. Sleep on time, I have to sleep

Actual
meaning: the natural state of rest during which your eyes are closed and you become unconscious.

5. Time to Eat, eat on time

Actual meaning: The process that in which organism ingest to get energy

6. Hi
10Happy

7. You

8. Dead

9. I
 6. Hi! you stay here name
Actual meaning: used as a
friendly greeting or to attract
attention. 8. You will be Dead, You sleep like Dead
Actual meaning: The thing which cannot breath or move

7. You stay happy, You Stay 9. I am Happy, I will sleep, and I will eat
here, you and I will stay here Actual meaning: Pronoun Use for self
Actual meaning: Pronoun Used 10. I am Happy, Don’t Happy on Dead
to call someone instead of
Actual meaning: feeling or showing pleasure or contentment

ALIEN This exercise encourages us to look much deeper at who we are both as individuals and as a

TRAVEL society. It’s about looking at what we do or what we value with a fresh perspective.

GUIDE Each activity encourages you to answer the questions as a way of exploring assumptions and
some common situations in life that we take for granted. There are 2 scenarios provided. The
blank space is so that you can write your own. You can test your fellow classmates with your
scenarios in stylized interview sessions where one of you is the alien and the other is the travel
guide.

Scenario Scenario Scenario 3

1 2

You are conducting a tour for aliens who play them?

are visiting earth and observing humans.
What are “teams” and why are they so important for humans to be part of?
You’re all in their spaceship when you fly
over a football stadium. One of the aliens Why is it these games seem to get more attention than other matters on your
is confused, and turns to you for help. Try planet, like disease and poverty?
answering these questions:
Why do humans get so emotional and even violent when watching games?
What is a game, and why do humans
What would happen if no human You are chatting with a group of aliens
could ever play these games again? on a tour of a local library. While you all
mingle, one of the aliens picks up a
volume about the history of global war
and conflict. The alien turns to you and
asks you these questions:

What is war and why do humans

wage it upon each other?

Humans seem to feel that warfare

is often the only way to resolve
conflict. Why is this so?
How do you decide who wins and
who loses? How do you know this
is accurate?

How does warfare affect those who

can’t or won’t participate?

What legacy do you feel these wars

will provide for your future
generations?
 Time for some great debates! In this exercise, students will learn the importance of being able to take a
stance on an issue and defending that stance with logic, reasoning, knowledge, and common sense.
TALK IT
OUT Below is a list of scenarios to present for students to discuss and debate. They are based primarily on ethics
and morality. They will encourage students to take a stand and defend their viewpoint. These can be done in
pairs, but are much more compelling in larger class debates where views are divided. They can also be used
as individual worksheets—students can circle an answer and then explain their choice in writing.

1. Richard finds an expensive looking ring in the school hallway one day. It has no name on it, and it’s not near anyone’s locker.
Should he: A) Give it to lost and found B) Ask if it belongs to anyone there C) Keep it and not say anything

A) He should be honest, the thing that does not belongs to him is not his! He should return it to lost and found, maybe that would
be a worth a lot to someone who has lost it.

2. Judy’s friend is stressed about an upcoming test. Judy already took the test and got 100%, so she knows all the answers
already.
Should she: A) Just give the answers to her friend B) Use her knowledge to coach her friend C) Not get involved at all
B) She should use her knowledge to coach her friend, in this way she will learn things on her own.

3. Coach Nelson has caught two of his star basketball players vandalizing school property. The rule is that they must be suspended.
If that happens their team loses the upcoming semi-finals. If the coach keeps quiet they’ll surely win, but he could lose his job.
Should the coach: A) Suspend the two players and obey the rules B) Pretend he never saw them
A) Rule is rule, players must be suspended in this way they will know the value of stuff.

4. Nick overhears two students bragging about having posted some inappropriate images of a female student online for a joke.
Should he: A) Mind his own business B) Report the incident to the school principal C) Confront the boys and defend the student
A) Not get involved in the first-hand, you go school you study you return that’s all.
5. You witness a bank robbery, and follow the perpetrator down an alleyway. He stops at an orphanage and gives them all the money.
Would you: A) Report the man to police since he committed a crime B) Leave him alone because you saw him do a good deed
A) Report the man to the police, because in the first-hand he stole the money which did not belonged to him and on the second
hand, you cannot turn black money into white by donating to orphanage or any needy people.

6. A friend tells you that he/she has been receiving anonymous bullying messages online. You suspect that certain people are guilty.
Would you: A) Tell your friend just to ignore them B) Encourage them to report the abuse C) Risk confronting the ones you
suspect
B) Encourage the abuse, every bully should pay for what they do, that is what make them criminals in the future.

SILENT Here is an exercise for visualization and non-verbal communication. It involves conversing with writing

SHARING and drawing to develop reflection and deliberate thinking.

Break into groups of 2 or 3. Each person gets their own sheet (or create one big one for the team). The
teacher will provide an essential driving question to ponder. Write it at the top of the sheet. Next, reflect
on the question and then begin “talking” about it using only writing and sketching in your space.

The Essential Question:

ELEVATOR This is an exercise used in business to help you think fast and get your point across. It’s all about

PITCH choosing and using words carefully and persuasively to achieve your goals in any conversation.

You must convincingly “pitch” an idea, concept, product/service or proposal in the time it takes to
ride an elevator (about 30 to 60 seconds) so this is a timed exercise. Make some notes about
what you want to say; some topic ideas and note space are provided below. Enjoy the ride!

Ideas for EP Topics My Topic:

A product or service you are offering

An idea for a website/social network

A special project you need to fund

A favour you need from someone

An organization or business plan

An invention you want to get

patented A party plan for a

birthday/wedding

A campaign for a political position

An advertisement for a local event

An idea for a blog or a book

A unique interior design for a space
 Activities for

THINKING VISUALLY
 REBUS Rebus puzzles use visuals that put a different spin on words or parts of words that are well
ROUNDUP known. Figure out the word or phrase for each of these rebus puzzles and write it underneath.

AGE AGE AGE ANOTHER

DECI SION
ONE

CHIEDITOREF T2222

1 Split decision 2 Middle Age 3 One after another 4 Editor in chief 5

Tea for two
GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT
and better 10 AC MORAL
and better III talk

6 Bigger and better 7 8 Moral support 9 Forget 10 Small talk

Tennessee it

SHOW
BR
BREED E ED TRAVEL CCCCCC
D PHROMATE

11 Cross 13 Mixed metaphor

breed 12 Half- 14 Sideshow 15 Travel overseas
hearted

JACK
SECRET SECRETY SECRET

GET
GO O
16 Top secret
O_ER_T_O_ 17 Painless 18 Get up and 19 See for Yourself 20 Jack in the box
U operation go

C R
S
E
L
F
Y
O
U
R
S
E
L
F
Y
O
U
R
S
E
L
F
Y
O
U
R
S
E
L
F
 Look at the objects and words on the page for 1 minute. Next, try to write down everything you
TOTAL RECALL remember seeing and reading on the page. If you’re doing this one as a colour print-off, try
recalling the specific colour of each word and shape too, if you can.

EAST

LU SUM
NC MER RIGHT
VACATIO
H
N

RAINBOW R

W
IN
T
WEST
i
m
E a
g
e
s
www.freepik.com

SUN
GLA
SSE
S
 Connect these 9 dots using only four lines, and without lifting your pencil from the paper.
4/9 CONNECT (Hint: Think beyond real and imaginary boundaries with this puzzle.)

Start experimenting with lines that extend outside the square,

And the answer comes quickly.
Here is a solution: if the dots are numbered 1 through 9 from left to right,
Draw a line from dot 1 through 5 to 9,
Then up through 6 and 3 and outside of the box,
Then back down through 2 and 4, then right through 7 and 8.
This will allow you to create other solutions based on these rules
 CRAZY Put in your own creative wording for each of these images. You can write some dialog between the
CAPTIONS characters, write a single-line caption, or turn the image into a clever meme. Keep it short and witty!
MEANINGS Write one sentence to explain what each common image or symbol means to you. The idea here is to
IN move away from conventional meanings and relate to the images personally.
MIND
In this world Human have different believes and paths but they have one destination one day they return to back on same way.

Raise hand with them who take right stand against cruel society.

Collect straw one by one and made the nest keep struggling slow and slow but never give up.

People have different mask on the face but they have inner same skull.

Be hurdles for those who are against you on right path.

When you are going on long rout keep your tools upgraded.

If you have any disability it doesn’t mean you gave up keep struggling keep flying.
 AWESOME Anagrams are words and sentences that can be written different ways to obtain more words or groups
ANAGRAMS of words. Create new words by rearranging the letters in the ones below—some can be tricky!

SPEAR REWARD LEAST REINS PASTE

MISTER TRACES
pares drawer slate resin tapes merits
parse redraw stale rinse peats miters
reaps warder steal risen septa remits
spare warred tales siren spate timers
spare teals

PLATES SPREAD POST PLAYER NAME

SKATE SNAP
Palest. Padres. opts parley amen stake

Pleats. Parsed. pots pearly mane steak

Pastel. Rasped. stop replay mean takes
petals spared tops teaks

LEAP PARTIES RATES RESTRAIN PASS

TEAM EAST
PALE  pastier aster retrains asps mate
PEAL pirates stare strainer saps meat
PELA
traipse Taser terrains spas tame
PLEA
tears trainers
 Activities for

INDIVIDUAL SKILLS
 Answer each question for each list below. To make it more challenging, try answering as quickly
YOU NAME as you can against another person.
IT
Name 3 people that: Name 3 places that: Name 3 things that:

1. Talk more than you 1. Have good food 1. Are square

2. Talk less than you 2. You would like to visit 2. Are orange

3. Work hard 3. Have lots of mountains 3. Smell good

4. You think are smart 4. Are always warm 4. Live in the water

5. Wear costumes 5. You don’t want to visit ever 5. Taste terrible

6. Are teachers 6. Are not on Earth 6. You enjoy doing

7. Travel a lot 7. Have a lot of technology 7. You don’t enjoy doing

8. Are always nice to you 8. People haven’t fought in wars 8. People read

9. Have a job you’d love to do 9. Have a lot of pollution 9. You see at school every day

10. Are very creative 10. Are famous all over the world 10. Scare you
 1001 This is a brainstorming exercise. The class writes everyday objects on slips of paper and places all
the slips in a box. You each draw a slip from the box, and the activity begins on a 15 min. timer. You
WAYS must now come up with as many new uses for your object as you can. Write them down or sketch
them out in the box—be as creative as you can! (You can also do this exercise in pairs or groups)

My Object:
 WHAT WOULD This exercise is designed to help you think laterally and discover new ways of looking at the

HAPPEN? world. Answer these questions using creative and constructive thinking. You can use as
much detail as you like. For fun, try to think of your own “What Would Happen?” questions!

What would happen if …

… there were suddenly no computers, tablets, or phones of any kind anywhere on Earth?

… we had to live in a world without electricity?

… you woke up one morning to discover you had changed into a cartoon character?

… all the animals in the world could suddenly communicate with us in our own language?

… you discovered your best friend was a superhero?

 How would you describe the following things and their sensations to someone who had
EXPLAIN YOURSELF never seen or experienced them before? Use all your senses in your descriptions!

A bunch of flowers An automobile A rainstorm

A laptop computer

Car cultures have social, material and, above all,

affective dimensions that are overlooked in current

strategies to influence car-driving decisions.

Car consumption is never simply about rational

economic choices, but is as much about aesthetic,

emotional and sensory responses to driving

, as well as patterns of kinship, sociability,

habitation and work. You can drive it and go any

where you want and you cover and enjoy the music.

A piece of chocolate A rock concert A hug from

someone A favourite place of yours
 Y The rules and laws we Rule No. 2
O have in life are meant to
U guide us and protect us, I chose this rule because:
and to keep order in our

K society. Imagine that you

N get to make 3 rules that
O everyone in the world must
W follow. What rules would Rule No. 3
you make and why?
I chose this rule because:
T
H
E
R
U
L
E
S

Rule No. 1

I chose this rule because:

 MAKING Part of life is being able to strike a healthy balance between our needs and our wants. It’s also about
focusing on what we consider to be truly important. Imagine you can have any 3 things that you want. In
CHOICES return you must give away three things that you already have. What do you want and what will you give
away, and why?

What I Choose to Have What I Would Give Away

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

SKET OUT
CH
THEM Suggestions
 • A traffic
Everything around you—cars, buildings, even our personal electronic devices—all started
system that • An idea for a
•A with an idea. This is an exercise in creative visualization. In the space below, sketch out an
doesn’t rely social
p idea for an invention or a concept you think would be cool. Some ideas are provided, but
on colours networking
o
domain feel free to come up with your own.
rt
• A machine
a
that turns
b
trash into
My Inventive Idea:
l
energy
e
s
• A “green”
o vehicle
u
r • An all-new
c method of
e personal
f transportation
o
r • A new
c immersi
h ve
a gaming
r system
g
i • An idea for a
n tablet or
g smartphone
a app
s
m • A challenging
a and fun new
rt idea for a
p sport
h
o • A clever
n design for an
e interior space
ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITIES
STRANGE
INTERVIEW Pair up with a partner and test each other with these fun and challenging “job interview” questions. This one
is all about lateral thinking and common-sense viewpoints. It’s also about active listening!

1. A man buys a new car and goes home to tell his wife. He goes the wrong way up a one-way street, nearly runs into 7
people, goes onto the sidewalk, and takes a shortcut through a park. A policeman sees all this and still doesn’t arrest him.
Why not?
Answers:
The man was walking.

2. If you had a machine that could generate one million dollars a day, what would you be willing to pay for it?

Answers:

Why pay for the machine if you already have it?

3. Why is it against the law for a person living in New York to be buried in California?

Answers:
Burying people who are still alive is a crime.

4. One house is made of red bricks, one of blue bricks, one of yellow bricks, and one of purple bricks. What is the green house made of?

Answers:
Glass panels.

5. A little girl kicks a soccer ball. It goes 10 feet and comes back to her. How is this possible?

Answer:
 She kicked it straight up into the air

6. In South Africa you can’t take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

Answer:

You can’t take a picture with a wooden leg; you have to use a camera.

7. You drive past a bus stop and see 3 people waiting for the bus: an old lady who is about to die, an old friend who saved your life,
and your perfect partner. Knowing you can only have one passenger in your car, what would you do?
Answer:

Give the car keys to your friend, and let him take the old woman to the hospital. Then stay behind and wait for the bus with
Your perfect partner.

8. How much dirt is there in a hole 3 feet deep, 6 feet long, and 4 feet wide?
Answer:

None—otherwise it wouldn’t be a hole.

9. If it took 8 men 10 hours to build a wall, how long would it take 4 men to build the same wall?

Answer:

The wall is already built; no need for anyone to build it again

10. How far can you walk into the woods?

Answer:

Halfway—after that, you’re walking out of the woods

11. How many books can you put in an empty backpack?

Answer:
You only need one; then the backpack isn’t empty.
12. Your friend says he can predict the exact score of every football game before it begins. He's right every time. How is that possible?

Answer:
The score before any football game begins is 0:0
 In a crisis situation, teamwork is crucial to handling challenges effectively. Fabricate a scenario in which
students need to work together and solve problems to succeed (ex: stranded on a deserted island, being lost
WORST at sea, etc.). The rule is that every team member must contribute an idea for a possible solution.
CASE
SCENARIO For example, they could come up with a list of items that would help them survive, or think of a plan to find
shelter or build it. Students can then vote and agree to a final solution.

Form into a circle and give everyone a unique picture of a person, place, object, or animal. One
TTRAIN of person begins a story that iuses whatever happens to be on their photo as the focus. The next
ALL TALES person continues the story by adding something related to their photo. This exercise gets funny
and challenging!

This fun collaborative team-building exercise develops aspects of Solution, Creativity, and Collaboration
Fluency. Each group constructs a free-standing tower out of newspaper and tape. There isn’t a time limit for
this exercise, unless you want to establish one.
PAPER
TOWER It encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Which team can build the tallest, structurally sound free-
standing tower? Throughout the process, students will start to realize there are questions they have that
they didn’t ask. This is a perfect time to get them to explore how to answer these questions for themselves.

CLASS This is an exercise based on building communication and trust between people. Arrange a challenging
MINEFIELD obstacle course and place students into teams. They get to take turns navigating the minefield you've
built while blindfolded, with only their teammates verbally guiding them. You can also require students to
use only specific
words or clues
to make it
harder, and
switch the
minefield around
for each team