Critical Thinking Blog
This blog contains four sections:
- Critical Thinking Articles: Articles for teens and adults about various critical thinking topics such as what critical thinking is (and is not), how to spot pseudoscience, and how arguments can go wrong.
- Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical tips on how to teach critical thinking to kids and teens.
- Handbooks: Short, simple explanations of critical thinking concepts covered in Critikid's courses so that parents and teachers can better support the learning journey.
- Puzzles: These tricky puzzles with counterintuitive solutions are intended for older kids and adults.
Critical Thinking Articles
What is Critical Thinking?
by Jon Guy
Misconceptions about critical thinking include beliefs such as “We are all born critical thinkers” or “Critical thinking comes naturally” or “I’m a critical thinker because I question authority.”
Pseudo-skepticism: What Is Not Critical Thinking?
by Jon Guy
How is rational skepticism different from contrarianism, cynicism, and denialism?
The Critical Thinking Paradox
by Santiago Gisler
There lies a crucial paradox in critical thinking development: as we focus on mastering our critical thinking skills, we also learn to automate them—sometimes to their detriment.
How DebunkBot is Helping Minds Change
by Stephanie Simoes
Six lessons we can learn about effective communication from an AI chatbot that is helping people to change their minds.
How Arguments Can Go Wrong
by Stephanie Simoes
There are two main ways an argument can go wrong.
How Flawed Arguments Can Go Right
by Stephanie Simoes
Sometimes, flawed arguments have true conclusions.
Denominator Neglect: A Poem
by Stephanie Simoes
Unlikely things are likely to happen when happening happens a lot.
How to Spot Pseudoscience
by Stephanie Simoes
Pseudoscience is not the same as bad science. This post covers what pseudoscience is (and is not) and how we can detect it.
How to Type the Connective Symbols of Symbolic Logic
by Stephanie Simoes
A guide on how to type the connective symbols for symbolic logic, also called formal logic or sentential logic, on Mac and Windows.
Teaching Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking for Kids
by Ronald Crouch
Tips from a child psychologist on how to teach children of various ages critical thinking at home.
Student Questions That I Don't Answer
by Stephanie Simoes
One of my favourite parts of being a teacher is the interesting and sometimes even surprising questions my students ask me. Due to their enormous curiosity, children may ask some questions that adults find difficult to answer.
The Socratic Teaching Method
by Stephanie Simoes
By asking a series of questions, you can guide students to knowledge they didn’t know they already had.
The Power of “I Don't Know” in Education
by Stephanie Simoes
As adults, we must not be embarrassed to say "I don't know" to children. Used correctly, this phrase can be a powerful educational tool, for several reasons.
Learning through Teaching
by Stephanie Simoes
Teaching equips students with essential life skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
How I Teach my Six-Year-Old about the Algorithm
by Jessica Silberman
You can encourage smart and thoughtful technology use in young children by adding in a few questions as you go about your normal day.
Handbooks
Logical Fallacy Handbook
by Stephanie Simoes
Logical fallacies are flaws in reasoning. This handbook provides a brief overview of ten common logical fallacies.
Data Analysis Handbook
by Stephanie Simoes
We have access to more information than ever, but we also need skills to make sense of it all. This handbook provides a brief overview of common errors in data analysis.
Puzzles
The False Positive Paradox
by Stephanie Simoes
You test for a disease that affects 1% of the population. The test has a 5% false positive rate. Your test comes back positive. What are the chances you have the disease?
Simpson’s Paradox
by Stephanie Simoes
Simpson's paradox is a counterintuitive statistical phenomenon that can result in data misinterpretation if we're not careful. Let's see how it works with the Kidney Conundrum.
The Two Child Problem: A Probability Puzzle in Three Parts
by Stephanie Simoes
The Two Child Problem shows us that our intuition can mislead us when thinking about probability.
The Two Box Puzzle
by Stephanie Simoes
Someone presents you with two opaque boxes. One has two $100 bills. The other has a $100 bill and a $1 bill. You are told that you will get to keep the second bill you withdraw...
Conditional Probability
by Stephanie Simoes
Learning this key concept in probability will help you to understand these probability puzzles.
Courses
Fallacy Detectors
Develop the skills to tackle logical fallacies through a series of 10 science-fiction videos with activities. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
A Statistical Odyssey
Learn about common mistakes in data analysis with an interactive space adventure. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Logic for Teens
Learn how to make sense of complicated arguments with 14 video lessons and activities. Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Emotional Intelligence
Learn to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions. Designed by child psychologist Ronald Crouch, Ph.D. Recommended for ages 5 and up.
Worksheets
Logical Fallacies Worksheets and Lesson Plans
Teach your grades 3-7 students about ten common logical fallacies with these engaging and easy-to-use lesson plans and worksheets.
Symbolic Logic Worksheets
Worksheets covering the basics of symbolic logic for children ages 12 and up.
Elementary School Worksheets and Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and worksheets teach students in grades 2-5 about superstitions, different perspectives, facts and opinions, the false dilemma fallacy, and probability.
Middle School Worksheets and Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and worksheets teach students in grades 5-8 about false memories, confirmation bias, Occam's razor, the strawman fallacy, and pareidolia.
High School Worksheets and Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and worksheets teach students in grades 8-12 about critical thinking, the appeal to nature fallacy, correlation versus causation, the placebo effect, and weasel words.
Statistical Shenanigans Worksheets and Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and worksheets teach students in grades 9 and up the statistical principles they need to analyze data rationally.