As Cider (1993) states, people’s capacity to learn depends on their perceptions, organization skills, and ability to search for information effectively. Therefore, lessons are most effective when they nurture these skills through the emphasis of problem-solving, storing data, and application. We teach some of these skills through an opening exercise that involves asking questions that foster metacognitive strategies, group reading, collaborative information-search, and differentiated lesson implementation. Huitt (2006) explains that teachers can help students learn metacognitive strategies by teaching them when to ask for help, self-monitor learning and thinking, and help them learn how to transfer knowledge through various tasks. Our chosen teaching style and this lesson promote all of these strategies by encouraging students to compete, strategize, philosophize, and seek help.
Critical Thinking in Social Science 