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Using Art to Teach Critical Thinking

Art is one of the most underutilized resources in today’s ELA classroom. The Roman poet Horace claimed, “A picture is a poem without words” meaning art and written word are different mediums of expression. Art offers students a break from written words while continuing to develop the same skill set needed to be successful readers through challenging students to think both critically and analytically.

Here are a few examples of how I use art:

1.  Nighthawks  by Hopper

Nighthawks  by Hopper is analyzed to introduce the modern period. I give students time on their own to study the painting analyzing color, lines, and shapes and then use this discussion to determine mood and tone. If time allows, students write dialogue between the characters. Their only instruction is the dialogue will serve as characterization of one of the subjects in the painting and must match their prior analysis of the picture as a whole.

 2.  Marriage a la Mode: The Marriage Settlement  by Hogarth

Marriage a la Mode: The Marriage Settlement  by Hogarth is shown after a satire unit composed of short pieces and videos. Students work in groups to identify the satirical elements of the painting and how they are characteristic of the time period. I am always amazed at what my students see in this painting such as the groom looking at himself in the mirror, the bride and groom uninvolved in the contract, the dogs chained together, etc. We can easily spend an entire class period talking about this painting which leads perfectly into  Pride and Prejudice.  The painting is then revisited after reading  Pride and Prejudice, where students always have further insight. Student groups then compose their own satirical picture based on a passage in  Pride and Prejudice  using  Marriage a la Mode: The Marriage Settlement  as a model. Like me, you will be completely blown away by what students produce.

3. Impression,  Sunrise  by Monet and  A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte  by Seurat

Students often have a difficult time grasping the ambiguity in  Heart of Darkness  and why Conrad would use this style when writing. I often pair this novel with  Sunrise  by Monet or  A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte  by Seurat. Both of the pieces are very difficult to view and understand when looking up close but make sense by stepping back and looking at the piece as a whole. We spend time discussing why an artist would create a piece that is confusing up close but that makes sense when seen as a whole. The same is true with Heart of Darkness , and when students are confused or bogged down by passages in the novel, I remind them to step back and view the passage in light of the novel as a whole.

4.  The Scream  by Munch

Art is a great tool to work on sentence style and variety. Instead of rote grammar lessons, we use art as an inspiration piece and write sentences based on the work. Typically, we use the same image for a week as I prompt students to write a sentence about the piece with a participle phrase, an adjective clause, an introductory adverb clause. Sometimes I prompt them to review sentence types such as periodic sentences or the overlooked but powerful simple sentence. One of our favorite pieces to use for this activity is  Scream  by Munch because students love writing bizarre explanations for the subject.

5. Collages 

Students can collect art for a culminating project. Through digital displays, students are able to share with the class a collection of pieces that they feel best captures units, time periods, or novels we have studied during the year. I often ask them to pair the pieces with either quotes and defend why the piece was chosen.

Just like reading and writing, allow ample time to view a piece; analyzing art takes time. Offer guiding questions or thematic suggestions as a lens for students to use with viewing, while they are still getting use to art analysis. Also give students opportunities to view pieces without a specific focus though. The possibilities are limitless, and you and your students will reap the reward.

This piece was originally submitted to our community forums by a reader. Due to audience interest, we’ve preserved it. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.

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Focus on experiencing and appreciating art as a way to help students develop ways of thinking that support thoughtful learning.

Artful Thinking helps teachers use works of visual art and music in ways that strengthen student thinking and learning in the arts and beyond. The goals of this program are to help teachers create connections between works of art and the curriculum, and to help teachers use art as a force for developing students’ thinking dispositions. Using the artist's palette as a central metaphor, the Artful Thinking "palette" is comprised of six thinking dispositions which strengthen students' intellectual behaviors. These dispositions are developed through Thinking Routines, which are easy to learn and can deepen students' thinking in the classroom.

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Shari Tishman

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Teaching Students About Foster Brooks

Teaching students about necaxa: a unique learning experience, teaching students about “the crow cast”: an insightful approach to art education, teaching students about what “ad” means: a comprehensive guide, navigating cryptocurrency on campus: a student’s guide to bitcoin, teaching students about jay’s treaty: an essential lesson in american history, teaching students about sharon white: an inspirational educator, teaching students about the coaching legends of the steelers: a lesson in dedication, leadership, and success, teaching students about the tim donaghy scandal – learning from history, teaching students about kevin costner’s age: a unique approach to understanding hollywood’s history, using the arts to develop children’s critical thinking skills.

It’s no doubt that critical thinking is essential to education and, ultimately, success in life, but does developing this skill have to be so hard ?

As parents and teachers, we can get caught up in the “critical” aspect of critical thinking, often turning the acquisition of complex processing and problem-solving abilities into an overly serious matter of assigning elaborate math and science problems or forcing our kids to try to think in ways that their brains are not developed enough to understand. Although the development of these right-brained skills is part of the critical thinking process, we spend a meager amount of time and effort teaching the equally important creative, inquisitive thought patterns that the arts encourage.

Using Art to Harness Innate Curiosity

Children have unmatched levels of curiosity by nature, and strengthening our schools’ arts programs could be the solution to teaching the critical thinking skills that are necessary to keep the world functioning for future generations.

Think back on your elementary school experience for a moment when math, science, and the more “practical” classes were largely theoretical endeavors involving unknown variables and untouchable subject matter. The arts, however, provide students with hands-on learning, real-time problem solving and the ability to bring the hypothetical down to earth.

According to Dictionary.com , critical thinking is “disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded and informed by evidence.” When employed, critical thought enables us to make objective judgments about stimuli and information to find a solution to a given problem. With art education, students learn to take a slower, more observant approach to the world, giving them greater access to the clues that make solving complex problems possible.

Researchers at Walden University agree that guiding children to observe, examine and reflect on pieces of art, translates to a more careful analysis when problem-solving in other situations. Not to mention, growing students’ appreciation for art helps to improve tolerance, empathy, and resiliency, which are crucial to producing solutions that benefit society as a whole.

How to Implement Art in the Classroom

It’s one thing to understand the importance of art in critical thinking, but how can we take this, again, theoretical evidence and apply it in classrooms? Arts integration is a powerful method that employs the arts in every subject. When teaching history, for example, encourage students to draw upon their creative, left-brain functioning to act out important events, create theme-appropriate music, or illustrate interpretations of your lesson.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs get most of the attention these days, but recent movements make a place for art within this framework by creating STEAM (STEM + Arts) classrooms, which utilize self-expression and other arts integration techniques to create a balanced learning experience.

After all, careers in STEM fields – like computer programming and engineering – boil down to precise applications of artistic solutions to real-world problems. STEAM proves that creativity and practical knowledge can (and should) coexist in schools. Historically speaking, art drives science and science drives art . Therefore, the arts more than deserve a place in every classroom’s curriculum. How else would we nurture our kids’ curiosity and develop the critical thinking skills necessary to ponder, digest, and solve all of the world’s abstract problems?

How do you integrate the arts into your classroom? Drop a comment below to keep the conversation going!

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Strengthen Your Students’ Critical Thinking Skills by Playing Art Detective

We all know that Critical Thinking is a vital 21st Century Skill for our students. However, sometimes it’s difficult to think about presenting the concept to very young students. The good news is that with a little imagination, anything is possible. Today I’m sharing a simple activity you can use with your youngest students to begin to develop their critical thinkings skills.  

The activity is called Art Detective and is super simple to pull off.

  It would be perfect for an introduction to a project or theme, or an excellent option to pull out when you have 15 extra minutes of class. Here’s how to do it.  

Help your students become art detectives.

1. get into costume..

2. Choose a piece of art for students to “investigate.”

If you’re using this as an introduction to a project or theme, you may want to use a specific piece of art. Most likely, your choice will only be available in poster form. However, if you’re doing this activity outside of a specific project, why not bring in a real, physical piece of art? This could be a painting you’ve done (don’t tell them!), a piece of work done by a high school student in your district, or something you have hanging in your home. There is something about a real piece of art that truly engages students. In addition, don’t feel as though you have to limit your choices to 2D works. Ceramic pieces, sculptures, weavings, and artifacts also all work well. In fact, if you don’t know anything about the piece yourself, it can lead to a much more authentic discussion.    

3. Set the stage.

Explain the premise of the activity: You have just discovered the piece of art you are holding (or showing) and you have no idea what it is or what it’s about. You need the students help to figure it out!    

4. Guide the discussion without judgment.

If students are coming to different conclusions than the artist or different conclusions than you, it’s OK! Ask follow-up questions to reveal their thought processes. “What makes you think the person feels angry?” or “What about the picture makes you think it was made with fabric?” are two examples of these types of questions. I guarantee you will be blown away by their ideas and insights.

The beauty of this activity is that just by participating, students are developing critical thinking skills. The NEA has a helpful document available for download called “ An Educator’s Guide to the ‘Four Cs’ ” which details how part of critical thinking is making judgments and decisions. Specifically, students should develop skills to “Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims, and beliefs,” and, “Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis,” and finally, “Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions.”

Over time, providing your students with opportunities like playing Art Detectives will do just that! For even more insight into helping students analyze art, check out the following articles and lesson plan.  

• Slow Looking and 5 Other Simple Activities to Enhance Your Students’ Ability to Analyze Art 
• Five Easy Steps for Talking with Children About Art (via Tinkerlab )
• Artists Analyze: Free Lesson Plan Download

How do you get young students to begin to think about artwork in a critical way?

Do you have any favorite art pieces for them to analyze?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Amanda Heyn

Amanda Heyn is AOEU’s Director of K–12 PD & Media and a former AOEU Writer and elementary art educator. She enjoys creating relevant and engaging professional development just for art teachers.

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Mark Newport,  Batman 2 ,  2005, acrylic and buttons, Smithsonian American Art Museum

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• What’s Going on in This Artwork?
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Observe and Interpret

Create an ekphrastic poem.

Connect to the World

These learning experiences serve as the foundation of the unit. Differentiating in this step between looking (observation) and thinking (interpretation), there are opportunities to refine students’ vocabulary and reinforce reasoning with evidence.

Teaching Moves

Beginning with close looking, students document their observations of an artwork through sketching and writing. Here, the teacher might challenge students to find the most creative or evocative labels to describe elements of the artwork. Students then interpret the artwork based on their observations using a thinking pattern (Claim-Support-Question), which invites students to think about what the artwork means and to provide an explanation for the artwork.

Students may find that their earlier, independent exploration of the artwork has prepared them to receive additional information. Their earlier thinking is likely to provide a useful foundation upon which new information can be layered. This set of experiences, one of them an optional ekphrastic poem, invites students to incorporate new information into their current understanding.

Having captured the keywords and phrases from a text about the artist, students synthesize the information they have learned so far in an ekphrastic poem. Ekphrastic poetry responds to an artwork with vivid descriptions and explanations of deeper meanings. This learning experience challenges students to synthesize earlier steps and distill the meanings gathered from close looking, interpretation, and background text.

Capture the Heart, Connect to the World

This final set of learning experiences invites students to identify big concepts and themes addressed by the artwork. Identifying the big concepts and themes make it possible for students to transfer learning gleaned from the artwork to understanding local, national, and even global issues. Reflecting upon this process will help students to use the pattern of thinking in other areas, including the world around them.

Drawing upon the thinking and documentation from earlier learning experiences, this set of activities begins with students’ reassessment of their earliest interpretations. In light of new information, they are invited to identify the core concept of the artwork using a thinking pattern (I used to think... Now I think...). Students then consider why the core concept matters first to themselves, then to their community, and finally to the world. Students finally reflect on other situations in which getting to the heart of the matter would deepen their understanding of other complex ideas, events, or texts.

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We are often faced with challenges that test our critical thinking skills. If it is not in the math test, we find it in our everyday life. It is therefore important that these skills are taught early on if we are to raise functional individuals. From simple decisions to complex choices with far-reaching consequences, critical thinking is imperative. 

A lot of emphases has been put on stem subjects and their importance, particularly in career progression. There, however, needs an equally persistent push for the arts, not just for the potential opportunities promised but also for the role arts play in enhancing our critical thinking capabilities.

Why the Arts?

By nature, children are curious, and art seeks to exploit this positively so that the child can better express themselves. Art provides a practical learning experience, allowing the child to create solutions they see fit through their art projects. Children are able to create an ideal environment for themselves, determine what is ideal and what is not, and what is good and what is bad. Through this, children enhance their capacity to think critically and solve solutions to their hypothetical problems.

Through art, children are boundless and are free to make their own choices, unlike in a subject like math, where everything is pretty much definite and predetermined. They are allowed to make their observations and project them in the best way they know. Through teaching arts, learners have a better understanding and appreciation for art itself, the people that create as well as different cultures. Art also helps to instill values such as tolerance, discipline, and empathy. It allows for reflection, which is an important element of critical thinking.

Incorporating Art in the Classroom

For students to get the best from arts in school, there needs to be a well-thought-out arts program in the school first. Arts subjects need to be taken as seriously as STEM subjects are, and with equally as much attention given. Classrooms should be well equipped, and educators well trained. If we are being honest with ourselves, all other subjects borrow a thing or two from art. Careers in arts are equally meaningful and rewarding as STEM careers.

Arts can be incorporated into teachable subjects, including science. This may include illustrations and even artistic literature based on the subject. Class assignments such as making drawings and writing essays can also be used as tools to include arts in the classroom. This will help children understand the interrelationship between these subjects. 

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How to Use Art to Promote Critical Thinking in Children

by Miss Kheng | Aug 8, 2023 | Art for Child Development | 0 comments

The Connection Between Art and Critical Thinking

How to encourage critical thinking through art, tips and strategies for parents.

• Encourage curiosity: Ask your child questions about their artwork. What were they trying to express? Why did they choose those colours? These questions can stimulate their critical thinking.
• Promote problem-solving: Give your child challenging art projects that require them to figure out how to achieve a specific effect or create a particular form.
• Foster decision-making: Let your child make decisions during their art projects. For instance, ask them what to draw instead of telling them what they want to draw.
• Cultivate observation skills: Encourage your child to observe art closely, whether it’s their own artwork, a piece in a museum, or a picture in a book. This can enhance their attention to detail, an essential aspect of critical thinking.
• Nurture open-mindedness: Encourage your child to explore different art styles and mediums. This exposure and knowledge can help them understand that there’s no single “right” way to create art, fostering open-mindedness.

Practical Activities and Exercises

• Artful Thinking Routines: These routines, developed by Harvard’s Project Zero, involve observing, questioning, and interpreting art. They can help children think critically about art.
• Storytelling through Art: Have your child create a series of drawings to tell a story, promoting sequencing and logical thinking.
• Art Critique: Encourage your child to critique their own or others’ artwork and foster analytical thinking.
• Art Interpretation: Have your child interpret the meaning of a piece of art and enhance their inferential thinking.
• Art Creation Challenges: Give your child challenges that require them to create art with specific constraints and stimulate their problem-solving skills.

The Role of Art Classes in Developing Critical Thinking

The next step: booking a trial class.

If you want to take the next step in your child’s development, consider booking a trial class. This will allow your child to experience first-hand how art can promote critical thinking. You can book a trial class here .

During the trial class, your child will engage in various art activities to stimulate their critical thinking. They’ll also be able to interact with other children, further enhancing their learning experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

2. How does art education foster critical thinking? Art education fosters critical thinking by encouraging children to observe, interpret, and reflect on art. This process can enhance their attention to detail, an essential aspect of critical thinking. Moreover, art education often involves problem-solving tasks, which can further promote critical thinking.

3. How can art be used to teach critical thinking? Art can be used to teach critical thinking through activities that encourage observation, interpretation, and reflection. For instance, you can ask your child to describe what they see in a piece of art, to explain what they think it means, and to reflect on how it makes them feel. These activities can promote critical thinking skills.

4. How does art education impact a student’s critical thinking? Studies have shown that art education can positively impact a student’s critical thinking. In addition to improving their observation, interpretation, and reflection skills, art education can enhance other essential aspects of thought, such as problem-solving and decision-making.

Art is a powerful tool for promoting critical thinking in children. It encourages them to observe, question, interpret, and make decisions — all key components of critical thinking. By using the strategies and activities outlined in this article, parents can help their children develop this essential skill. So why not start today? Explore art with your child, and watch their critical thinking skills flourish.

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Arts Academy

in the Woods

How Art Education Fosters Critical Thinking and Why It Matters

These days, the ability to grasp the logical connection between ideas is a necessary skill.

Unless you’re a hermit living in a cave, there is so much information coming at all of us at any given moment.

Being able to discern which information is of worth – and which is not based in reality – requires critical thinking.

So What Exactly Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is often synonymous with reflective and independent thinking. It means knowing how to take in the data and then come to a reasonable conclusion. 

Those who engage in critical thinking are constantly questioning ideas and assumptions rather than just accepting what’s being peddled to the masses.

Critical thinkers want to know that the incoming information is representative of the bigger picture. If they determine that it’s not, they’ll take the necessary measures to get that additional information.

Critical Thinking Versus Being Critical

Critical thinking is not the same thing as being argumentative or critical/judgmental of other people. Sure, critical thinking can expose errors or poor reasoning.

But it’s also crucial for cooperative reasoning and then moving toward constructive tasks. Because acquiring more knowledge improves and strengthens one’s theories and arguments. And this subsequently leads to enhanced work processes.

How Art Improves Critical Thinking

Because critical thinking tends to incorporate logical and rational thinking and veers from instinct, many people see it as a hinderance to creativity.

After all, creativity requires breaking the rules, right? (Well, yes and no .)

Still, critical thinking truly requires out-of-the-box thinking. Rather than just taking popular approaches and swallowing them whole, critical thinkers challenge the consensus. This means they often have to pursue less popular thoughts or approaches.

So if you think about, critical thinking is an absolutely necessary component of creativity. Without it, how can the creative person continue to evaluate and improve upon his or her ideas?

It’s this very process of observation and study that teaches students of the arts to more intensely observe and analyze the world. And it gives them the skills that build the foundation of critical thinking.

But Why Does It Matter?

You might think that if your path leads you to work in research, law, education, management, finance or medicine, then you’ll absolutely need this skill. And you’re right.

But no matter what you   choose to do with your life, the ability to think clearly and rationally is important.

Knowing how to receive information, clearly consider it and then use it to systematically solve problems is an asset for any career. Especially in light of this new knowledge economy. To be successful in such an economy requires one to able to handle changes quickly and effectively.

There is an increased demand for workers to be able to analyze a lot of information from diverse sources, then integrate it in order to find solutions. Critical thinking promotes these skills.

It also enhances language and presentation skills. The simple act of learning to think in a more systematic and logical fashion can also improve the way one expresses ideas.

Furthermore, in having to analyze the structure of different information sources, critical thinking also improves one’s ability to comprehend.

And as we mentioned above, critical thinking actually promotes creativity. Coming up with creative solutions is more than just having new ideas. There has to be an understanding that the new ideas are useful and relevant to the required task.   Critical thinking plays an important role in this.

That’s right. Critical thinking is even important for this. It’s nearly impossible to structure a meaningful life without the ability to justify and reflect on our own values and decisions. And critical thinking provides the tools for this process.

So yeah, it’s safe to say that critical thinking definitely matters.

Learning Critical Thinking with an Arts Integration Education

Arts integration education merges the important skill of critical thinking achieved through art education and blends it in with academics.

There’s no disputing the importance of STEM. The above mentioned knowledge economy requires students to understand facets of science, technology, engineering and math.

With arts integration though, there’s the added importance of art – hence the term STEAM. Arts integration isn’t looking to bypass STEM. It strives instead to create an integrated program that includes all of those, while teaching the application of skills learned through the arts – such as critical thinking.

Arts integration helps students see the world from multiple angles, and to take a design-thinking approach in finding solutions.

Teaching young people to be careful and deliberate observers can go miles toward expanding their worldview. And this, in turn, can create a stronger democracy.

Do You Want to Explore An Arts Integration Education?

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11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class

52 Critical Thinking Flashcards for Problem Solving

Critical thinking activities encourage individuals to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to develop informed opinions and make reasoned decisions. Engaging in such exercises cultivates intellectual agility, fostering a deeper understanding of complex issues and honing problem-solving skills for navigating an increasingly intricate world. Through critical thinking, individuals empower themselves to challenge assumptions, uncover biases, and constructively contribute to discourse, thereby enriching both personal growth and societal progress.

Critical thinking serves as the cornerstone of effective problem-solving, enabling individuals to dissect challenges, explore diverse perspectives, and devise innovative solutions grounded in logic and evidence. For engaging problem solving activities, read our article problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions based on effective information.

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Critical thinking skills cultivate habits of mind such as strategic thinking, skepticism, discerning fallacy from the facts, asking good questions and probing deep into the issues to find the truth.

Importance of Acquiring Critical Thinking Skills

Acquiring critical thinking skills was never as valuable as it is today because of the prevalence of the modern knowledge economy. Today, information and technology are the driving forces behind the global economy. To keep pace with ever-changing technology and new inventions, one has to be flexible enough to embrace changes swiftly.

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

Today critical thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills by the companies. In fact, critical thinking skills are paramount not only for active learning and academic achievement but also for the professional career of the students. The lack of critical thinking skills catalyzes memorization of the topics without a deeper insight, egocentrism, closed-mindedness, reduced student interest in the classroom and not being able to make timely and better decisions.

Benefits of Critical Thinking Skills in Education

Certain strategies are more eloquent than others in teaching students how to think critically. Encouraging critical thinking in the class is indispensable for the learning and growth of the students. In this way, we can raise a generation of innovators and thinkers rather than followers. Some of the benefits offered by thinking critically in the classroom are given below:

• It allows a student to decipher problems and think through the situations in a disciplined and systematic manner
• Through a critical thinking ability, a student can comprehend the logical correlation between distinct ideas
• The student is able to rethink and re-justify his beliefs and ideas based on facts and figures
• Critical thinking skills make the students curious about things around them
• A student who is a critical thinker is creative and always strives to come up with out of the box solutions to intricate problems
• Critical thinking skills assist in the enhanced student learning experience in the classroom and prepares the students for lifelong learning and success
• The critical thinking process is the foundation of new discoveries and inventions in the world of science and technology
• The ability to think critically allows the students to think intellectually and enhances their presentation skills, hence they can convey their ideas and thoughts in a logical and convincing manner
• Critical thinking skills make students a terrific communicator because they have logical reasons behind their ideas

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities

11 Activities that Promote Critical Thinking in the Class

We have compiled a list of 11 activities that will facilitate you to promote critical thinking abilities in the students. We have also covered problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest in our another article. Click here to read it.

1. Worst Case Scenario

Divide students into teams and introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources. The scenarios can include situations like stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Students will come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering. Besides encouraging students to think critically, this activity will enhance teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills of the students.

Read our article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

2. If You Build It

It is a very flexible game that allows students to think creatively. To start this activity, divide students into groups. Give each group a limited amount of resources such as pipe cleaners, blocks, and marshmallows etc. Every group is supposed to use these resources and construct a certain item such as building, tower or a bridge in a limited time. You can use a variety of materials in the classroom to challenge the students. This activity is helpful in promoting teamwork and creative skills among the students.

It is also one of the classics which can be used in the classroom to encourage critical thinking. Print pictures of objects, animals or concepts and start by telling a unique story about the printed picture. The next student is supposed to continue the story and pass the picture to the other student and so on.

4. Keeping it Real

In this activity, you can ask students to identify a real-world problem in their schools, community or city. After the problem is recognized, students should work in teams to come up with the best possible outcome of that problem.

5. Save the Egg

Make groups of three or four in the class. Ask them to drop an egg from a certain height and think of creative ideas to save the egg from breaking. Students can come up with diverse ideas to conserve the egg like a soft-landing material or any other device. Remember that this activity can get chaotic, so select the area in the school that can be cleaned easily afterward and where there are no chances of damaging the school property.

6. Start a Debate

In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science. Encourage students to participate in the debate by expressing their views and ideas on the topic. Conclude the debate with a viable solution or fresh ideas generated during the activity through brainstorming.

7. Create and Invent

This project-based learning activity is best for teaching in the engineering class. Divide students into groups. Present a problem to the students and ask them to build a model or simulate a product using computer animations or graphics that will solve the problem. After students are done with building models, each group is supposed to explain their proposed product to the rest of the class. The primary objective of this activity is to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills among the students.

8. Select from Alternatives

This activity can be used in computer science, engineering or any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) classes. Introduce a variety of alternatives such as different formulas for solving the same problem, different computer codes, product designs or distinct explanations of the same topic.

Form groups in the class and ask them to select the best alternative. Each group will then explain its chosen alternative to the rest of the class with reasonable justification of its preference. During the process, the rest of the class can participate by asking questions from the group. This activity is very helpful in nurturing logical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

9. Reading and Critiquing

Present an article from a journal related to any topic that you are teaching. Ask the students to read the article critically and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the article. Students can write about what they think about the article, any misleading statement or biases of the author and critique it by using their own judgments.

In this way, students can challenge the fallacies and rationality of judgments in the article. Hence, they can use their own thinking to come up with novel ideas pertaining to the topic.

10. Think Pair Share

In this activity, students will come up with their own questions. Make pairs or groups in the class and ask the students to discuss the questions together. The activity will be useful if the teacher gives students a topic on which the question should be based.

For example, if the teacher is teaching biology, the questions of the students can be based on reverse osmosis, human heart, respiratory system and so on. This activity drives student engagement and supports higher-order thinking skills among students.

11. Big Paper – Silent Conversation

Silence is a great way to slow down thinking and promote deep reflection on any subject. Present a driving question to the students and divide them into groups. The students will discuss the question with their teammates and brainstorm their ideas on a big paper. After reflection and discussion, students can write their findings in silence. This is a great learning activity for students who are introverts and love to ruminate silently rather than thinking aloud.

Finally, for students with critical thinking, you can go to GS-JJ.co m to customize exclusive rewards, which not only enlivens the classroom, but also promotes the development and training of students for critical thinking.

Read our next article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

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Thanks for the great article! Especially with the post-pandemic learning gap, these critical thinking skills are essential! It’s also important to teach them a growth mindset. If you are interested in that, please check out The Teachers’ Blog!

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Free Guide: 6 Simple Steps to Restful Homeschooling

Think with Art: Creative Projects and Critical Thinking Skills

Welcome, friend! You might like to subscribe to my newsletter for freebies and updates or follow me on Pinterest for creative ideas. Thanks for visiting!

Do you find it a challenge to work art time into your homeschool days? Or do you have the opposite problem — kids who only want to do creative projects and ignore all the other subjects? We seem to swing between those two extremes in our homeschool. My girls are very creative and love hands-on projects, but I don’t always have the time and mental bandwidth to create lessons around those projects. Think with Art can be a great way to work both art and critical thinking skills into your homeschool in a done-for-you kind of way. Win-win for moms and kids!

Note: I received a free subscription box for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to give a positive review.

Think with art encourages creativity and critical thinking skills.

The skills your children will learn

With the Think with Art subscription box your child is learning more than art techniques. They are also learning critical thinking skills. I enjoyed watching my kids dive into the challenge in the story booklet and creatively solve the problem to continue the story.

Each month, new supplies

I love that the Think with Art subscription box includes new supplies every month. Each box comes with new art supplies, so your child can learn new techniques every month. I love that the activities fit a wide range of ages, so all my kids can benefit. The target age range is early readers/elementary, but younger kids can do the activities with some reading help.

Here’s how it works

You can think of Mr. Toffee (an adorable watercolor cat) as your guide. He goes on adventures and you can help him. There are some challenges included in the Think with Art subscription box and you get to help him along the way. As you do these boxes, you learn new art. Lessons come in the box with instructions on how to complete them. My kids were challenged as they did art work, but also had fun. My girls especially liked the watercolor pencils. They had fun making their drawings, then using the brush included to turn the pencil into watercolor.

One of the challenges in their kit was to create an unconventional method of transportation for Mr. Toffee. That means no ships, trains, or cars. They had to design their own idea and draw what they imagined. Fun creativity plus problem solving!

When you order, here is what you will get every month :

• A new box filled with art supplies and techniques
• A story booklet following Mr. Toffee’s journey home
• A new problem to solve using art and critical thinking
• All designed & curated by the founder of Colour With Me Art Studio (Designer and Principal)

My kids LOVE it

Think with Art is one of their favorite subscription boxes now. The prices are affordable and the art projects keep them busy thinking and creating for hours. Art is not always my strong skill, so I love that we can have this box sent right to our home.

Interested in ordering a box for yourself? Think with Art subscription box is only a click away. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Learn more about Think with Art

Head over to the Think with Art website to learn more and sign up. You can save $5 off your first Think with Art subscription box by using coupon code  HSPOST at the checkout.

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The Art Teacher

Art Lesson Ideas, Plans, Free Resources, Project Plans, and Schemes of Work. An 'outstanding' art teacher in Greater Manchester. Teaching KS3 and KS4 art and design.

Effective Starters & Plenaries for Art

If you are looking for short art entry tasks, bell ringers, mini lesson activities for the start of your art classes or different challenges to engage students at the start and end of a lesson, I have created a huge PowerPoint presentation with over 45 engaging starter or plenary activities for your art classes.

The mini art lesson activities are all art-related questions or thinking points and can be used in KS3 or KS4 lessons. I use them as either bell ringers, entry tasks, starters, plenaries or exit questions. I have used them to save me time when I need a way to engage a class quickly (and with minimal effort!) My students really enjoy them and always ask for the next one 😂

I have found that the art starter / plenary activities are good for generating classroom discussions and a great hook to get students interested at the start of a lesson. I use them regardless of the project or topic we’re learning about – particularly good at KS4 or GCSE when students are working on extended projects for a long time.

You can get the Art Starters & Plenaries presentation on Tes here. OR on TPT here.

The presentation includes over 45 slides which are made up of art questions, challenges, thought prompts, riddles, true or false competitions, thunks and more – all related to art and photography. Some are very general so can be used across any class or topic, and some are more specific and related to different art movements – for example, Pop Art or Graffiti.

I had some fantastic (and hilarious) answers to some of the thought prompts in the presentation – particularly to the ‘is it art’ type of question… 😊

You can get the Art Starters & Plenaries presentation here. OR on TPT here.

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Love your lessons. Could I get some more info/lesson plans on the KS3 clay Project please?

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Thanks! I just shared the clay project with you – hope your students enjoy it 🙂

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Making and teaching art. Based in Manchester. View all posts by art_teacher_mcr

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Enhancing students’ critical thinking and creative thinking: An integrated mind mapping and robot-based learning approach

• Published: 16 May 2024

Cite this article

• Min-Chi Chiu 1 , 2 &
• Gwo-Jen Hwang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5155-276X 3 , 4  

Fostering students’ critical thinking and creative thinking is an important aim in education. For example, art courses not only focus on artwork creation, but also on theoretical knowledge for identifying artworks. In the conventional lecture-based instruction mode for theoretical knowledge delivery, students’ learning outcomes could be affected owing to the lack of student-teacher interactions, and hence researchers have started to employ interactive learning technologies, such as robots, to cope with this problem. However, without proper guidance and support, students’ learning outcomes in such an interactive learning mode could be limited. To improve students’ learning effectiveness, this study proposed a mind mapping-assisted robot (MM-R) approach for an art course. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to explore the effects of the proposed learning approach on students’ performance in art appreciation, digital painting creation, creative thinking tendency, and critical thinking awareness. A total of 48 students from two classes in a university in central Taiwan were recruited to participate in this study. One class was the experimental group ( n  = 25) adopting the MM-R approach, while the other class was the control group ( n  = 23) adopting the conventional robot (C-R) approach. The results indicated that the integration of the MM-R approach improved students’ learning achievement, performance in digital painting creation, creative thinking tendency, and critical thinking awareness.

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This study is supported in part by the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan under contract numbers NSTC 112-2410-H-011-012-MY3 and MOST 111-2410-H-011 -007 -MY3. The study is also supported by the “Empower Vocational Education Research Center” of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) from the Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan.

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Min-Chi Chiu

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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Min-Chi Chiu. Project administration were performed by Gwo-Jen Hwang and Min-Chi Chiu. Methodology and supervision were performed Gwo-Jen Hwang and Min-Chi Chiu. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Min-Chi Chiu. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Chiu, MC., Hwang, GJ. Enhancing students’ critical thinking and creative thinking: An integrated mind mapping and robot-based learning approach. Educ Inf Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12752-6

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Received : 14 August 2023

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12752-6

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