Thinking Games and Activities: Making Critical Thinking Fun for the Classroom, Grades 5-8

Research supports the premise that students learn most quickly when they are provided instruction that requires a variety of creative and critical thinking skills, study techniques and metacognitive strategies. Each quick, little- or no-prep activity in Thinking Games and Activities utilizes these skills and strategies. The critical thinking games and activities can be used as individual assignments or as class tasks, or they can be used as competitions between groups to reinforce skills or concepts. They can also be used whenever you have spare time available during the school day a few extra minutes at the end of class, traveling on the bus or waiting for an assembly to begin. You will find that once you have introduced these games to your students, they will ask to play them again and again! Reproducible worksheets are included.