Part 1: Lesson Description

Lesson Title: Critical-thinking Training by Pros and Cons Listing Skills

In this lesson, learners will be introduced to the concept of critical thinking and its daily applications. Learners will learn how to adapt critical-thinking from everyday life.

Abstract

In this lesson, learners will learn about

(1) the concept of critical thinking 

(2) how to adapt critical-thinking in everyday life through the practice 

Learner Audience / Primary Users

Learner Audience: This lesson is initially designed for youth and adolescent who had no or minimum understanding of the concept and daily application of critical thinking.

Primary Users: Teachers and learners who look forward to learning about critical thinking and applications. 

Educational Use

●     Curriculum / Instruction

●     Informal Education

Language

English

Material Type

●     Instructional Material

●     Self-education

Keywords

●     Style Her Empowered

●     21st Century Skills

●     Critical thinking

Time Required for Lesson

180min. The time is flexible according to different levels of students.  

Targeted Skills

Key skills covered in this lesson include:

●     21^st Century Skills

●     Critical thinking

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to:

●     Recognize the concept of critical thinking

●     Apply critical thinking in everyday life through the pros & cons listing  

Prior Knowledge

The learners need to know how to make a pros& cons list

Required Resources

whiteboard/blackboard

Internet connection before or during the instruction time

Lesson Author & License

●     Lesson Author: Yudi Zhu

●     License: Creative Commons License; Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license

Part 2: Lesson

Instructional Strategies and Activities

Please keep in mind that all the time frames are approximate. Learners and instructors can adjust the time according to the actual situation.

Warm-Up

Time: 10 minutes

Game: Which should I choose?

In this game, the teacher will give two similar objects that learners will encounter in their daily lives, such as two fruits, furniture, clothes, etc. In this example, I will use apple and banana. Ask learners to tell the teacher which fruit they like better or don’t like and why. 

Introduction

Time: 15 minutes

1. Follow the game, list other situations that in daily lives how many choices we need to make. And lead to the question: “What job/position do want after graduation?” Ask the learners to list the jobs they want to do.

2. After learners listed, follow with the question: “Why do you think you fit the position?”

3. Introduce the “Pros and Cons Listing”: A pros and cons list is a quick and easy decision-making tool. Pros are the conditions that are FOR or positive for the decision. Cons Conditions that are AGAINST or negative for the decision. This list helps you make more sensible and comprehensive decisions. Because you can compare the two sides.

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 15 minutes

 For this part, the teacher can use the jobs that learners listed in the last part or any examples that the educator prefer. Here I will use the job position “import-export assistant” as an example

Write on the blackboard:

Can I fit the job position: import-export assistant?

Pros:                                                         Cons:

Can communicate in different languages            Don’t know how to type in different languages

Can travel                                                            Not get to work early

……                                                             ……

(Teacher and learners can finish this together)

Guided Practice

Time: 20 minutes

Learners will choose one of the jobs from the list they made and start making a list. During this time teacher can go between learners to answer their questions (if they had).

Assessment

Time: 30 minutes

Learners will present their listing in the form of role-playing:

The teacher will play the role of interviewer and learners will play the role of the interviewee (job-seeker). And I suggest using this as the opening:

“Please introduce yourself and tell me your strong points and weak points for this job position.”

Then learners will do the self-introduction and star with telling the contents on the pros and cons.

Learners may not list all the possible pros and cons, and teacher and guide the students to learn from other students and complete their pros and cons lists. This assessment can be used as after class assignment.

Part 2

Time: 90 min

Warm-Up

Time: 10 min

In the last section, the learners learned what a pros and cons list is and how to make one in the situation of job-hunting setting. We can ask the learners to review what is a pros and cons list and what else setting can it apply.

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 30 min

Introduce the concept of critical thinking.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Critical thinking the process of thinking carefully about a subject or idea, without allowing feelings or opinions to affect you.

The pros and cons listing is a skill of critical thinking that can be used in daily life.

Guided Practice

Time: 30 min

Ask learners what activities we can use pros and cons listing skill. The skill can be used various situations; it can be used in making small decisions such as spending allowance, choosing pathways such as choosing what to do after graduation, or making important decisions such as investments.

List the examples learners mention. And choose one to three to practice pros and cons listing on them.

Assessment

Time: 20 min (in class)

Learners will make two lists; one lists the small decisions that we can use pros and cons listing skills and explain why. The second one is the big decisions that we can use pros and cons listing and why. (this assessment can be used as either in class or after class)

Then learners will share their lists.

(Optional) the learner will choose one decision from each list and practice pros and cons listing skill.   

Key Terms and Concepts

Critical thinking: The process of thinking carefully about a subject or idea, without allowing feelings or opinions to affect you.

Pros and Cons Listing: A pros and cons list is a quick and easy decision-making tool. Pros are the conditions that are FOR or positive for the decision. Cons Conditions that are AGAINST or negative for the decision. This list helps you make more sensible and comprehensive decisions.

Part 3: Supplementary Resources & References

Supplementary Resources

[Critical Thinking e-book download link: https://www.macat.com/critical-thinking-ebooks

Africa job searching website: https://ngojobsinafrica.com/jobs/]

References

[To be completed.]

Attribution Statements

[To be completed.]