Critical Thinking Activities to Improve Writing Skills: Arguments A-1

by Michael Baker

Critical Thinking Company

This reproducible writing activity book poses sixteen different problems in the form of people looking for advice or solutions to problems of their own. Students are then taught how to analyze each problem and present possible solutions. In the process they develop a variety of writing skills such as outlining, organizing, letter writing, and paragraph development. Students are also working on critical thinking skills, reading skills (e.g., comprehension, inferences, identifying fact and opinion), and understanding the importance of proper grammar for clarity in writing. Lessons are designed for cooperative group learning, but they will adapt fairly well for use between a parent and child as long as the parent presents each lesson and participates in discussion. These lessons are actually quite fun, so I recommend trying to get a few junior high level students to work through them together.