Ask the Cognitive Scientist: How Can Educators Teach Critical Thinking?

In this column for American Educator, cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham defines critical thinking and provides strategies for fostering thinking in the everyday classroom. Willingham defines critical thinking in three ways stating it must be: novel, self-directed and effective and that it is the third attribute that makes it difficult as what constitutes effective thinking varies…

How to Teach Critical Thinking

In this Occasional Paper Series from Education Future Frontier, cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham takes a deep dive into the science behind teaching critical thinking and offers strategies such as understanding the domain knowledge required for understanding, creating conditions for transferable skills, and understanding the structure of the problem, to help students gain and use critical…

Comparing Real Families to TV Families

In this lesson, students delve into how media constructs reality through the lens of TV families, paralleling them with their real-life counterparts—personal and peer families. The session commences with a survey of students’ beloved family-oriented TV shows and their allures. Organized in groups, students opt for a family-centered show to monitor and assess. Post presentations,…

Can You Spot the Ad?

During this lesson, students will explore branded content and develop the ability to distinguish between branded and non-branded images and videos online and offline. This distinction will be cultivated through a series of questions and interactive discussions.

Adversmarts: Understanding Food Advertising Online

This instructional content is tailored for educators guiding students through the lesson, equipping them to explore online advertising, understand marketers’ strategies, and engage critically in media literacy discussions. During the session, students grasp online advertising concepts, observing how marketers create immersive digital environments for children. After studying advertising techniques, students participate in an educational online…

Break the Fake Lesson Plan: What’s in the Frame?

This instructional content is tailored for educators guiding students through the lesson. It introduces students to the concept that media can be misleading and encourages exploration of how creators intentionally frame media presentations, prompting contemplation of what remains beyond the scope. The objectives of this session encompass acquainting students with the unreliability of certain online…