THINKING ROUTINES – CONDENSED VERSION

Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement, understanding and independence for all learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

The following overviews of some sample thinking routine are intended to give a quick view of what kinds of critical thinking are possible in a classroom. Please see the book cited above for a complete discussion of thinking and the theoretical background for these routines; these brief summaries are taken from this book and shared in the hopes that others will want to purchase the book to get a better understanding of how to make thinking visible in the classroom. Ritchhart and Harvard’s Project Zero givemore complete information on the purpose, appropriate content, steps, tips for implementation, assessments and variations in an easy to use format.

See – Think-Wonder – Purpose: to emphasize the importance of observation as an essential part of thinking and interpretation

  1. SEE

Silent observation – no interpretation, just what you see

Tell partner what you see.

What did your partner see that you didn’t?

  1. THINK

What do you think is going on in the picture?

What else is going on?

Why do you think that?

  1. WONDER

This is about asking broader questions beyond our interpretations

What issues/ideas does this picture raise in your mind?

Concept Maps: Purpose: to generate, sort, connect and elaborate on ideas

1. Students, alone or in groups, generate a list of ideas and thoughts on a topic

2. Students sort ideas with central ideas placed in the center and tangential ideas

placed on the edges.

3. Students connect ideas by drawing lines to show connections. Can write on lines to

explain connection.

4.Elaborate by adding new ideas that expand, extend or add to initial ideas.

3-2-1 Bridge – Purpose: to develop metacognitive ability to recognize and name one’s own learning and development of thinking

  1. Choose a topic about which you want students’ thinking to develop over time.
  2. Ask students for three words that quickly come to mind.
  3. Ask for two questions on the topic.
  4. Ask for one metaphor or simile for the topic.
  5. After an instructional period, repeat these steps.
  6. Invite learners to share the original and new responses with a peer.
  7. What shifts or changes do they see in their thinking? (Note: the root word of “education” is related to change.)

CSI: Color, Symbol, Image – Purpose: to distill the essence of an idea in nonverbal ways

  1. Students think of the big ideas and important themes of what was just read, seen

or heard.

2. Student chooses a color that best represents the essence of that idea OR

chooses a symbol that best represents the essence of that idea OR

sketches an image that best represents the essence of that idea. (Instructor can

limit which of these is used or can give students options.)

3. Have students explain or justify choices in writing first, then share the thinking.

Connect – Extend-ChallengePurpose: to fasten ideas together and raise awareness of puzzles and questions worth further attention

Ask students the following questions and have them write individual responses before having group discussions:

  1. How do these ideas/information connect to ideas you already thought about or knew?
  2. How has your thinking been extended in some way, taking it on new or further or deeper directions?
  3. What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind about this topic?
  4. Share your thinking with your small group giving your reasons behind why you chose your selections.

The 4Cs: Connections, Challenge, Concepts, Changes Purpose: used to engage students with readings that allows them to go beneath the surface. Originated for nonfiction, better than reading quizzes!

After reading text:

1.Connections: What connections do you draw between the text and your own life or other learning?

2. Challenge: What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge or argue with in the text?

3. Concepts: What key concepts or ideas do you think are important and worth holding on to from the text?

4. Changes: What changes in attitudes, thinking or action are suggested by the text, either for you or others?

Sentence-Phrase-WordPurpose: to foster enhanced discussion while drawing attention to the power of language

1. Each student selects a sentence from the text that was meaningful to her, that she feels captures a core idea of the text.

2. Then, the student selects a phrase that moved, engaged, or provoked him.

3. Finally, the student chooses a word that captures his attention or struck her as powerful.

As a group: Share choices. What themes emerge? What implications or predications can be drawn? Were there aspects of the text not captured in the choices?

MicroLabProtocol Purpose: Good for exploring attitudes, opinions and ensuring that all students participate evenly.

After reflecting individually on an issue or topic, work in triads to:

1. Share: The first person shares for a set time (usually 1-2 minutes). The other members listen attentively without comment or interruption.

2. Pause: for 20-30 seconds of silence to take in what was said.

3. Repeat: for persons two and three, pausing for silence after each person shares.

4. Discuss: as a group (5-10 minutes) referencing the comments that have been made and making connections between the responses of the group.

5. Optional: report out the small group discussions to the whole group

I Used to Think…., Now I Think Purpose: Leads students to overtly think about their thinking

1. Student reflects on his current understanding of this topic, and responds to the two stems: I used to think…. Now I think…….

Develops metacognitive ability to identify and talk about one’s own thinking

Makes change in thinking acceptable – honorable

Condensed from Making ThinkingVisible by Susan Blanchard, PhD