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Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

John Coleman

Six practices to sharpen your inquiry.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. For effective questioning, start by holding your hypotheses loosely. Be willing to fundamentally reconsider your initial conclusions — and do so without defensiveness. Second, listen more than you talk through active listening. Third, leave your queries open-ended, and avoid yes-or-no questions. Fourth, consider the counterintuitive to avoid falling into groupthink. Fifth, take the time to stew in a problem, rather than making decisions unnecessarily quickly. Last, ask thoughtful, even difficult, follow-ups.

Are you tackling a new and difficult problem at work? Recently promoted and trying to both understand your new role and bring a fresh perspective? Or are you new to the workforce and seeking ways to meaningfully contribute alongside your more experienced colleagues? If so, critical thinking — the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution — will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions.

JC John Coleman is the author of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose . Subscribe to his free newsletter, On Purpose , follow him on Twitter @johnwcoleman, or contact him at johnwilliamcoleman.com.

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85 Critical Thinking Questions to Carefully Examine Any Information

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The ability to think critically will often determine your success in life.

Let’s face it. Every day, we are bombarded by news, social media updates, and an avalanche of information. If you take all of this at face value, it’s easy to be deceived, misled or ripped off.

That’s why it’s important to develop a mindset that focuses on critical thinking . This is a skill that needs to be developed in the classroom. But it’s also a valuable life skill.

With that in mind, the following post will share 85 critical thinking questions you can use to increase your awareness about different problems by carefully examining available information.

Let’s get started…

Table of Contents

What Are Critical Thinking Questions?

Critical thinking questions are inquiries that help you think rationally and clearly by understanding the link between different facts or ideas. These questions create a seemingly endless learning process that lets you critique, evaluate, and develop a depth of knowledge about a given subject. Moreover, you get to reinforce your viewpoints or see things in a new way.

We make decisions every day, whether at work or home. Adopting logical, rational, and practical approaches in addressing various issues requiring critical thinking is essential in decision-making. Therefore, before arriving at a decision, always ask yourself relevant questions and carefully analyze the matter’s pros and cons.

Critical Thinking Questions When in an Argument

When you make an argument using a critical thinking approach, you focus on justified claims that are valid and based on evidence. It helps one establish a strong argument.

Do I disagree with the other person? Might the person I'm arguing with be misinformed on what they are saying?
Would I be comfortable saying what I am telling him/her if I was in front of a group of people?
What would happen if I lose this argument? Is engaging in this argument worth my time and energy? How will I feel if I lose?
Is there room for ambiguity or misinterpretation? Are we arguing because I didn't make my point explicit? Should I take my time to understand his school of thought?
Do I need some rest before saying something? Am I arguing because of other reasons other than the issues at hand? Do I need to take some time and cool down?

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Is it more important that I’m right? Am I trying to ask to prove an unnecessary point?
Is this argument inductive, deductive, or abductive? Is it a weak or strong argument that I need to engage in? Is it compelling or sound?
Is my opponent sincere? Given that they are wrong, are they willing to admit that they are wrong? Can they depend on available evidence, wherever it leads?
Are my opponents only trying to shift their burden to me? What is the best way to prove them wrong without making them feel bad?
Are the people I'm arguing with only interested in winning, or are they trying to pass some information across and help me discover the truth?

Critical Thinking Questions When Reading a Book

When you read a book, you probably ask yourself many “why” questions. Why is this a problem? Why did the character say that? Why is this important? The most challenging part of reading a book is assessing the information you are reading. These questions can help.

If I learn only two things from this book, what will they be? How will they help me? How will I apply them in my daily life?
What message are the authors trying to pass across? Are they making suggestions or providing evidence for their arguments?
Given that almost every book is about solving problems, what is the most prevalent issue that the author is trying to solve?
What is the author’s writing style? What strategy or master plan does the author employ to convey his/her main ideas throughout the book?
Do I have background information about the book’s topic? If so, how is what the author is saying different from what I already know?
What didn’t I understand from the book? Should I re-read the book to understand everything the writer is trying to convey?
Which sections of the book do I love the most, and why? Generally, do I like this book? Should I look for more books that are written by the same author?
If I had a chance to meet this book’s author, what questions would I ask him/her? What would I tell the writer about the book? Is it a great book worth recommending to your friends and family members?
Who are the main characters of the book? If there is only one main character, what overarching goal does the character accomplish?
In what ways did the protagonist change from the start of the book to the end? What caused the changes? Was the protagonist reckless in some ways? Which ways?

Critical Thinking Questions to Spot a Scam

Asking questions when you feel that a fraud or a scam is being presented to you is a good way to stretch your critical thinking muscles. Are you being emailed or messaged by a stranger? Or maybe there are other red flags you are unsure about. If so, ask these questions.

Does it seem to be too good to be true? Is this stranger pushy or trying to lure me into making a poor decision?
When trying out online dating: Is my new “friend” professing strong feelings towards me although we’ve only interacted for a few hours?
Why is a stranger calling me to ask about my Social Security Number (SSN), personal contact information, or bank details while claiming they are from the bank or a phone company?
When buying products online, why does the seller ask me to pay for goods using an insecure payment option like Bitcoin or money order?
Does the email I have received have any spelling or grammatical errors? Is the language used overly formal or informal?
If I do a quick search about the exact words of the email I received, does Google indicate it's a fraud or scam?
Why should a stranger manipulate me using obvious questions like “Would you want to be rich or poor?” While they already know the answer?
Is the email asking me to download an attachment? Or click a link to some insecure website?
Is the person trying to make me feel selfish or guilty for not sending them money, whether for a donation or buying a product?
Is the stranger portraying a sense of urgency and using pressure tactics? Are they telling me that their family member needs urgent medical attention?

Critical Thinking Questions About Your Life

It can also help to ask yourself a few critical thinking questions about your life. This way, you can gather basic information and uncover solutions to problems you might not have otherwise thought of.

Where do I wish to be in a few years, probably two, three, or five years? What short-term and long-term goals should I set?
What have I achieved so far from the time I set my previous goals? What should I be grateful for?
Do I have any values that guide me in life? If so, what are these values? Am I always true to these values?
Am I always worried about what people around me think? Can I act independently without the need to meet social expectations?
What should people say about me at my funeral? Would they talk about how good I made them feel or how rich and flashy I was?
If I wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, what would I have done? What if I didn't have any fear in me?
If today was my last day, what extraordinary thing would I do? Can I do it right now?
What should I do with the things that matter the most to me?
What things will make the greatest difference in my future life if I take action now?
How should I react when I feel unwanted by the people I love the most? Should I tell them?

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Critical Thinking Questions for a Debate or Discussion

When you are in the middle of a debate or discussion, you need to know that what you are saying is fact, have evidence to support your claim, and position yourself as an expert in what you are saying. Here are some critical thinking questions to ask when you are in a debate or discussion.

Is there fairness in this discussion? Is the moderator supporting one side? Do they want to make one side look stupid or wrong?
What is the aim of this discussion? Is there a major problem that needs to be solved? If so, how can I help solve it?
Who are the people affected by this discussion? If they were here, what would they say?
Do my views on this discussion matter? If I raise my point, will I be redundant?
What am I supposed to learn from this debate, and how can I use what I have learned in my daily life?
Does the audience seem to be biased towards one side? Are they booing one side? What can I do even if it's our opponents being booed?
Who are the discussion panel members? What views have they held about this kind of discussion or any other related discussions in the past?
How can I make my point without being ambiguous? Before I speak, should I take down some notes to avoid any confusion during my speech?
Am I ready to apologize if I make a mistake during the discussion? If so, what are the limits?
What information does my team, or I need before this discussion?

Critical Thinking Questions About Lying

Admitting when you are wrong, choosing not to cheat, and sharing constructive feedback are all ways to show your honesty. Here are some critical thinking skills to ask regarding lying.

Will the lie hurt those I am telling, or will it help them? What if being honest might cause my friend unnecessary pain?
Should I be the one telling this person a lie, or I let someone else do it?
Will I be the one hurt if I tell this lie? Will my friend feel I am a betrayer? Will it affect our friendship?
Do they answer my questions in detail, or are they always trying to ignore and dodge the main problem?
What if I ask these people the same question using different terms and wording? Will they give me the same response?
Did the tone of my friend suddenly change after I asked him/her this question? Do they sound louder, faster, or slower compared to how they usually speak?
Does this person have something to gain by lying to me? What is their motive?
Does this person take a sudden pause or hesitate more than usual when responding to my question?
When I look at these people's faces, do their facial expressions match what they say?
Should I believe this person or not? What are my intuitions? Does it look like they are telling the truth?
Do they blink like other days when I ask them questions? Are they always trying to avoid direct eye contact?
Why do they seem uncomfortable when it’s just a normal conversation?

Critical Thinking Questions When Presented With a Claim

Critical thinking is much more than just evaluating whether a claim is true or not. It also means a critical thinker reflects on what follows from true claims.

What does this claim mean, and what are its implications? What if it's a false claim?
Which of my morals, values, or beliefs do I have to give up to accept this claim?
Do professionals in this field agree or disagree with the claim that has been made?
Do they have evidence to back their claim? Which is the most robust evidence to support the claim?
What argument can I come up with to refute this claim? Or what is the best view that can support this claim?
Who is the primary source of the claim being made? Is the basis of the claim reliable?
Is it a claim, or it's just an opinion?
Is the claim likely to be 100% false, true, or partially true?
Am I allowed to refute the claim and table my evidence, or is it one-sided?

Critical Thinking Interview Questions

Critical thinking skills are valuable in any industry or field and for almost all roles. During a job interview, you will be asked questions so the potential employer can assess your skills and see how you use logic. Your critical thinking ability is just one vital part that can play into your professional development.

Is there a time you had to convince someone to use an alternate approach to solve a problem?
Have you ever had to make a difficult decision quickly?
How would you handle a situation where your supervisor handled something wrong or made a mistake?
What is one of the most difficult decisions you have ever had to make at work?
How would you solve a disagreement between coworkers when approaching a project?
Can you describe a time when you anticipated a problem ahead of time and took the appropriate steps to stop the problem from becoming an issue?
If you discover a cheaper way to do something or a better solution to a problem and try to explain it to your supervisor, but they don’t understand, what do you do?

Critical Thinking Questions for Kids

We can’t leave the kids out either. Critical thinking questions for kids get them thinking and talking. It also allows a parent to get to know their child better.

How many grains of sand do you think are on the beach?
What would happen if it stopped raining?
Do you think there is life on other planets?
Should children be able to set their own bedtimes?
How would you describe what a tree looks like without saying green or leaves?
Can you name five different emotions?
Can you talk for five minutes without uttering “um?”

What Are the Basic Principles of Critical Thinking?

Your critical thinking skills involve gathering complete information, understanding and defining terms, questioning the methods by which we get facts, questioning the conclusions, and looking for hidden assumptions and biases.

Additionally, we can’t expect to find all of the answers, and we need to take the time to examine the big picture of it all.

Here are the basic principles:

Disposition: Someone with critical thinking skills is often skeptical, open-minded, and practices fair-mindedness. They can look at different viewpoints and change positions if the evidence and reason lead them to do so.
Criteria: In order to think critically, one must also apply criteria. Certain conditions must be met before someone believes in something. The information needs to be from credible sources.
Argument: An argument is simply a statement or proposition that is shown with supporting evidence. When you use your critical thinking skills, you identify, evaluate, and construct your argument.
Reasoning: With critical thinking comes reasoning. You must examine logical relationships among the statements being made.
Point of View: Critical thinkers can see things from different perspectives and different points of view.

What Are Good Analysis Questions?

Analysis is a part of critical thinking that allows you to examine something carefully. Someone with analytical skills can examine the information presented, understand what that information means, and then properly explain that information to others. Analysis in critical thinking provides more clarity on the information you process.

When analyzing, you may ask yourself, “how do I know this,” how would I solve this problem,” and “why does it matter?”

Why Is Critical Thinking an Important Skill?

Critical thinking skills allow you to express thoughts, ideas, and beliefs in a better way. It also leads to improved communication while allowing others to understand you better. Critical thinking fosters creativity and encourages out-of-the-box thinking. This is a skill that can be applied to many different areas of your life.

For example, knowing the answers to critical thinking questions for a job interview will better prepare you for the interview. Many employers, during questioning, are likely to ask you critical thinking questions to assess if you have the ability to evaluate information effectively so you can make more informed decisions.

Final Thoughts on Critical Thinking Questions

Although it's common to get torn between making two or more choices, nobody wants to make the wrong decision. The only thing you can do to avoid this is use critical thinking questions to examine your situation. The answers to these questions will help you make informed decisions and help you comprehend crucial matters in your life.

Want to learn more about critical thinking and decision-making using a real-life example? Here is how Jeff Bezos uses critical thinking to make some of the most challenging life decisions.

Finally, if you want to ask better questions, then watch this short, 20-minute course to learn how to have a great conversation with virtually anyone .

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How to answer critical thinking questions

Whether you are studying and preparing to take the LSAT or looking to engage in more meaningful workplace discussions, you need to know how to properly answer critical thinking questions. Luckily, there are some key facets to critical thinking that can guide you along the way.

In this guide, we’ll be sharing some tips to help you answer critical thinking questions adequately. Read along as we discuss the ways to answer by asking useful questions, relying on logic, anticipating specific problems and solutions, and clearly communicating your thoughts. Let’s get into it!

Ask the important questions.

When you follow-up a question with your own questions, you are engaging in truth-seeking behavior, which is a key element of critical thinking .

Examples of questions you can ask to arrive at a critical answer include:

Consider All Possible Solutions

Another thing that sets critical thinkers apart from traditional thinkers is the ability to anticipate multiple different outcomes.

Don’t merely stop at your first answer to the problem you’re being asked about. Take things a step further by drafting several different solutions. Follow step-by-step routes in your mind to try and anticipate how these solutions would play out in reality.

Articulate Yourself Clearly

Critical thinking requires you to communicate your thoughts effectively, in addition to arriving at those thoughts in the first place.

If you claim that they should be distributed evenly among households, you should consider how that route would affect larger households vs. smaller ones.

Examine and Reflect

Each time you read the question, check to see if there are meanings or intentions in the question that you didn’t notice before. You can also take this time of reflection to discover ways in which your own assumptions or biases may be negatively influencing your answer.

Only after examining and reflecting can you get to the precise heart of the question at hand. Then, you can pair it with an equally precise answer.

Research and Inform Yourself

Critical thinkers also rely on research and newfound knowledge to inform their answers to questions. This involves taking the time to learn about topics that you’re questioned about if you are unfamiliar with them.

From there, you can make your answer more accurate and logical overall.

Organize Your Thoughts

If you need to break the answer down into parts and rearrange them to improve it, do so. An organized answer will be easier to understand and may make the difference between a good idea getting lost in the weeds or being championed.

Final Thoughts – 6 Critical Thinking Answer Tips

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to better answer critical thinking questions, then hopefully our guide has given you some inspiration. Some of the key aspects of critical thinking involve one’s ability to ask pertinent questions, examine and reflect on one’s thoughts, set aside biases, make judgments, and clearly communicate.

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

https://www.utc.edu/academic-affairs/walker-center-for-teaching-and-learning/faculty-programs/faculty-fellow-programs/faculty-fellow-program-development/basic-elements-of-critical-thinking

How To Ask Questions That Prompt Critical Thinking

Jan 1, 2021

I believe and I’ve seen some bumper stickers that would back up the idea and the fact that we are living in an international critical thinking deficit, right? Live in this world where people come to conclusions so quickly don’t really research information all that much. They take something at face value and they run with it and make decisions or maybe even worse judgments or start yelling at people because of it. In this video, we’re going to unpack how do you ask questions that promote critical thinking. And I’m going to be sharing one really brilliant strategy that I learned from Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans Of New York, if you’re familiar with that.

Blog Note: The following is an adapted and edited transcript of one of our daily YouTube tutorials. We know sometimes it is easier to scroll through written content which is why we are publishing here. Because of that, there may be typos or phrases that seem out of context. You’ll definitely be able to get the main idea. To get the full context, visit our YouTube channel here . And if you want to watch the video on this topic specifically, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post to access it as well.

And the second strategy, I’m going to share one of my absolute favorite, I think one of the coolest practical tools in Me and Will’s book called Ask Powerful Questions Create Conversations that matter. The only kind of fluff I like is marshmallowy and sits on a sandwich. Let’s get into it.

Hearing Brandon Stanton uh speak one time. If you’re not familiar with the Humans of New York, by the way, he basically set out originally, set out to do portrait photography of 10,000 people in new york city to create this library of stories. He very simply used to… I haven’t followed him in the last like handful of months. But he used to post a picture with just a quote from that story. Now, the quote would be usually phenomenal. It would just breathe so much like depth and humanity into that 2-dimensional image that he shared. The technique of how he got there, right? Because you don’t just walk up to somebody on the street and say, “Can I take your picture and can you share this really intense beautiful quote with me so I can put it in my post today?”Right? You’ve got to actually get to there in conversation. And you’ve got to ask questions that promote really critical thought about things that potentially people have never shared out loud before that they’ve never thought deeply about. And his technique that he shared, he used the image of a spiral. He talked about spiraling down in conversation.

From Here to There

Going from, “Hey, how are you doing?” to eventually a story about their grandmother on a chair when they were 5, that really transformed their life, right? How do you go from here to here? And he used the idea of a spiral you kind of just get deeper and deeper and deeper. But you might go around, right? It’s you’re not… Oh, you’re not just like drilling straight down because that feels very invasive. To keep the conversation natural, you’re kind of spiraling down. And I love that idea in terms of promoting critical thinking. You know, if you’re familiar with the idea of socratic inquiry. Like teaching through questions. When you’re spiraling down in conversation, you start to get more specific too. You start really general and you get more specific and more specific and more specific. And one of my favorite quotes or ideas on the planet who I have no idea who said it. I can’t find it on Google. If you can, share it in the comments and I’ll like buy you a car or something. Not going to happen. But I would really love to know. But it’s this idea that specificity is the soul of narrative. I love that concept. The more specific we get, the more to the heart of story we get. And the more that we’re talking and like generalities appear, the less usefulthat is. The same is true for critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

When you’re thinking about… If you want to critically think about something contentious like the death penalty, for example. You could be thinking about this at a very surface level. But then the more specific you get into specific cases, right? And instances, that’s where story and narrative starts to really come to life and you start to be like, “Wow, I don’t I don’t know what I think anymore”, right? And that critical thinking starts to show up. My language for Brandon’s spiraling technique is to follow one curiosity path, one thread and keep bouncing to that thread. Wherever it takes you. If you spun a globe and picked a random spot, the island of newfoundland and you then zoomed in a little bit further to a park in the island of Newfoundland, and then you zoomed in a little bit further and you found there was a dog park inside that park. Then you zoomed in a little bit further and you found a dog and it’s owner. And you found out their name and you found out the type of dog and you found out how they came together and… Those are stories. But when I’m telling you about the island of Newfoundland, I’m all of a sudden a Wikipedia article, right? That’s more specific you get… You follow that curiosity path by just kind of Zooming in further. Now, the thing the cool thing with curiosity is it doesn’t work like a drill like zooming into the island of Newfoundland, you might actually find that as you’re going to the island of Newfoundland, you learn about Newfoundland dogs. And then you’re like, “Oh, wait. They were created over here.” And now you’ve got another curiosity path. Following that path down. The next tool I’m going to share with you is going to help you do that in a really practical way with one very simple word. And that word is “Why”. You might have heard of the uh this technique or this idea of the 5 whys before.

It’s a cool concept to promote design thinking, right? You ask, why are you doing something. And then you ask why are you doing that and then why are you doing that? You ask that five layers down until you get to the core or the heart. Now, that’s cool if you’re talking about ideas. But if you’re trying to promote critical thinking in people, the way that I would use this one word is by deleting it out of your vocabulary. It’s by saying drop the why. Because when I ask questions that begin with why they force people to rationalize and justify which… I can’t put this back together. But that could promote critical thinking. But it’s going to be way better if you want to promote critical thinking to start your questions with either how or what.

Those questions allow people to really expand and answer in a way that doesn’t require justification and rationalization. Because in order for critical thinking to actually happen, our brains have to be open. Barbara Fredrickson talks about the broaden and build theory and positive psychology –that when good things happen, our brains actually open up to new ideas. Whereas when we’re worried about how we’re going to pay rent and we don’t know what’s going to happen next month and we’re worried for our safety, we can do this. They can make people put up this barrier to try to protect some level of safety because it’s kind of prying for that justification. When you ask questions that begin with how or what, typically, those tend to be more open questions, they invite story. They invite explanations, they’re longer answers, they’re not closed questions that close down responses.

My invitation to you is combine Brandon Stanton’s spiraling technique of following a curiosity path by asking questions that begin with how or what over and over and over and over again until critical thinking happens. And perhaps, you can offset the critical thinking deficit that exists right now on planet earth. I’m Chad Littlefield.

Have an awesome day.

15 Questions that Teachers and Parents Can Ask Kids to Encourage Critical Thinking

By Maureen Leming

Each student walks across the graduation stage, diploma in one hand and a proverbial toolbox in the other. Inside the box is every skill and piece of knowledge they've learned throughout their childhood. The contents of this toolbox will be their building blocks to success beyond high school.

In addition to impressive classroom discoveries — like producing electricity from potatoes or building their own paper mache volcano — there's a vital skill every student should possess: critical thinking. They'll use this skill to assess, critique, and create, propelling them to thrive in the real world as they participate in engaging conversations and offer constructive solutions to real-world issues.

Fortunately, this valuable skill can be developed both inside and out of the classroom. Teachers and parents can encourage kids to think deeply and critically about the world by asking good questions. We'll explore why, as parents and teachers, the questions we ask our kids matter — and what we can be asking to help them excel.

How Questions Guide Young Students’ Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is about so much more than simply knowing the facts. Thinking critically involves applying reason and logic to assess arguments and come to your own conclusions. Instead of reciting facts or giving a textbook answer, critical thinking skills encourage students to move beyond knowing information and get to the heart of what they really think and believe.

15 Questions to Encourage Critical Thinking

What is one of the best ways to encourage critical thinking? By asking excellent questions!

We have compiled a list of 15 questions that you, as a teacher or parent, can ask to encourage kids to think outside the box. Let's dive in.

1. How Do You Know This?

Whether it was by word of mouth, classroom knowledge, or a news report, this question prompts students to consider whether their source of information is reputable.

2. How Would Your Perspective Be Different If You Were on the Opposing Side?

This question encourages kids to role-play from an opposing person’s viewpoint and discover a perspective outside their own so that they can better understand the broader situation. Extracurriculars like debate class — mandatory for all Hun middle school students — is a powerful way to accomplish this goal, as students must thoughtfully anticipate their opposition's arguments in order to counter them.

3. How Would You Solve This Problem?

Finding creative solutions to common problems is a valuable life skill. This question is the perfect opportunity to encourage young minds to wander!

4. Do You Agree or Disagree — and Why?

Choosing a side in any debate challenges students to consider both perspectives, weigh the arguments, and make an informed choice.

5. Why? Why? Why?

Just like when you were a young kid, ask why repeatedly to push students beyond a simple first, second, or even third answer, to get to the real depth. Be careful, though, not to ask them to the point of frustration — you want learning and exploring to be a positive experience.

6. How Could We Avoid This Problem in the Future?

Ask students to apply critical thinking by analyzing how they could prevent a certain issue from reoccurring.

7. Why Does It Matter?

Whether they're learning about a historical event or a mathematical concept, it's important to understand why the topic is relevant today.

8. What's Another Way to Look at This Issue?

It can be easy to learn one worldview and automatically believe it is the only, or the best, way. Challenging kids to think of a creative alternate perspective encourages them to think more broadly.

9. Can You Give Me an Example?

Inventing an example, or pulling from experience to share a real one, is an excellent way to apply critical thinking skills.

10. How Could It Have Ended Differently?

It takes some innovation and careful analysis to storyboard a different ending, considering "what could have been" rather than "what is."

11. When Will We Be Able to Tell If It Worked?

Kids will be pushed to consider what constitutes success and how it can be measured in scenarios where the results aren't set in stone.

12. Why did you ask that question?

Instead of answering a question at face value, this question encourages kids to think about what the merits of the question may be.

13. Who Would Be Affected by This?

Students as the next generation of leaders and game-changers. When making any decision, it's important to consider who will be impacted and how.

14. What Can This Story Teach Us About Our Own Lives?

From literature to social studies, students interact with all kinds of different stories. Help them take these narratives one step further by examining how it relates to their lives.

15. Why Is This a Problem?

Analyzing why something is a problem — rather than just accepting that it is — will help students develop strong problem-solving skills of their own.

The Hun School of Princeton Teaches Critical Thinking

At the Hun School of Princeton, our teachers ask these questions, and more, in combination with our student-centered learning approach that helps kids of all ages think critically about what they’re learning.

As a premier private school in Princeton, NJ , we aim to help students think deeply and develop well-rounded skill sets through immersive, problem-based learning .

Schedule a tour today to see our program in action!

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything.

In an age of “fake news” claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it’s vital to ask questions about everything, but that it’s also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts. They’re also useful when discussing important issues or trying to understand others’ motivations in general.

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

Questions like these help students ponder who’s involved in a story and how the actions affect them. They’ll also consider who’s telling the tale and how reliable that narrator might be.

Is the protagonist?
Is the antagonist?
Caused harm?
Is harmed as a result?
Was the most important character?

Is responsible?
Is most directly affected?
Should have won?
Will benefit?
Would be affected by this?

Makes the decisions?

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

Ask questions that explore issues more deeply, including those that might not be directly answered in the text.

Background information do I know or need to know?
Is the main message?
Are the defining characteristics?

Questions or concerns do I have?
Don’t I understand?
Evidence supports the author’s conclusion?
Would it be like if … ?
Could happen if … ?
Other outcomes might have happened?
Questions would you have asked?
Would you ask the author about … ?
Was the point of … ?
Should have happened instead?
Is that character’s motive?
Else could have changed the whole story?

Can you conclude?
Would your position have been in that situation?
Would happen if … ?
Makes your position stronger?
Was the turning point?
Is the point of the question?
Did it mean when … ?
Is the other side of this argument?
Was the purpose of … ?
Does ______ mean?
Is the problem you are trying to solve?
Does the evidence say?
Assumptions are you making?
Is a better alternative?
Are the strengths of the argument?

Are the weaknesses of the argument?
Is the difference between _______ and _______?

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about where the story is set and how it affects the actions. Plus, consider where and how you can learn more.

Would this issue be a major problem?
Are areas for improvement?
Did the story change?
Would you most often find this problem?

Are there similar situations?
Would you go to get answers to this problem?
Can this be improved?
Can you get more information?
Will this idea take us?

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about timing and the effect it has on the characters or people involved.

Is this acceptable?
Is this unacceptable?

Does this become a problem?
Is the best time to take action?
Will we be able to tell if it worked?
Is it time to reassess?
Should we ask for help?
Is the best time to start?
Is it time to stop?
Would this benefit society?

Has this happened before?

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

Asking “why” might be one of the most important parts of critical thinking. Exploring and understanding motivation helps develop empathy and make sense of difficult situations.

Is _________ happening?
Have we allowed this to happen?
Should people care about this issue?

Is this a problem?
Did the character say … ?
Did the character do … ?
Is this relevant?
Did the author write this?
Did the author decide to … ?
Is this important?

Did that happen?
Is it necessary?
Do you think I (he, she, they) asked that question?
Is that answer the best one?
Do we need this today?

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

Use these questions to consider how things happen and whether change is possible.

Do we know this is true?
Does the language used affect the story?
Would you solve … ?
Is this different from other situations?

Is this similar to … ?
Would you use … ?
Does the location affect the story?
Could the story have ended differently?
Does this work?
Could this be harmful?
Does this connect with what I already know?
Else could this have been handled?
Should they have responded?

Would you feel about … ?
Does this change the outcome?
Did you make that decision?
Does this benefit you/others?
Does this hurt you/others?
Could this problem be avoided?

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 10 tips for teaching kids to be awesome critical thinkers ., you might also like.

Examples of critical thinking skills like correlation tick-tac-Toe, which teaches analysis skills and debates which teach evaluation skills.

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them. Continue Reading

Critical thinking

200+ critical thinking questions.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” – Voltaire As critical thinkers, it’s our job to question everything, instead of just blindly believing what we’re told, but what kinds of questions should we be asking though? What are the “right” questions to ask? In this article I’ve compiled a list of 200+ […]

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” – Voltaire

As critical thinkers, it’s our job to question everything, instead of just blindly believing what we’re told, but what kinds of questions should we be asking though?

What are the “right” questions to ask?

In this article I’ve compiled a list of 200+ of the very best critical thinking questions for almost any situation.

Critical thinking questions:

If you’re presented with a claim

If you’re reading a book, listening to a podcast, watching TV or YouTube

If you’re watching an interview.

In a group or panel discussion
In an argument or debate

If you’re watching the news

If you want to spot a lie

If you want to spot a scam

If you’re presented with statistics
Critical thinking about your life

Let’s begin:

Is this an argument, a claim, a belief, an opinion, or a fact?

When you’re presented with information, whether it’s something you’re reading, watching or listening to, ask yourself:

How do you know it’s a fact?
What evidence exists to support this “fact”?
Has this “fact” been proven?
Do the majority of experts on the subject agree that this is a fact? Is there an expert consensus on this fact? If not, why not?
Is this an ordinary or extraordinary claim?
Do the majority of experts agree with this claim? Or is it contentious?
What is the source of this claim?
Who is making this claim?
Is this person an authority or expert?
How reliable is this source?
What are the best arguments in support of this claim?
What do the harshest critics against this position say?
What arguments do skeptics of this position give?
Has this claim already been debunked?
Is this evidence good enough to accept the arguers assertions?
Would this evidence stand up in court?
Or is the arguer/author/speaker making assertions without evidence?
What is the strongest evidence against this claim?
Is there more confirming or disconfirming evidence?
Is the expert consensus (if there is one) for or against this claim? Why?
Do the majority of experts agree or disagree with this claim? Why?
How can we verify or falsify this claim?
A statement may be true, but is it relevant? Why?
To what degree? To what extent?
Under what conditions?
In what context or circumstances?
This claim is 100% true
This claim is 100% false
This claim is mostly true, partly false
This claim is mostly false, partly true
This claim is half true, half false
Remember: There are degrees of “rightness” and “wrongness”. Statements are rarely 100% true or 100% false
What further claims does this claim logically entail?
Which of my beliefs would I have to change if I were to accept this claim?
If this is an argument, is it deductive or inductive?
If an argument is deductive, is it sound, valid, invalid, or unsound?
If an argument is inductive, is it cogent, strong, weak, or unsound?
How do you know this?
How did you determine this?
What evidence or proof do you have for this claim?
What is their background?
What makes them qualified to speak on this subject?
Are they an expert in the field?
On what basis is the author or speaker an authority or expert on the subject, or at least credible?
Are they conservative or liberal?
Atheist or religious?
Feminist or MGTOW?
(No author/speaker is completely neutral, unbiased and objective)
When was the article, book, podcast, video etc., written or recorded? Is it possibly outdated? Is there a more recent up-to-date version available?
Why did the author write this article/book?
Why is the speaker giving this talk? What is their motivation?
What is the purpose of this information? Why was it created?
Why did I choose to read/watch/listen to it?
Who benefits from this information? Why? How?
Is this information relevant to you? If so, how? Why do you need to know this? How does it affect you personally?
What are the authors/speakers main arguments and assertions? What is their philosophy? What are their main points?
Is the author/speaker arguing for anything controversial? If so, there are likely to be good counterarguments on the other side
Anonymous authorities aka “weasel words” e.g. “experts say…” “scientists say…” “studies show…”
Deductive or inductive reasoning
Expert opinion
Expert consensus
Randomized controlled trials
Scientific studies
Scientific consensus
Or are they making assertions without evidence?
What is the strongest evidence in support of these assertions? Is this evidence good enough to accept the authors/speakers conclusions? Would it stand up in court?
What is the strongest evidence against these assertions?
What might be another equally valid interpretation of the evidence or study results?
What conclusions does the author/speaker want you to draw? What do they want you to think/believe/understand/do?
Is the author/speaker/news station trying to push a narrative? e.g. “Diversity”, “Gender pay gap”, “Immigration”?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers assertions? Why/why not? Anything you disagree with?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers philosophy? Why/why not? Anything you disagree with?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers “facts” and description of “reality”? Why/why not? Anything you disagree with?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers arguments and rationale? Why/why not? Anything you disagree with?
Are there any fallacies in the authors/speakers argument or rationale? If so, what?
Does the author/speaker address counterarguments, disconfirming evidence, objections etc.? If so, how effectively do they rebut these points?
If the author/speaker provides a “rule”, are there any exceptions to the rule that are not explained or accounted for?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers conclusions? Why/why not? (You might agree with their arguments and rationale but not with their conclusions) Are they backed up by sufficient evidence? Or is the author/speaker jumping to conclusions too quickly from insufficient evidence?
Are there any other equally valid conclusions or interpretations that could have been drawn from the evidence, or any other competing theories with better explanations for the evidence? If so, what?
What is the perspective of the author/speaker? Do they seem like an insider or outsider? Why?
Whose perspective is this information presented from? America’s or someone else’s? Conservative or liberal? Men or Women? Gen X, Y or Z?
What perspectives/viewpoints are not represented here? What other perspectives might be equally valid, or worth looking into?
What would (person) say about it?
What would (group) say about it?
Is there better evidence for one perspective/viewpoint than another?
Is the author/speaker presenting you with both sides of the story – or only one?
How has the author/speaker framed the information or story?
Is the author/speaker embellishing or sensationalizing the story for dramatic effect? Do you think the story really took place the way the author/speaker tells it?
What assumptions is the author/speaker making? What does the author/speaker have to believe is true before the rest of their argument makes sense?
What are the implications of the authors/speakers argument? If this is true, what else must be true?
What are the main problems the author/speaker is trying to solve? What solutions do they propose?
Do you agree with the authors/speakers proposed solutions? Can you think of even better solutions to these problems?
Has the author/speaker identified the real problem/s, or only a symptom of the problem?
Is the author/speakers analysis or solution to the problem or situation oversimplified or incomplete? What needs to be unpacked or expanded upon?
Is the author/speaker engaged in oversimplified black and white thinking as if something “always” or “never” happens, or as if “everyone” or “no one” should think/believe/do something, or as if something was right/wrong, true/false, correct/incorrect, without any grey areas in between?
Are you engaged in black and white thinking, as if “everything” or “nothing” the author/speaker says is true? Or are you judging the validity of the information line by line, sentence by sentence, claim by claim, realizing that some parts could be true, and other parts false?
Is the author/speaker emotional reasoning? Is it facts over feelings, or feels over reals?
How would you describe the author/speakers tone? Dogmatic? Overconfident? Emotive? Pay attention not only to what is said, but how it’s said. How does the tone affect your response to the speech/text?
Is the author/speaker using emotive language/tonality, and/or dramatic images or video, in an attempt to alarm, scare or outrage you?
Is the author/speaker guilty of magical or superstitious thinking? Is there a lot of talk of “the law of attraction”, “miracles”, “soul mates” etc.?
Does the author/speaker treat their opponents charitably and fairly? Do they treat the other side as intelligent people with a difference of opinion/perspective? Or do they demonize them as “crazy”, “dangerous”, “evil”, “dumb”, “stupid”, “racist”, “sexist”, “homophobic”, “transphobic” etc.?
Does the author/speaker seem intellectually honest? Trustworthy? Why/why not?
Is the author/speaker trying to be objective in their analysis and critique? Perfect objectivity isn’t possible, but are they even trying to be impartial, unbiased and objective?
Yes: Be careful you’re not automatically believing everything they have to say without evidence, and letting them do your thinking for you
No: Be careful you’re not automatically dismissing everything they have to say because you don’t like them (Remember: Examine the statement – not the speaker)
Yes: Beware because you’re more likely to believe it whether it’s true or not
No: Beware because you’re more likely to dismiss it whether it’s true or not
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Half-truths and holding something back
Straight up lying
Is the author/speaker misquoting people, or taking quotes out of context?
Did the person really say …? Is this a real quote/tweet? Or has the person been misquoted or quoted out of context? Is this a fake tweet?
How are you going to use this information? What are you going to do with it? How are you going to put it into practice? How will it make a difference to your life?
What is the purpose of this interview? Is it to educate or entertain the audience? Is it to promote a product or service?
Who is the interviewee? Why is this person being interviewed?
When did this interview take place? Is this information possibly outdated and no longer relevant?
Is the interviewer asking the interviewee mostly softball or hardball questions?
Is the interviewer asking the interviewee a lot of leading, loaded or gotcha questions? Do they seem to be trying to lead or trap the interviewee? e.g. “Yeah, but isn’t it true that…”, “Yeah, but don’t you think…”, “Yeah, but what about…”
Is the interviewer really listening to the interviewee? Are they making a real effort to try to understand the interviewee and their position, or are they simply trying to promote or condemn it?
Is the interviewer deliberately trying to make the interviewee look bad? e.g. Are they being overly disagreeable or standoffish? Do they only ask hardball or gotcha questions and then interrupt the interviewee mid-sentence with another difficult question every time the interviewee starts to give a good answer?
Does the interviewer interrupt or cut off the interviewee if they start talking about anything controversial, or if they start talking about anything that doesn’t align with the narrative of the network e.g. anti-abortion, pro-gun or pro-Trump comments?
Has the interview been edited to make the interviewee look bad, to paint them in a negative light?
What additional questions would you ask the interviewee that the interviewer didn’t ask?

If you’re watching a group or panel discussion

If you’re watching a group discussion or debate, especially on a contentious topic e.g. abortion or gun control:

Who are the panel members? What makes these people authorities or experts on the subject?
Are both sides of the debate equally represented with intelligent people? Or is one side represented by heavyweights and the other side lightweights?
Is there an equal distribution of liberal and conservative pundits? Or is it a majority liberal panel with a token conservative? (or vice versa)
Does the host seem biased towards one side over the other? Is the host picking sides and showing their approval/disapproval of one side?
Is the audience showing an obvious bias to one side of the debate? Are they only applauding/booing one side of the debate?
Is the host giving more airtime, credibility and/or respect to one side?
Is the host trying to make one side look bad, ignorant or stupid?

In an argument or a debate

If you’re in an argument or a debate, or watching one:

Is this an argument or an assertion? If it’s an argument, is it deductive, inductive or abductive? Is it sound or cogent? Valid or invalid? Strong or weak?
Are all of the premises true and correct? Do all of the premises necessarily lead to the conclusion? Are there any unjustified leaps of logic?
Am I clear on how each word is being defined in the argument?
Is someone attempting to redefine words e.g. “rational”, “reasonable”, “racist” etc., to support their preferred conclusion?
Is someone trying to shift the burden of proof? Note: The burden of proof is the obligation to provide evidence to support one’s assertion e.g. “You are guilty” and it is always on the one making the claim – not the other way around
Has this argument already been debunked?
Is someone making a PRATT? (Point refuted a thousand times)
Is this a strawman or steelman argument?
Is this the best argument in support of …?
What are the best arguments in support of …?
What are the best arguments against …?
What is the strongest evidence in support of …?
What is the strongest evidence against …?
Is the preponderance of evidence for or against …? Is there more confirming or disconfirming evidence?
Is the expert consensus (if there is one) for or against …? Why?
Do the majority of experts agree or disagree with …? Why?
Are there any fallacies in this argument or rationale? If so, what? (Fallacies don’t necessarily make an argument invalid but it’s still good to be aware of them)
Am I 100% certain I understand my opponent’s position? Am I sure? Could I argue my opponent’s position convincingly? Could I steelman it? Could I pass the Ideological Turing Test? If not, you don’t understand it. Don’t argue for or against a position until you fully understand it
What are the strongest points of my opponent’s argument?
What are the weakest points of my opponent’s argument?
What are the weakest points of my argument?
What is the strongest evidence against my position?
What are the best arguments against my position?
How would I attack my argument if I had to?
What do I like about my opponent’s position, and what do I dislike about mine?
What aspects of my argument are likely to be unconvincing to those that don’t already agree with me?
Does my opponent seem intellectually honest? Are they arguing in good faith? Are they willing to follow the evidence where it leads? Are they willing to admit when they’re mistaken or wrong? Am I?
Does my opponent seem more interested in “winning” the argument or discovering the truth?

Ask the other person:

How did you determine that?
How did you come to that conclusion?
What do you know that I don’t?
Where am I wrong in my argument or rationale?
What evidence would it take to change your mind, to convince you otherwise?
Are these your real reasons for believing X? If all of these reasons were proven wrong, would you still continue to believe X? If yes, let’s not even worry about these reasons because they’re not the real reasons you believe X. What are the real reasons you believe X?
Why do you think other smart people aren’t convinced by the same arguments and evidence that you are?
Associated Press News
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
The Economist
Pro Publica
What is the bias of this news station? Are they liberal or conservative? You can check the bias of a particular news station here: Media Bias Fact Check
Fear mongering
Gossip/rumors
Hatchet jobs
Outrage porn
Puff pieces
Is this really the most important “news” of the day? Why is this story being prioritized over everything else that happened today?
Why do I need to know this? How does it affect me?
What is the purpose of this news story? Why was it created? What does the news station want you to think/believe/do?
When was this news story published? Is this information current, or is it outdated and/or no longer relevant?
Has this story already been debunked?
Truth or Fiction
The Washington Post Fact Checker
Hoax Slayer

Check these websites to see if a claim or story has already been debunked, but don’t rely on any of these websites to do your thinking for you, because they may mislead you with their own political biases

Has this story or headline been written to educate, entertain or infuriate you?
Is the headline an accurate summary of the information – or is it just clickbait?
Do the photos fit the story?
Has an unflattering photo been deliberately chosen to paint the subject e.g. Trump in a bad light?
Is it likely that this story has been embellished or sensationalized?
How has this information been framed or spun?
Are you being presented with both sides of the story – or only one?
Whose perspective is this presented from? Conservative or liberal? America’s or someone else’s? Men or Women? What other perspectives might be equally valid, or worth looking into?
What do the other news stations say? e.g. if you watch CNN or MSNBC, what does CBS or FOX say? (and vice versa)
Are you being presented with facts or opinions? If “facts”, on what basis are they “facts”? What evidence exists to support these “facts”?
Do the media’s “facts” and description of “reality” seem accurate? Why/why not? Anything you disagree with?
Did someone really say that? Or have they been misquoted or quoted out of context?
Does the domain look credible?
Is this satire?

How to spot a liar

Does it seem like this person is lying or telling the truth? Why? Are they a known liar?
Is this person motivated to deceive me? Do they stand to gain something by lying to me? What might this person gain by lying to me?
Dodge the question
Ignore the question
Attack you for asking the question, “How could you ask me a question like that!”
Refuse to answer the question
Answer a different question
Turn the question back on you, “I could ask you the same thing!”
Give short one word answers
Give vague or ambiguous answers
Talk around in circles without answering the question
If you ask the person the same question multiple times using different words, do they give different answers and contradict themselves? Do the details in their story keep changing?
Uncomfortable
Does the person speak slower or faster or louder than normal when answering your questions?
Does the person hesitate, take long pauses, or talk slower than normal when answering your questions? (maybe in an attempt to think on the spot and buy time?)
Do they avoid eye contact and/or cover their mouth when answering questions?
Do they start sentences and not finish them, or change topics and start talking about something else mid-sentence?
Does the tone or volume of their voice change? Does their voice crack and/or go higher than normal? Do they cough repetitively and clear their throat, or stammer or stutter?
Do they blink rapidly, or not at all, or have a fake or nervous smile?
Do they roll their lips back or purse them?
Does their body language seem uncomfortable?
Do their emotions and facial expressions match their words? When they say they’re “good” or “okay”, do they seem good or okay?
Does it seem like they’re in a hurry to change the subject?
This person is telling “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”
This person is telling half-truths and holding something back
This person is playing dumb and pretending to know less than they do
This person is straight up lying
What does your gut/intuition say? Does it seem like they’re lying or telling you the truth? (or both)
Is a stranger emailing, texting or calling you out of the blue claiming something too good to be true? e.g. you’ve entitled to a large inheritance – and all you need to do is provide bank details, or pay taxes or transfer costs? Or that you’ve won a prize in a competition or lottery you’ve never entered?
Is someone calling you claiming to be from your bank, gas/electricity provider, phone company etc. and asking you to verify your personal contact details, password, bank details, credit card number etc.? maybe due to “unauthorized” or “suspicious activity” on your account?
Does a google search on the exact wording of the email, text or ad reveal a scam?
Does the email contain any grammatical or spelling errors, or overly formal language?
Does the email ask you to click a link or open an attachment?
If you’re buying something online is the seller asking you to make payment with an insecure payment option? e.g. direct bank transfer, money order, or a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin?
In an online dating scenario, is someone professing strong feelings for you after only a few encounters?
Does the person have a sense of urgency? Are they claiming to need money urgently for a personal or family emergency, medical attention, or to come see you?
Is someone using pressure tactics, and trying to make you feel guilty or selfish for not buying their product or service, or donating to a charity?
Is someone trying to manipulate you with sleazy sales/self-help seminar type questions e.g. “Do you want to be rich or poor?” “A winner or a loser?” “A success or a failure?”
Does it seem too good to be true? Does it seem like a scam? If so, it probably is
What does your gut/intuition say?

Statistics questions

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Ask yourself the following questions whenever you’re presented with any statistic:

Who paid for the study or survey?
Who conducted the study or survey? Does it come from a credible source?
Why was the study or survey done? What is the likely agenda?
When was the study done? Is the information outdated? Is it still relevant? Times change. Public opinion changes
Who was polled? Conservatives or liberals? Men or women? Asians, Blacks, Hispanics or Whites? What age group? Gen X, Y or Z? How diverse was the group?
How large was the sample size? How many people were surveyed? Is the sample size large enough? Is it qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? Was the sample size sufficient? Was it representative enough of the wider population? Did the participants come from different cultural and social backgrounds? How generalizable are the findings?
What are the statistics measuring?
How long did the information take to gather? Was it a 2 week survey? A 6 month study? A 10 year study?
What questions were asked?
How was each question asked? Were the questions leading or loaded or worded in such a way as to encourage a certain answer?
What is the context of the survey?
How was the research done? Phone, email, social media, face to face?
What is the number as a percentage? e.g. 55, 000 Americans is 0.0167% of the population
Is the percentage statistically insignificant? e.g. 500, 000 Americans might be addicted to Heroin, but as a percentage that’s ‘only’ (any number above one is obviously too high) 0.153% of Americans
Do the author’s conclusions and the headline logically follow from the data? Or are they reading too much into the data? Find the raw data if you can. Don’t just accept and believe headlines for statistics. Make sure it says what the headline says it says. Statistical headlines are often used to suggest things the data doesn’t actually say
Is the research confusing causation and correlation? Check out: spurious correlations for a perfect visual example of why correlation does not equal causation
Has this study been peer reviewed by experts?
Beware of unsourced statistics

“I can prove anything by statistics except the truth.” – George Canning

Critical thinking about your life questions

“The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates

You can apply critical thinking to the books you read, the podcasts you listen to, the information and “news” presented to you, but ultimately, what better place to apply critical thinking skills than to your own life?

Which biases and fallacies are you most guilty of?
Where/when do you most often fail to practice critical thinking?
What are your sacred cows? What shouldn’t be questioned? What is off limits? God? Jesus? Buddha? Krishna? Muhammad? The Bible? The Bhagavad Gita? The Quran? Your Guru?
What do you need to start/stop doing?
What do you need to do more/less of?
What are your best/worst habits?
Where do you waste the most time?
Who/what should you cut out of your life?
What one thing, if you were to take action on it, would produce the greatest difference in your life?
A year from now, what will you wish you had started today?

Ask the Right Questions: Critical Thinking Skills for Life

So you want to make better decisions and gain a competitive edge in life? The key is developing your critical thinking skills . As the old adage goes, the questions you ask are more important than the answers you get. Asking the right questions – the ones that challenge assumptions, explore alternatives, and consider different perspectives – is how we open our minds, gain insights, and see situations with more clarity.

Table of Contents

This article will show you how to strengthen your critical thinking by learning how to ask insightful, probing questions that uncover the truth and open up new possibilities. Apply these techniques in your everyday life – at work, at home, and in your relationships – and you’ll become someone who evaluates information and arguments in a thoughtful, unbiased manner. You’ll gain the ability to make choices that align with your goals and values. The questions you ask have the power to transform how you think and live. So let’s get started – what questions do you have for yourself?

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves seeing beyond the obvious and developing an independent perspective. ###

Developing strong critical thinking skills takes practice. Here are a few tips to get started:

Ask questions. Don’t just accept information at face value. Ask who, what, where, when, why, and how to better understand the issue. Probe deeper by asking follow up questions to get to the root of things.
Evaluate arguments and evidence. Consider the validity, accuracy, and relevance of supporting evidence. Look for logical flaws or weaknesses in the reasoning. Try to identify any assumptions or biases.
Consider alternative perspectives. Try to see other sides of an issue to gain a balanced view. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand different opinions and experiences.
Draw reasonable conclusions. Make judgments that logically follow from the information and evidence, not what you wish to be true. Consider all possibilities and determine which conclusions are most strongly supported.
Be open-minded and willing to accept new evidence. Do not hold onto beliefs in the face of contrary evidence. Accept that your current views may be incorrect or incomplete.

With regular practice, these critical thinking techniques can become second nature. You’ll get better at spotting misleading claims, false assumptions, emotional manipulation, and irrational logic. And that will help you make smarter life decisions every single day.

Why Critical Thinking Matters

Critical thinking skills matter because they help you make better decisions and navigate life’s challenges.

Better Problem Solving

When faced with problems, critical thinkers can analyze the situation objectively. They ask probing questions to identify root causes instead of just addressing superficial issues. For example, if a process at work isn’t going smoothly, a critical thinker would ask “why?” multiple times to uncover the real problem. With the core issue identified, solutions can be developed to fix it.

Avoiding Bias and Assumptions

We all have implicit biases and preconceptions that can negatively impact our judgment. Critical thinkers actively look for these biases in themselves and others. They question assumptions and opinions to determine if they are backed by facts. Strong critical thinkers can articulate the merits and downsides of opposing viewpoints, not just their own stance.

Continuous Learning

The world is constantly changing, so critical thinking skills help you adapt. You have to analyze information, determine what’s credible, and make judgments about what to learn and implement. People who think critically about subjects that interest them often become “amateur experts” and lifelong learners. They ask insightful questions, evaluate new ideas objectively, and update their knowledge and beliefs based on evidence.

In a world filled with misinformation, hype, and “instant experts,” critical thinking skills have never been more important. Developing the ability to think logically and objectively about complex topics can empower you to make wise choices, have more meaningful discussions, and reach your full potential. The effort required is worth it. With practice, critical thinking can become second nature.

How to Develop Your Critical Thinking Skills

To sharpen your critical thinking skills, start by questioning everything. Develop a curious mindset and seek to understand the reasons and evidence behind claims, opinions and information you encounter each day.

Ask probing questions

Why do I believe what I believe? What evidence supports those beliefs?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives on an issue?
What are the implications and consequences of particular choices or decisions?

Evaluate arguments and evidence objectively

Try not to let your own biases and preconceptions influence your judgment. Consider if the evidence is relevant, accurate and logically connected to the argument or claim. Look for logical fallacies like appeals to emotion or authority, or strawman arguments.

Consider alternative perspectives

Try to understand other points of view that differ from your own. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and look at the issue from their angle. You may gain new insights and find common ground. At the least, you’ll have a more balanced perspective.

Draw well-reasoned conclusions

After objectively analyzing evidence and arguments, infer logical conclusions that follow from the information. Be willing to accept a conclusion that differs from what you originally expected if that’s where the evidence leads. Your conclusion should not introduce new ideas that were not mentioned in the evidence and reasoning.

Developing strong critical thinking skills takes conscious effort and practice. Make a habit of questioning information, evaluating arguments, and considering a range of perspectives in your daily life. Your ability to think clearly and logically will benefit you in all areas of life from making better decisions to having more constructive discussions to gaining deeper understanding of complex issues. Sharpening your critical mind is a lifelong endeavor, so keep at it and enjoy the rewards of thinking well.

Common Barriers to Critical Thinking

Common barriers can trip you up in your critical thinking journey. Watch out for these obstacles:

confirmation bias

It’s human nature to seek out information that confirms what we already believe. Fight this urge and instead look for evidence that contradicts your views. Examine other perspectives with an open mind.

emotional reasoning

Our emotions can cloud our judgment. Just because something feels true doesn’t mean it is. Look at the facts and evidence, not your gut reaction. Ask yourself if there are alternative ways of viewing the situation that you haven’t considered.

all-or-nothing thinking

The world isn’t always black and white. Avoid extremes like “always”, “never”, “everyone” or “no one”. Consider the complexity and nuance in issues. The truth is often somewhere in the middle.

overconfidence

It’s easy to be confident when you’re not that knowledgeable about a topic. The less you know, the more certain you may feel. Admit what you don’t know and look to fill in the gaps. Consider other perspectives and opinions to gain a more balanced and well-rounded understanding.

societal pressure

It’s human nature to want to fit in with those around us. But following the crowd isn’t always the best path. Look beyond commonly held beliefs and conventional wisdom. Think for yourself by evaluating the facts and evidence instead of just accepting what others say.

Developing strong critical thinking skills requires effort and practice. Watch for these common barriers, and make a habit of examining your own biases and assumptions. With an open and curious mind, you’ll strengthen your ability to think logically and rationally about any topic or issue.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Critical thinking is a skill that applies to nearly every area of life. Using critical thinking techniques in your daily routine can help you make better decisions, have more engaging conversations, and avoid manipulation or deception.

Question Everything

Don’t just accept information at face value. Ask questions about the evidence, assumptions, and reasoning behind the information. Consider the credibility and possible biases of the source. Look for logical flaws or fallacies in the arguments. Questioning everything may seem tedious at first, but it will become second nature and help you make informed choices.

Seek Alternative Perspectives

Try to consider other sides of an issue and put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Don’t just surround yourself with people or media that share your views. Expose yourself to different perspectives to gain a more balanced and well-rounded understanding. Discuss issues respectfully with people who see things differently than you. Ask open-ended questions to make sure you understand their position correctly. You may gain new insights and find common ground.

Read more: How to Find Strength When Life’s Not Fair

Apply Reasoning

Think logically about the information, opinions, and choices in front of you. Look for evidence that supports or contradicts particular conclusions or beliefs. Consider the implications and consequences of different options. Try to set aside biases and preconceptions as best you can. Apply inductive and deductive reasoning to determine what is most likely to be true or the best course of action.

Reasoning and skepticism are the hallmarks of critical thinking. Make them a habit, and they’ll serve you well in navigating life’s complexities. While it may not always lead to a clear or easy answer, critical thinking helps ensure you make the most thoughtful choice possible based on the information available. What could be more useful than that?

So there you have it—some simple but powerful critical thinking skills to practice each and every day. These techniques will serve you well in all areas of life by helping you gain deeper insights, make better decisions, and have more meaningful conversations. Remember, think critically about the information coming at you, ask probing questions, check your assumptions and biases, and consider other perspectives. Keep an open and curious mind. Seek truth, not just confirmation of what you already believe. Sharpen that critical thinking muscle each day and you’ll find yourself navigating life’s challenges with greater wisdom, confidence and grace. Now go out there, ask the right questions, and think deeply! The world needs more independent thinkers like you.

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Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. Here is a process for asking better, more effective questions.

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To Get Better Thinking, Ask Better Questions

APRIL 12, 2023

Every child is born with a questioning mind. Two-year-olds are famous for continually asking “why?”—and never being satisfied with the first answer. They are always trying to get to the “why beyond the why,” that next-level reasoning behind our first response.

To build critical thinking skills, we need to nurture this questioning mind as children get older. Too often, children are trained (intentionally or unintentionally) to see learning as a process of finding the one “right answer.” But the heart of critical thinking is looking beyond simple answers and getting to deeper levels of understanding—“the why beyond the why.” Students who continually question to test their understanding, dig deeper into a topic, or even challenge the status quo are developing the critical thinking skills they will need to become lifelong learners and problem solvers. In fact, it is precisely the ability to keep asking better questions that leads to great discoveries and new ways of thinking in all disciplines and fields. Here’s how you can help students take “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” to the next level to support higher levels of learning.

Critical Thinking and Questioning

Socrates recognized the importance of questioning for developing understanding and reasoning skills more than 2,000 years ago. The Socratic Method of teaching through questioning still stands up today. But even more important than asking questions is teaching students how to ask their own questions. In many ways, this can be considered the essence of critical thinking. Paul and Elder (2000), in Critical Thinking: Basic Theory and Practice , explain, “Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field…the field would never have developed in the first place.”

Questioning is closely tied to the process of metacognition , or “thinking about our own thinking.” Metacognitive questions that support higher-level thinking include:

What do I already know about this?
How do I know this?
How reliable and unbiased are my sources of information?
When would I use this, and for what purpose?
How does this connect to other things I know?
How does this change my thinking about a related topic?
What pieces of this do I still not understand?
What else do I need to find out, and where can I find the information?

Beyond the Five Ws: Increasing the Rigor of Our Questions

We often teach children questioning through the “5 Ws and 1 H”: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Often, we think of the first four questions—the Who, What, When, and Where—as basic knowledge questions and Why and How as higher-level questions. But it’s not always that simple. It is possible to create both higher-level and lower-level questions for all the Ws (and H). Consider the difference between these “Who” questions:

Who drafted the Marshall Plan?
Who were the primary beneficiaries of the Marshall Plan?

The first question is a basic knowledge question—Google it, write it down, move on to the next question. The second question asks students to think about what the treaty says, who it was written to benefit, and in what ways—a much higher-level task.

Increasing the rigor of the questions we ask—and the questions we teach students to ask for themselves—is one of the key ways that we increase rigor for the assignment as a whole. Here are some examples of lower-level and higher-level questions for the 5Ws and H:

The questions in the figure above are only a few examples out of hundreds of possible questions at every level of Bloom’s taxonomy. And of course, there are hundreds more that don’t fit within the “5 Ws and H” framework. Questions like:

Do you believe…?
Can you create…?
Is there a better solution for…?
Can you think of an example of…?
Could this have happened if….?

Support for Rigorous Questioning with Thinking Maps and the Frame of Reference

To move students to higher levels of rigor, encourage them to keep asking questions—to get to the “why (and how) behind the why.” The best kinds of questions are those that don’t have a simple answer that can be found through a Google search or expressed as a multiple-choice question. In a Ted-Ed Blog , Mary Halton (2019) recommends four strategies (based on the work of Brian Oshiro) for moving beyond the superficial:

Go beyond “what” and ask “how?” and “why?”
Follow up with “How do you know this?”
Prompt them to think about perspective.
Ask them how to solve the problem.

For example, if you want students to understand the impacts of a new piece of legislation, you can start with the question, “what are the intended outcomes of this legislation?” It’s not a bad question—but you can take it further with related “how” and “why” questions. For example:

How will this legislation achieve those outcomes?
Why should our community vote for or against this legislation?

Students can work through these questions using a multiple-Map Thinking Maps exercise.

A Multi-Flow Map is used to show the intended outcomes of the bill (cause-and-effect).
A Flow Map could be used to show the mechanisms leading to each outcome—what actually happens in the chain of events from legislation to outcome?
They could use Tree Maps to explore the pros and cons of the legislation or show how it impacts different groups of stakeholders.
A writing Flow Map can be used to help them organize their ideas for an opinion piece.

Students can continue to go deeper with questions like, “What unintended effects might result from this legislation?” and “How would you change this bill to avoid those unintended effects?” Students can use and combine Thinking Maps in a variety of ways to explore these higher-level questions.

“How do you know this?” and “What is the perspective?” are important questions, too. Students need to be able to determine the source of their information and understand the perspectives and potential biases that may be influencing the way information is presented. In a Thinking Maps school, students learn to use the Frame of Reference to explore questions such as:

Where did you get your information?
What is the point of view that is influencing this information source?
What conclusions can you draw from this information?

As students learn to show their thinking through Thinking Maps, they are also learning to use and apply the academic language that corresponds to each Map, including questioning language. Using the Maps, students learn how to ask, and answer, questions at all levels of thinking.

Going further:

Download a whitepaper: Metacognition .
Watch a webinar: Building a Deep Structure for Critical Thinking
Check out this month’s Navigator: Rigor, Bloom, and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (For Thinking Maps Learning Community (TMLC) members only.)

To learn more about implementing Thinking Maps, talk to your Thinking Maps representative .

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Mastering Science Concepts and Content in K12 | Thinking Maps Support student mastery of the Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with Thinking Maps. Learn more on the blog:

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Scientific thinking empowers students to ask good questions about the world around them, become flexible and adaptable problem solvers, and engage in effective decision making in a variety of domains. Thinking Maps can help teachers nurture a scientific mindset in students and support mastery of important STEM skills and content.

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A majority of teachers believe that students are finally catching up from pandemic learning losses. But those gains are far from evenly distributed—and too many students were already behind before the pandemic. To close these achievement gaps, schools and districts need to focus on the underlying issue: the critical thinking gap.

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Student engagement is a critical factor in the learning process and has a significant impact on educational outcomes. Thinking Maps enhance engagement by encouraging active participation in the learning process, facilitating collaboration, and providing students with structure and support for academic success.

Emma Sue Prince

Critical thinking: the art of asking questions

By Emma Sue Prince

Tags: Behavioural Skills , Communication

Asking great questions is a huge part of thinking critically, yet so often we either don’t ask enough questions or even the ‘right’ questions. This is because we don’t slow down long enough to either really listen (when asking questions of others) or really reflect (when asking questions of ourselves). Yet the more we can ask questions the more creativity, innovation, solutions and breakthroughs we encourage.

Questioning can spark change in your life, your business, or in the world around you. Questions like ‘what if we did this?’, ‘what if we tried that?’ can lead to new ideas, products and services as long as we stick with them and keep asking more questions.

Remember to look up at the stars, not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. – Stephen Hawking

In our lives, in general, there’s a tendency to move along on auto-pilot when it would be so much better to regularly step back and question everything—about our career choices, about our attitudes and beliefs, about the ways we choose to live. Questioning is good for us. It can help to open up new possibilities in our lives. It’s a first step in solving problems. It makes us more successful as leaders. People who ask a lot of questions tend to be more engaged in their lives, more fulfilled, and happier.

Challenging assumptions

When it comes to thinking critically, questioning our assumptions is vital. These assumptions are automatic and immediate and we need to learn how to question them more: ‘why is this image/thought/idea coming to mind?’ ‘what does this situation remind me of that is making me feel stressed right now?’ or even commenting to ourselves: ‘oops, there I go again acting on my assumptions’ – generally in any situation just asking one more question can be the difference between understanding, strong communication and great responses over reactionary, defensive behaviour because we are acting on assumptions and limiting beliefs. What would it be like if every decision you made didn’t involve your personal feelings or over-emotional reactions? What if your perspective was always balanced and decisions completely informed?

In critical thinking, whether in business, in our personal lives or education we are taught to question everything. The question behind the question, however, is: what questions should you be asking?

Open questions (when asking questions of others) are better: ‘how do you feel about….’, ‘what’s your take on….’ ‘where do you think this idea came from…’ ‘what makes you say that?’
Specific questions can be helpful when you are asking yourself questions to better understand your responses or to have more accurate information about a situation or something you’ve read on social media: ‘is this an opinion?’ ‘is this even news?’ (news posted on social media may not be news at all – it may be clickbait, gossip/rumours, outrage or just poorly written and evidenced), ‘who paid for this survey and how big is the sample size?’ (when it comes to ‘statistics’), ‘what do I want to stop doing/start doing/do more of/do less of?’ when it comes to making choices about your life or direction.

There are infinite questions you can ask – the most important thing is that the question you ask should give you more insight, data, information that you did not have before. It’s also important to stick with it – sometimes the answer is not immediate, in fact most of the time the answer will evolve.

Capture thoughts, ideas, and insights either together with your team at work or for yourself in a notebook. Never take things at face value – in fact in every interaction and encounter with anybody and with any information you are presented with try to insert just one question that give you more.

Interested in this topic? Read Personal development: five ways to improve your critical thinking skills .

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Published on February 10, 2018
February 10, 2018

Critical Thinking Questions That Will Blow Your Mind

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What would it be like if every decision you made didn’t involve your personal feelings or over-emotional reactions? What if your perspective was always balanced and decisions completely informed? Is it not time that you used critical thinking questions to become the more levelheaded, cool, and calm person you want to be?

Being a critical thinker enables you to take a neutral perspective on an idea or scenario and gives you the power of true choice. Being free from manipulation or emotional ties to your decision will allow you to make the most beneficial choice in any circumstance.

In critical thinking, we are taught to question everything. However, the question behind the question is; what questions should you be asking? Before we go into the critical matter of the exact questions, we should first look at the manner in which these critical thinking questions should be asked. After this article, you will be a wizard at asking critical thinking questions.

The Standard of Questions You Should Ask

Although the actual questions will be very important to critical thinking, the emphasis and purpose of these questions will determine how effective the questions will be. You must first know how to question before you know what and which critical thinking questions to ask.

1. Open-ended questioning

As a critical thinker, you cannot allow whomever or whatever you are questioning to give you the smallest amount of information for your questions. Yes or No answers can really drag out the process of getting the answers and information that you want.

Asking questions that will not only give you the answers you are looking for but also open up a heap more information than you were searching for. Ask open-ended questions such as the following:

“What is the purpose of this scenario?” Instead of: “Is this the purpose of this scenario?”
“What is your favorite thing about this scenario?” Instead of: “Is this your favorite thing about this scenario?”

2. Avoid leading questions

Being a critical thinker is about escaping your bias and seeing things outside of your personal perspective . It is thus very important to avoid leading the question, in an area you want it to go.

Keep your questions as neutral as possible and don’t allow any definitive language to creep into the question. Such as using the following:

“What is your take on the healthiest diet there is?” Instead of: “Don’t you think the vegan diet is the healthiest diet?”
“What is the condition of the country at the moment?” Instead of: “How bad is the condition of the country at the moment?”

3. Specify the boundaries of your questions

As much as leading a question can be a hindrance to what you want, so can leaving the question too open, and invite unnecessary information to be given. Critical thinking is about being objective, but it still needs a direction and focus in which you apply your critical thinking.

Make sure that you set up an accurate framework in which your questions can be answered. Being too broad makes the process of getting answers inefficient and drawn out. Try asking questions like:

“Who is your favorite male tennis player in the United States?” Instead of: “Who is your favorite tennis player?”
“If you could live anywhere in South East Asia, where would that be?” Instead of: “If you could live anywhere, where would that be?”

4. Funnel the questions until you get the answer you were looking for

When questions remain shallow, it is easy for the sources of information you are questioning to mislead and avoid giving you the information that you want.

Do not set up the path of questions beforehand, but rather make sure that you dig deeper after each question in the direction of information that you really want. Once you have your answer, then move back to broader questioning in order to get a better picture of the whole once again.

5. All the answers to your question must be based on facts and well supported from many different sources

Make sure that you don’t give into hearsay. Find the studies, the science, and ample testimonials before you accept the information that you have been given.

Look into many different and unrelated sources to see if the information matches up. Look at the other side of the argument and validate their claims.

Methods of Critical Thinking Questions

1. the 5 w’s and the h.

These are the absolute basics of critical thinking. The Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How are foundational questions that are taught over and over in journalism, investigation, and research.

They are the base from which every critical analysis should be created. You would apply these questions as follows:

…would benefit?
…would this harm?
…is responsible?
…has researched this before?
…is the other perspective?
…would be the challenges?
…are the strengths?
…is the key subject?
…would this problem reside?
…are there similar situations?
…can more information be found?
…can this be improved on?
…is this acceptable and unacceptable?
…could this be implemented?
…would we be able to measure the results?
…is it time to stop this action?
…is this a problem?
…is this relevant?
…should this be known about?
…is there a need for this?
…is this different from anything else similar to it?
…it functions?
… is this the truth about it?
…could it harm anyone?

2. Agenda and method questioning

These two areas of questioning may have already been covered through the 5 W’s and the H. However, it is beneficial to emphasize the angle from which this questioning comes.

The first one is questioning the agenda. This is aimed at figuring out how people could benefit from a situation or idea. This agenda can place all the information received in context.

For instance, if a company was contributing to a charity and their agenda was to improve their image against the damage done by that company, then the contributions would be much less charitable and much more about publicity.

Questions that would help clarify the agenda would be:

What is the person or organization involved trying to accomplish?
What issues or problems are raised by the person or organization involved?
What data, what experiences, what evidence is given?
Is the person or organization involved thinking about the environment?
Is the person’s or organization’s thinking justified as far as we can see from our perspective?
And how do they justify it from their perspective?
How can we enter their perspective to appreciate what they have to say?

The second aspect of this is questioning the method. As a critical thinker, this makes the outcomes of every situation and idea questionable, which is exactly the point of critical thinking.

Too many times the outcome of a specific method is the focus of debate, without clarifying if that outcome has validity.

Questions that would help clarify the Method would be:

I s the person or organization involved willing to fundamentally rethink their methods of creating a certain outcome?
Has the person or organization involved thought about how the method will work going into the future?
To what extent has the method been tested?
Is there any other method that could be used to produce this outcome and what would be the implications of this method?
Is the person or organization involved willing to allow this method to be tested?
In what other situation has this method been used and how effective was it?

3. Inquiry process

The inquiry process is exactly that; a process. It does entail certain questions but the power of this process resides in the way the process is conducted.

This process is the standard of research and creates an order in which you can follow, uncovering the information that you seek. Although the terminology may change for each step of the process, the essence of what needs to be done remains the same.

The process is divided as follows:

Ask (Pose Question)
Investigate (Find Resources)
Create (interpret/ Synthesise)
Discuss (Report findings)
Reflect (follow the process backward)

4. Bloom’s taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy was created by Dr. Benjamin Bloom , a psychologist in the 1950’s. Bloom’s work was to create a better form of learning through more focus on analysis and evaluation.

Bloom’s taxonomy is very much Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to critical thinking. The original Bloom’s taxonomy encompasses:

What is the subject?
When did it happen?

Comprehension:

How would you compare the subject?
Explain the subject in your own words?

Application

What examples can you find of the subject?
What approach would you use to solve the problem?
What inference can you make from the information?
How would you classify or categorize the subject?
How would you compare the information?
What was the value or importance of the information?

Creation or Synthesis

Can you propose an alternative interpretation of the information?
What might happen if you…?

remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluatating, creating

Bloom’s Taxonomy has since been revised. In 2001 a group of cognitive psychologists, curriculum theorists and instructional researchers, and testing and assessment specialists change the titles of each level to make a more dynamic approach to the system.

The titles were revised to:

Recognizing
Recalling
Interpreting
Exemplifying
Classifying
Summarizing
Inferring
Comparing
Explaining
Executing
Implementing
Differentiating
Organizing
Attributing
Checking
Critiquing
Generating
Planning
Producing

In the process of the revision, the authors broke the knowledge area into its own taxonomy:

Factual Knowledge

Knowledge of terminology
Knowledge of specific details and elements

Conceptual Knowledge

Knowledge of classifications and categories
Knowledge of principles and generalizations
Knowledge of theories, models, and structures

Procedural Knowledge

Knowledge of subject-specific skills and algorithms
Knowledge of subject-specific techniques and methods
Knowledge of criteria for determining when to use appropriate procedures

Metacognitive Knowledge

Strategic Knowledge
Knowledge about cognitive tasks, including appropriate contextual and conditional knowledge
Self-knowledge

If you want to know more about the reasoning behind the revision click here .

5. Integral questioning

Integral theory was created by Ken Wilber (author of A Brief History of Everything ) and has become one of the most useful structures of evaluation in this era. The integral model is a reference structure in which you can objectively see all areas of a specific subject.

This method goes hand in glove with the practice of critical thinking. Applying the method into question form will bring out the following analysis:

Quadrants: this is the evaluation of each viewpoint of a certain subject.

What does a specific person involved think or feel about the subject?
What studies and tests have been done on the subject?
What do the people as a whole feel or think about the subject?
What does the industry of the subject say on the subject?

Lines: These are the areas of understanding of factors involved in the matter.

What are the different areas of life expressed in this subject?
What factors are involved in the situation or subject?
To what area of understanding does is the subject appeal to?

Levels: This deals with a hierarchical standard of a certain area of the subject.

To what level of understanding does is a subject appeal?
How complex or advanced is this subject?
What standard of knowledge needs to be obtained to understand this subject?

State: This refers to a fleeting state of being in which the subject can be seen in.

In what state of mind was the person involved in when reviewing the subject?
In what state of mind was the person involved in when the situation occurred?
Is the information given contextual to a certain situation?

Types: This is a division of experiences based on traits that could affect perspective.

How would someone who is completely different from the person involved perceive the situation?
What different types of people were involved in the situation?
How could this subject be received differently by a different cultural reference?

Question Everything

You now possess all that you need to start becoming a critical thinker and asking critical thinking questions. The only way to engrain the above processes and questions to become a critical thinker is to practice. You might need to refer to this article consistently at first, but after time you will become a natural and healthy critical thinker.

This video may help to ignite your passion for questioning everything:

Read more on critical thinking by checking out these related articles and resources:

How to Solve the Biggest Problems With Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking Examples That Wil Influence the World Around You

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240 Philosophical Questions for Deep Critical Thinking & Debate

statue of ancient philosopher thinking about philosophical questions

Philosophical questions are an effective tool to stimulate and develop critical thought. They examine profound matters like free will and human nature; the source and value of happiness; morality and ethics; love, logic, and knowledge; religion, death, and the meaning of life.

Although such questions can open a “rabbit hole” that leads to endless and seemingly unanswerable questions, a list of philosophical questions to ask about life—like the ones provided below—can be used as a springboard for critical thinking.

Such questions help us evaluate arguments, explore foreign ideas, identify potential biases, and think critically about our own beliefs and presuppositions.

We are preparing our our children to enter a society full of questions … and questionable ideas.

Consequently, it is our responsibility to train them to think critically and, above all, seek truth when asking the deep questions that arise in their own hearts.

First, let’s take a closer look at what a philosophy question is. Then I’ll provide some examples to help encourage deep thinking.

What is a Philosophical Question OR TOPIC?

A philosophical question is open-ended. Since philosophy itself means “love of wisdom,” it logically follows that a philosophical question is one that pursues a deep understanding of the subject examined.

The answer to this type of question isn’t necessarily an easy one—nor is it always black or white. It requires thoughtful reflection.

The deeper the reasoning behind the answer the better.

Bear in mind there’s no such thing as a dumb philosophical question . However, don’t be surprised if the way questions are answered borders on the brink of absurdity at times.

But the goal is to inspire thought .

So … even if your students gives nonsensical responses, if they’re willing to explain how they came to their answer, count it as a win.

(Even giving an incomplete answer is better than not pondering the question at all.)

A good example of a philosophical question is one of the three overarching “pillars” of philosophy.

The 3 Basic But Big Questions of Philosophy Deal with Existence

The fundamental questions of philosophy deal with existence and fall into three main categories::

Where did we come from?
Why are we here and how should we live?
Is there hope for our future and life after death?

How we answer those questions determines what we will value and how we will behave.

With that in mind, it’s clear just how important it is to train our children to ask meaningful questions and seek truthful answers.

The study of philosophy can help us do that.

PDF Download of 240 Philosophical Questions

240 Philosophical Questions for Deep Critical Thinking

GET ALL 240 QUESTIONS IN AN INSTANT-DOWNLOAD EBOOK!

Includes strategies for using philosophical questions as debate topics.

It is natural to be inquisitive. Let’s steward our students’ curious natures well!

I’ve gathered 240 philosophy questions to help you (and your students) think through tough philosophical topics together.

It’s tempting to look at these questions as a mere academic exercise.

But philosophical ideas have shaped human history from ancient times until today — for better or for worse .

Look at them, instead, as a means of preparing your students to face (and combat) the deceptive ideas they will soon encounter.

Questions of Free Will and Human Nature

It's human nature to live according to the clock. We only have so much time on Earth.

Are we really free?

The question of free will versus determinism has been debated by great thinkers for centuries.

Some contend that we have complete freedom of choice.

Others believe that humans have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions (determinism).They argue that the choices we make stem exclusively from the nature we are born with and all the influences that surround us.

The Bible teaches that we have free will, and we’re responsible for our actions. As Deuteronomy 30:19 explains:

“… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live …”

Here are some questions about will and humanity:

Are humans innately good or evil?
Can humans change their behavior if given enough time?
Do humans need God to exist?
What happens when we die?
Does consciousness continue after physical death?
Why does suffering happen?
Should we try to prevent bad events from happening? If so, then how would we go about doing that?
What makes human life so valuable?
What makes us human?
Why does it matter if we’re alive?
Is there anything wrong with being selfish?
Do humans need other people in order to live?
Can animals feel pain? If so, why don’t they try to avoid hurting each other?
Are children born good or evil?
Is it okay to lie to protect yourself?
What is beauty?
Do all people deserve respect?
Did you exist before you were born?
Where do emotions come from?
Can we choose our emotions or do they just happen?
At what age are children held accountable for their actions? How do you determine that?
Where does self-worth come from?
How do you determine one’s self-worth?
Is one human life worth more than another?
Is ignorance really bliss?
What is the goal of humanity?
Can predestination and free will coexist?

Philosophical Questions About Happiness

The philosopher Aristotle held the view that, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”

Yet the very definition of happiness is as diverse as the people who seek it. Some seek it in relationships, others in work, hobbies, or pleasure.

One school of thought says finding happiness requires a life in which every aspect contributes toward personal fulfillment.

Another believes that happiness is “happenstance”—an emotion based on positive circumstances.

What do you think?

Here are some questions to ponder about happiness:

How much should we care about making ourselves happy?

What does it mean to be happy?
Can I be happy when faced with suffering?
Is happiness universal or a matter of perspective?
How much should we care about making ourselves happy?
Is it possible to feel happy and sad at the same time?
Is it really necessary to pursue happiness?
Are we happier now as a society than in times past? Why or why not?
Does anyone else’s happiness affect my own?
If someone has less material wealth than me, does this automatically make him unhappy?
What brings true happiness?
Can happiness be measured or quantified, like money and power?
Are certain types of experiences inherently “happier” than others?
Is it always best to seek out pleasure over avoiding pain?
Is happiness just the product of chemical reactions in the brain?

Questions Regarding Morals and Ethics

Questions of morals and ethics are important to examine.

Questions of morals and ethics are important to explore if you wish to develop critical thinking skills.

Morality and ethics both relate to the distinction between good and bad or right and wrong. However, morality is usually thought of as personal and normative, while ethics is the standards of good and bad distinguished by a particular community or social setting.

Because the seriousness of the two topics can elicit emotional responses, if we’re not careful, debates on ethics and morality can get heated quickly.

A good moral or ethical argument takes the whole picture into account.

For instance, how would you answer the question, “ Is killing always wrong? ”

Our first instinct may be a resounding Yes!

But looking at the big picture, we might ask: What if it occurs in self-defense? What about soldiers? Are they held to the same ethical standard civilians are?

These are the types of philosophical questions we encounter in this category.

Here are some additional examples:

Is it possible to make moral judgments without religion?

Is morality relative or absolute?
Where do morals come from?
Is it possible to make moral judgments without religion?
Is killing justified under certain conditions?
What makes something immoral?
How do you define “good” and “evil”?
Why do most people think that lying is bad?
Should all actions have equal consequences?
Does every human life count equally?
Is it ever justified to hurt others?
Is it fair to punish criminals with death?
Does morality come from within or outside ourselves?
Is stealing ever permissible?
Is it ever permissible to deceive others?
Should we judge acts based on their outcomes alone?
Should we always follow the rules even if doing so causes harm?
Is slavery ever ethically defensible?
Is dishonesty always wrong?
Would you kill one person in order to save 1,000?
Are lies permissible if they protect someone’s feelings?
What defines a person?
Are we obligated to help others?
Is it wrong to kill animals?
Are humans replaceable?
What is virtue?

Love is an abstract concept defined in a number of different ways. It’s described as:

a state of mind
a relationship
or a desire.

You’ll find a biblical definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.…”

Here’s a collection of philosophical questions about love:

Which is more important: love or money? Why?
Is there such thing as true love? If yes, where does it come from?
Do all human beings want to be loved?
Can anyone ever really understand another’s feelings?
Are children born with an innate love for their parents?
Are some relationships better than others?
Can life without love exist?
What makes someone fall in love?
Why do people get married?
Is there a difference between love and lust?
Is marriage necessary?
Does love last forever?
Is it okay to love yourself?
Is love natural or a choice to be made?
Where do we find love?

Hard Questions Concerning Death

Have you heard the cliché: “The only certainty in life is death and taxes”?

Death truly is a certainty of life.

While some people choose to face the reality of death head-on, others pretend like it doesn’t exist.

Perhaps it’s the finality of death that sparks fear.

Regardless of how we feel, our time on earth will end at some point in the future.

How should that impact how we live today?

Discussing death can be healthy when done in the right manner.

How would you like to be remembered after you die?

Here are some questions about death we can use to explore the topic, provoke thought, and potentially positively affect how we live:

Why do people fear death?
Can we know for certain if there is life after death?
How would you like to be remembered after you die?
What happens to the body after you die?
Does “good death” exist?
What would happen if we lived forever?
Should we try to prolong our lives at any cost?
Could immortality be possible?
Is euthanasia wrong in all circumstances?
Is death actually the beginning?
Why is it acceptable to kill insects?
Should terminally ill patients be able to choose death?

Questions with Respect to Universal Human Rights

Man ponders whether universal human rights exist.

Universal human rights are those rights which apply equally to everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or creed.

They include freedom of speech , equality before law , right to justice , and more.

The philosophy behind human rights is based upon the idea that humans deserve respect and dignity, and—ultimately—the right to life.

They’re largely considered universal because they are natural, belonging to all members of humanity simply by virtue of being human.

Some philosophers argue that such rights can’t be taken away, while others claim they are conditional.

Here are a few questions to help us think critically about human rights:

What makes something a human right?
Do you believe human rights even exist?
Are human rights actually universal?
Are humans rights and entitlement the same thing?
Can torture be justified?
Is liberty a human right?
Is personal autonomy a right?
Do governments have the authority to regulate what people do?
Does democracy guarantee individual liberty?
How much control should individuals have over their own bodies?
If someone commits murder, do they still have the right to life?
Who has the ultimate responsibility for protecting human rights?
Has modern technology made us more or less humane?
Is education a human right for all people?
Is war ever justifiable?
Is due process a universal right no matter the crime?
Is capital punishment ever appropriate?
Are there any downsides to universal human rights?
Is free speech a universal right?

Philosophical Questions About Politics, Government, and Society

This category contains some of the hardest philosophical questions out there. Most of us have strong beliefs about politics, government, and society that make it hard to form an unbiased opinion.

Besides political topics, questions in this category also address social issues , social construct , culture , power , and influence .

We can go so far as to question who gets what— when, where, and how.

If you wish to argue successfully—no matter what side of an issue you align with—it is paramount to understand the opposing viewpoint.

Let’s look at a few questions:

What makes a country democratic?
What responsibilities does a government have to its constituents?
Do democracies always make better decisions than dictatorships?
What constitutes good governance?
Is rebellion against government ever justified?
Is socialism fair? What is “fair”?
If you rob from the rich and give to the poor, is it wrong?
Are laws always good?
Is taxation justified?
What is the ideal government? Why?
Should the will of the people always be followed?
What role do political parties play?
Who defines corruption?
How do I know whether my views are correct?
Is voting compulsory?
Is there such a thing as too much freedom?
Is bribery always bad?
Are police officers obligated to protect criminals?
Should citizens obey unjust laws?
Who decides which laws apply to whom?
Where do we draw the line between criminal behavior and civil disobedience?
Does the state have the moral duty to provide healthcare for its citizens?
Is wealth redistribution morally correct?
Should college be free for all? What about grade school or high school?
Are freedom and liberty the same thing?
What makes someone free?
What makes a crime a crime?
Is it right to govern the number of children families can have to control the world’s population?

Deep Questions to Make You Think

Deep philosophical questions are designed to help you think critically and reflect on the subject at hand.

They are meant to challenge your beliefs so that you may stand more firmly in them , knowing why you believe what you do.

Here are some examples:

What is reality?
What are the limits of science?
Where did all matter come from?
Can I trust my senses?
Is there an innnate moral code?
Does time exist objectively?
Who created God?
Is there a soul?
Are perceptions real?
Is “fair” the same for everyone? Who determines whether or not something is “fair”?
What is time?
What makes you … you?
What is truth?
Is truth reality?
What gives life meaning?
What determines success vs. failure?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
How do I know what’s true?
Should we judge others by their actions?
What’s the purpose of life?
Where do ideas come from?
What is justice?
What is evil?
What makes someone “good” or “bad”?
Can something be true without evidence?
Is fate real?
At what point does consciousness begin?
Can time be altered?
Is there a cause for every effect?

Easy and Funny Questions for Conversation Starters

Some philosophy questions are easy, fun, or even funny! These make the best conversation starters.

Not all philosophy discussion topics have to be as serious as “What is the meaning of life?”

Learning should be fun and engaging, so don’t shy away from humor when asking deep questions or coming up with unorthodox answers.

Sometimes the most amusing questions lead to the most profound realizations.

Here’s a list of somewhat random philosophical questions to start fun conversations with kids, teens, and older students:

If two people understand things differently, who is right?

Is time travel possible? Why or why not?
Do memories still exist if you forget them?
Are animals freer than man?
Are twins unique?
Are animals like people?
Do trees feel pain?
How do you know you’re not dreaming right now?
Are insects conscious of life?
What makes something humorous to some and not to others?
If you save time on something, what happens to that time?
Why do we talk to ourselves?
If you try to fail and do, did you actually succeed?
Can 2+2 ever be something other than 4?

For more ways to engage students in the study of philosophy, try these fun and creative philosophy activities .

Epistemology Questions

Epistemology is concerned with knowledge. It asks questions like::

How does knowledge work?
Why do we need it?
What kind of things count as knowledge?

Epistemologists study these kinds of questions because they’re interested in understanding how humans acquire knowledge.

They also investigate how to differentiate between opinion and justified belief .

As such, epistemological questions analyze which types of evidence can be trusted as reliable sources of information and why.

Needless to say, this category can contain some pretty interesting philosophical questions:

What is the role of reason in determining what’s true?

How do we determine if something is certain?
How do you know if you know something?
Does anyone ever truly learn anything?
Who decides what counts as true knowledge?
Who determines the difference between fact and fiction?
What is the relationship between facts and opinions?
What is the source of human knowledge?
What is knowledge?
What is the nature of certainty?
What is the basis of our confidence in claims made by other people?
What is the role of reason in determining what’s true?
What is the relation between logic and reasoning?
What is the connection between language and thought?
What is the distinction between perception and imagination?
What is intuition?
What is the function of intuition?
What are thoughts?
What is the purpose of thinking?
If two people understand things differently, who is right?
If we had 1000 years to learn, could we know everything?
Is there an end of knowledge?
Is everything subjective?

Logic and the Universe

Some of the hardest philosophical questions involve logic and how the universe began.

The historical discipline of logic largely began with Thales , known as the “Father of Western Philosophy.”

Before this point in history, questions of existence were largely “explained” with Greek mythology.

As it stands today, logic can be described as the discipline of distinguishing good vs bad reasoning.

But who defines “good” and “bad”?

It’s important to note that even the best logical conclusions can be false.

Logic doesn’t equal truth.

( Investigate the difference between logical thinking and critical thinking here if you’re interested).

You’ll notice many questions in this category address our origins and creation:

Can order come from chaos?
Can something be created from nothing?
Where did matter come from?
Is everything relative?
Is there only one universe? How do we know?
Is there such thing as absolute truth?
Are there different levels of existence?
Do we live forever?
Was the Big Bang a real event?
Is space finite?
Is time eternal?
Is logic a created concept?
What time is it really?
Is the mind the same as the brain?
What are numbers?
Does the universe end?
Is there such a thing as perfection?
Does sound exist without hearing?
Are people in a different timezone in the past (or future)?
Where does fear come from?
Does pain exist in itself or just our perception of it?
What is hope?
Could there be a parallel universe?

Philosophical Questions About Religion

Maybe some of the toughest questions are those of religion. Religion for many is the driving force in their lives (and for good reason).

Religious views affect how we raise our children, interact with others, make decisions, and so much more.

As such, questioning religious principles can be tricky. Some parents go so far as to encourage their kids to not question at all.

Others choose a different route, knowing their children will soon enter a world that will challenge them to question what they believe.

Encouraging teens to question their beliefs—in a structured setting with the Word of God in hand—can prepare them to “make a defense” to those who ask about the hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15).

Here are some questions about religion:

Does God exist?
Does God’s existence depend on our belief in him?
Can love exist without God?
What constitutes religion?
Are miracles real?
Is religion compatible with science?
Why does faith matter?
Who decides which religions are right?
What makes a person a Christian?
Should I follow my beliefs blindly?
Is God a created being?
Can morality exist without religion?
Is there a higher power?

Unanswerable Philosophical Questions

Let’s talk about some of the challenges that arise when we delve into the world of ideas.

Since philosophical thought lives largely in grey territory, it deals with questions that can’t be answered with the usual “yes or no,” “this or that” definitive response.

And as our children search for answers to these philosophical questions, they will encounter deceptive lies disguised as logic.

Many college professors of philosophy today will tell you that life’s biggest questions remain unanswered.

Yet those who possess a biblical worldview have a much different perspective.

Even in a lost, confusing world, the Bible is a compass that always points true North. It declares truth in matters the world deems unanswerable.

That’s why it is so important to teach our children how to think and how to reason from a biblical perspective.

Philosophy and Critical Thinking Go Hand in Hand

Critical thinking involves asking questions, analyzing arguments, evaluating evidence, and making decisions based on those evaluations.

It requires us to use logic, reasoning skills, critical analysis, and judgment.

Sound familiar?

Critical thinking is an essential skill that allows us to make decisions and solve problems effectively.

And while it may not seem so at first glance, it is a skill that enables us to defend our beliefs effectively when challenged.

That’s why we focus so heavily on critical thinking from a biblical worldview in the resources we offer at Homeschool Adventure .

If you’re looking for a way to help your students develop critical thinking from a biblical worldview as they explore the history of ideas, check out Philosophy Adventure :

will your children recognize truth?

Philosophy Adventure teaches students 6th-12th grade how to write skillfully , think critically , and speak clearly as they explore the history of ideas .

It was written to bring history alive! Instead of memorizing facts, students “travel back in time” to walk alongside ancient philosophers.

All the while, they will be challenged to examine what they believe about the world around them, and why they believe it .

By the end of the year, students will have written their very own book of philosophy!

Tips for Using These Questions as Philosophical Debate Topics

Philosophical questions about life are naturally thought provoking.

When used properly, even controversial philosophy topics can be effective springboards for critical thinking—a skill that will benefit your teen for life!

Questions can spark wonderful, stimulating debate among older students, especially those in upper middle through high school.

A family discussing a philosophical debate topic.

And philosophical debates can be fun but also challenging, providing the perfect opportunity to practice critical thinking.

If you’ve never tried debating in your homeschool, you can use some of these philosophical questions to start.

A quick note:

Not all questions are practical for satisfying philosophical discussions.

The purpose of debate in the homeschool setting is to practice and improve critical thinking, active listening, argument formation, and even teamwork.

Its purpose is not to waste time on frivolous arguing.

Those of us who believe that the Bible is the Word of God know that absolute truth exists. Consequently, questions to which Scripture provides clear answers may not be the best choice for learning how to debate .

Likewise, you may want to avoid questions whose answers would have to be based solely on speculation—with no practical way to confirm facts or conclusions.

However, keeping all of that in mind, it can be immensely productive for older, more mature students to try to debate a stance they personally disagree with.

Doing so can help them better understand their opponent … and equip them to effectively counter opposing views they may face in “real life.”

Only you know whether your students are ready for such a task, so use discernment.

Since the list of questions we provided is pretty extensive, here’s an abbreviated list of questions that would make great philosophical debate topics :

Does anyone else’s happiness affect my own?
Is socialism fair? What is “fair’?

How to Debate Philosophy

When you debate a philosophical question, follow the same general outline as any other debate process.

An at-home, sibling-to-sibling or parent-child debate may proceed as follows:

Assign the debate topic, first and second positions (for or against the question), and allow time for students to brainstorm ideas.
Encourage students to organize their ideas into simple arguments or points.
Practice structuring those ideas into a speech with an introduction, rebuttal (for those arguing in the second position), points to make, and a conclusion.
Designate a neutral third party to declare a “winner.”
Start the debate.

Depending on your schedule, this entire process can be done in a single day—or stretched over the course of a week (or even a month).

How to Handle Different Age Groups

Simply adjust how deeply you go into each step, depending on the ages of your students.

For younger middle school students, consider keeping the debate more like a simple discussion and less of an emphasis on structure and speeches.

However, you may want to encourage high school students to organize well-developed arguments and rebuttals.

Philosophical questions about life are naturally thought-provoking.

We actually have even more thought-provoking questions here .

When used properly, even controversial philosophy topics can be effective springboards for critical thinking — a skill that will benefit your teen for life!

About The Author

Jordan Mitchell

Equip students to identify deceptive lies disguised as logic, get 25% off for the next 20 minutes only.

240 Philosophical Questions contains 60+ pages filled with open-ended questions that inspire thought and reflection. Includes built-in tips for discussion and ways to use questions as debate topics.

19 Short Stories and Questions For Critical Thinking

Apr 2, 2024

There have been rumblings in different online teacher groups recently about replacing novels with short stories and informational articles in middle and high school English classrooms. I have to admit I was shocked when I first read the comments because I am a book lover at heart, but since then, I’ve considered that there are several pros and cons to this approach.

Short stories and other smaller texts can provide a briefer timeline to complete tasks, and this process is helpful when there is already SO MUCH curriculum to cover. Short stories and related activities can also be more engaging for our students because of the exposure to diverse voices and themes! Using short stories and lessons provides students with amazing choices to meet their needs and preferences!

On the other hand, incorporating mainly short stories and other shorter passages means students’ already-pressed attention spans (as a result of social media influences and pervasive sources of technology) are reinforced. Plus, students miss out on the more complex stories within longer pieces of fiction that are, dare I say, life-altering! A novel can provide opportunities for sustained reading and layers for analysis that shorter pieces of literature like short stories and related texts cannot offer.

Ultimately, no matter where you find yourself on the issue, I think we can all agree that short stories and their counterparts can be vital, effective, and helpful in the modern classroom!

Continue reading for 19 Short Stories and Questions For Critical Thinking!!

Need help with Test Prep ? Check out this FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities to help students achieve success on standardized tests!

Table of Contents

19 Short Stories and Questions – Suggestions for Teaching Them

You don’t need to remove all novels to be able to include short stories and smaller passages like vignettes, articles, and narratives; there’s a time and place for all genres! But if you’re thinking about ways to include more short stories and fun activities, check out this list of 19 varied short stories and critical thinking questions as well as suggestions for teaching them in middle school and high school.

1. “The Most Dangerous Game”

“The Most Dangerous Game” is one of my absolute favorite short stories and overall plots to teach! This suspenseful short story by Richard Connell follows the harrowing ordeal of Sanger Rainsford, a skilled hunter who becomes the prey of a deranged aristocrat named General Zaroff. Stranded on Zaroff’s secluded island, Rainsford must outwit the cunning general in a deadly game of survival, where the stakes are life and death.

the most dangerous game short stories and activities

SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING:

You could focus on the setting (description of time and place) and examine how the setting changes throughout the story.
Students could learn about the plot (major events in the story) and list the major events and evidence as they read.
Define foreshadowing (hints for what will happen by the end of the story) and encourage students to hypothesize about what will happen after every page.
Analyze the character development (how a character changes over time) of Rainsford and highlight his traits/actions as you read along.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:

How does the setting contribute to the tension and suspense in the story?
How does the author use foreshadowing? How does the author hint at the danger Rainford is facing?
What inferences can you make about the main character and the changes he undergoes from the beginning to the end of the story?

If you want to teach plot elements and plot analysis , check out this lesson bundle for the story , which includes comprehension quizzes and a variety of activities!

2. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

Ambrose Bierce’s story is a gripping tale set during the American Civil War, where a Southern civilian named Peyton Farquhar faces execution by hanging after attempting to sabotage a Union railroad bridge. As Farquhar falls through the trapdoor, time seems to stretch, and he experiences a surreal moment, only to realize his grim reality.

Integrating historical texts with other short stories and passages like “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” will make history come more alive and relevant for our students!

Teach about irony (when the opposite occurs from what is expected) and how it plays a role throughout the story.
Explain the term characterization (how a character is depicted) by looking at direct and indirect references while reading with your students.
Discuss the major themes (messages) of the story and how they connect to our modern era within a Socratic Seminar.
How does the author use characterization to convey Peyton Farquhar’s thoughts, emotions, and motivations?
What is the purpose of irony in this story? How does its use affect the reader’s interpretation and understanding of events?
What is the significance in our contemporary/real world of the themes of the story, including reality and fantasy, the passage of time, and the consequences of actions?

Ensure students’ understanding of the story with this set of reading questions that are perfect for state test prep, too !

an occurence at owl creek bridge short stories and questions

3. “The Masque of the Red Death”

This chilling tale from Edgar Allan Poe is set in a secluded abbey where Prince Prospero and his wealthy guests attempt to escape a deadly plague known as the Red Death. Despite their isolation efforts, the guests are confronted with their own mortality as a mysterious figure in a blood-red mask appears.

If you have not read any short stories and poems from Poe, this story is a perfect journey into the horror genre!

The setting (description of time and place) plays a MAJOR role in the story, so following the Prince from room to room and highlighting the imagery (description that connects to the five senses) is very important when reading.
If you have not introduced mood (emotion intended for the reader to experience), this story is PERFECT for delineating its progression from start to finish.
As students read, you might guide them through identifying various examples of symbolism (object, person, or place that represents something else); each room, objects within, and the “antagonist” is symbolic in some way!
How does the author convey the tone of the story? How would you, as the reader, describe the story’s mood?
What role does the plot structure (focus on the different rooms) play in shaping the reader’s understanding of the story?
What is the purpose of the symbolism in the story such as the clock and the masked figure?

Check out this EASY-TO-TEACH bundle , you can practice with your students, so they will feel more confident analyzing higher-level language in “The Masque of the Red Death!”

4. “The Cask of Amontillado”

Another chilling tale from Poe is the classic story “The Cask of Amontillado.” This one is set during Carnival in an unnamed Italian city. The plot centers on a man seeking revenge on a ‘friend’ he believes has insulted him. If your students are anything like mine, they will relish the ending particularly!

This is just one more of Poe’s short stories and tales that will capture the mind of every reader!

As you plan for this short story, be sure to encourage your students to analyze the changing setting (description of time and place); following Fortunato from scene to scene will help your students track what is really going on.
This story is the perfect moment to teach about dialogue (conversation within someone=internal and/or between someone and someone/thing else=external); Montresor certainly means more than what he SEEMS to say!
You might also offer a mini-lesson on the 3 types of irony and how each plays a role in the story: verbal (when a person says the opposite of what is really intended), situational (an action occurs that is the opposite from what the reader expects), and dramatic (a character expects a result, but the opposite occurs and the audience can tell what will happen)!
Describe Montresor. What are his motives and personality?
What inferences can you make about Montresor’s mindset based on his dialogue?
What is the purpose of the family’s motto and the carnival atmosphere?

Check out this Short Story Activity & Quiz Bundle for Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” which contains questions and answers modeled after various reading standardized tests as well as pre-quiz reading comprehension questions, graphic organizers, and a writing activity to get students thinking critically about this classic short story involving REVENGE!

Want 7 more teaching ideas for one of Poe’s epic short stories and questions to go with it? Click below!

5. “To Build a Fire”

This story by Jack London describes the treacherous journey of a man through the harsh Yukon wilderness during extreme cold. Despite warnings and the company of a loyal dog, the man’s arrogance and underestimation of nature’s power lead to a tragic end.

Short stories and ideas related to survival in nature are still relevant today! Who knows when you might get lost on a hike or crashland in no man’s land?

This story is PERFECT for a bit of literary analysis (examining the impact of various ideas, elements, or themes within a piece of literature); you could hone in on literary devices, characterization, theme, etc.!
Integrating clips from survival shows will help students see connections to the world and extend their thinking by comparing (recognizing similarities) and contrasting (recognizing differences) varied experiences!
Write a short narrative about surviving 24 hours in a different setting (description of time and place).
How does the author use irony? Provide an example and explain.
What real-world connections can be made between this story and our contemporary life?
What is the story’s message about preparedness and respecting nature?

Grab these engaging short stories and activities to make teaching this Jack London story stress-free!

6. “The Cactus”

Told from the point of view of a young man at his former lover’s wedding, the narrator retells their story. Like most of O. Henry’s short stories and texts, this one has a twist that involves the titular cactus plant.

The ending will end in a bit of fun for your students!

Introduce diction (word choice) and its impact within the story by hyperfocusing on specific words within the story . Students can look up definitions, locate synonyms, create their own sentences, replace the words, etc.
Investigate twist endings (unexpected finish to a story); before reading the end of the story, ask students to guess why the girl “rejected” him. Some students may know the answer before reading it!
Describe the main characters. What similarities and differences are evident? How does this affect the story’s action?
What inferences can you make about Trysdale and his feelings about love and marriage?
What are the real and symbolic meanings of the cactus?

This resource packed with questions and answers, graphic organizers, and writing activities is sure to get your students thinking about this love story driven by misconceptions.

7. “After Twenty Years”

This tale of friendship and betrayal focuses on the reunion of two old friends after twenty years apart on a New York City street corner. As they reminisce, something is revealed that demonstrates the reality of their bond as well as the choices they’ve made in life.

If you have not read O. Henry’s short stories and incorporated character analysis yet, this is your chance! The story is not long and can be completed in one to two class periods!

Sometimes, we ask students to visualize (create a picture) in their minds, but why not give them the opportunity to use their artistic skills to draw the two characters?
As students read, annotate for a description of each character; then, students can do a character analysis (investigation of the characters’ similarities and differences).
What type of irony is used in the story? How does its use affect your interpretation and understanding of the story?
How does the urban setting contribute to the mood of the story?
What is the story’s message about friendship and loyalty?

Examine the links between loyalty and duty with this set of resources designed specifically for this O. Henry story.

8. “The Lottery”

“The Lottery” is the quintessential short story for middle school or high school English! Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” tells the story of an annual ritual that takes place in a seemingly idyllic town. When the townsfolk gather for the lottery drawing, a shocking turn of events demonstrates the dark side of human nature and their ties to (outdated) traditions.

Introduce the terms suspense (uncertainty and/or excitement leading up to a major event) and tension (anxiety or uneasy feelings experienced by characters). While reading, identify evidence that relates to each of these concepts and chat/write about their impact on meaning and plot.
Teach title (the name of the text) analysis. The title of “The Lottery” is perfect for teaching the impact of the title and audience expectations. Before reading, students may write what they believe the story will be about based on the title. After reading, students can complete a quick write responding to their previous expectations! You can do a text analysis for all short stories and poems!
What role does the plot structure play in building suspense and tension? (Consider the revelation of the lottery’s ‘prize’ in particular.)
What social commentary is being made through the story and its characters?
Describe Mr. Summers, Tessie, and Old Man Warner. What does the story reveal about their role in the community and their feelings about the lottery?

Give yours elf a breath of fresh air with this NO PREP curriculum that integrates test prep within the teaching of literature by using Shirley Jackson’s quintessential story!

the lottery short stories and activities

9. “The Pedestrian”

This Ray Bradbury story follows a lone walker in a futuristic society in which everyone else is consumed by technology, particularly the television. One evening, the walker encounters a police car that questions his unusual behavior and the end is quite unexpected! (Most of Bradbury’s short stories and texts connect to the future and technology in some way!)

This story exemplifies Dystopian Literature (texts that include a supposedly perfect future society marred in some way by governmental or societal oppression). Using this story to introduce this type of literature is always fun for students because they will easily make connections to other dystopic short stories and poems!
Teach about mood (the emotional impact of a story’s description/action). The goal is to get students to deepen their critical thinking skills by recognizing how the mood changes and the purpose for that change!
How does the author use foreshadowing and suspense to build the mood of the story?
What is the central theme of the story? How might it connect with our current world?
What similes and metaphors does Bradbury use to describe the community and its members? What is notable about these comparisons?

With this resource about Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian,” you can just print and teach the lesson and activities with EASE!

10. “The Gift of the Magi”

This 1905 story by O. Henry relays a tale about a couple struggling to make ends meet. Throughout the story, they both figure out gifts to buy one another for Christmas and realize what love truly means!

Review character traits (how a character is depicted internally and externally). Log the traits of each character within the story and how they are important to the meaning of the story.
Extend (move beyond the text) critical thinking skills by encouraging students to think and write about other people. If they had $1,000 to spend on someone else, how would they spend the money and why?

the gift of the magi short stories and questions

How would you describe Della and Jim, and their relationship?
What values do the characters have, when you consider their actions and decisions?
Explain how dramatic irony is used in the story. Is it necessary? Is it effective? Why or why not?

This tale is a great addition to your short stories and questions unit around the winter holidays! Save yourself time at that time of the year with this lesson bundle .

11. “The Monkey’s Paw”

“The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic horror story about the White family who come into possession of a mystical monkey’s paw that grants three wishes. Despite warnings, they use it and then face devastating consequences as a result.

Teach about the elements of the horror/suspense genre (Ex. Scary movies are typically dark, stormy, surprising, morbid, etc.).
Create a thematic statement (message relayed by the text in a complete sentence). There is no perfectly created theme (message) unless it is directly stated by the author; however, students can create a theme by supporting their ideas with evidence from the story!
What is the main theme of the story? Or how does the author communicate the themes of greed or fate? Is one stronger than the other?
Are Mr. and Mrs. White more alike or different from one another? How do you know?
Should we be afraid of the unknown? What message does the story share? Do you agree or disagree?

Examine W.W. Jacobs’ classic story with this set of questions and answers along with rigorous reading and writing activities . While it is ideal for a spooky season, the story is valuable for its ability to hook readers any time of year!

12. “Lamb to the Slaughter”

This classic story with a killer plot twist is about a woman who kills her husband and gets away with murder thanks to cooking a leg of lamb!

You could introduce the plot elements (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), encourage students to identify major events to fit each element and write down textual evidence to support their ideas.
Complete a film analysis (examination of film techniques and their effects) to compare/contrast the short story with the classic Alfred Hitchcock television episode.
What is Mary Maloney’s state of mind? Does it remain the same or does it change throughout the story? Explain.
Is the resolution of the story satisfying? Why or why not? Why do you think the author ended it as he did?
How does irony contribute to the theme of deception in the story? Explain.

Spice up your middle school English or high school English class with this short stories and activities bundle for Dahl’s famous story!

13. “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Poe’s classic psychological thriller is narrated by an unnamed protagonist who insists on their sanity while recounting how they murdered an old man. The narrator is haunted by the sound of the victim’s beating heart, which ultimately drives him to confess to the crime despite not originally being a suspect.

Teach symbolism (object, person, or place that represents something else) by focusing on the heart and eye . The author used these symbols in various ways!
Investigate psychology (the study of the human mind) as a part of the story. Determine what is fact and what is fiction within the narrator’s mind.
What does the story reveal about the human psyche?
What is the deeper meaning of the two key symbols in the story – the beating heart and the eye of the old man?
What role do the narrator’s inner thoughts play in the development of the plot?

the tell tale heart short stories and activities

This Short Story Comprehension Bundle offers quick (and effective!) ways to assess students’ learning and understanding of the story. It’s easy to use and will no doubt save you time too!

14. “The Scarlet Ibis”

Emotional short stories and their counterparts have a place as well in English classrooms! This short story by James Hurst about two brothers is a heartbreaking must-read. Through flashbacks, the unnamed narrator tells the life story of his younger sickly brother William Armstrong, who is nicknamed Doodle. And the end…well, you’ll see.

Define and explain the purpose of a flashback (referring back to the past within a story). Think about the implications of never thinking back on the past or always thinking about the past.
Complete a comparison chart between Doodle and the Ibis as you read along. Then, students can create a visual of each after they have ready by using their own evidence!
What is the meaning of the story’s title and the presence of a scarlet ibis in the story?
What is the central theme of the story? How do the events of the story support this chosen theme?
How does the author use personification for the storm? What effect does this have on the story?

This flexible resource features critical thinking questions and answers as well as writing and reading activities for students to explore Hurst’s heartbreaking story.

15. “The Veldt”

This science fiction story by Ray Bradbury was first published as “The World the Children Made” and it is quite fitting as a title! The story focuses on a futuristic world in which a video screen can be controlled and it turns out to be more than simple virtual reality! By the story’s conclusion, the world the children made is the downfall of their parents.

Compare and contrast “The Veldt” with “The Pedestrian,” two short stories and dystopic texts by Ray Bradbury. Analyze the similarities and differences of both short stories and create a thematic statement that connects to both texts!
Make connections to our current reality in the 21st century. Locate research about the implications of technology on young people and integrate this information as you discuss this short story.
How does the author address the theme of technology versus humanity in the story? Do you agree with this commentary? Why or why not?
How does the nursery reflect the personalities of Wendy and Peter in this story?
Do you know the story of Peter Pan and his friend Wendy? What connections can you make between it and this story by Ray Bradbury?

Ray Bradbury’s classic short stories and similar passages are the BEST to teach in middle and high school English! With so much to dive into, they are sure to be a hit with your students. Grab this set of activities to extend your students’ engagement with rigorous reading and writing activities about “The Veldt.”

16. “The Necklace”

A woman who longs for a life of luxury and elegance beyond her means faces consequences when she loses a borrowed necklace. Guy de Maupassant’s story ends with a twist that has the reader question the value of material possessions.

I love comparing this short story with O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi.” You might choose to focus on the theme, characterization, setting, etc.
Summarize (writing about the main idea with details) each chunk of the story as you read with your students. Instead of asking students to write a paragraph, you could ask students to create each summary in only one sentence.
The story explores vanity, deception, and the consequences of striving for social status. Which theme do you think is the most important? Explain with support from the story.
Is Mathilde Loisel a likable character? Does this change during the story? Does it matter if the reader likes her? Why or why not?
What clues does the author provide throughout the story that foreshadow the twist at the story’s end?

Focus on the standards with this Short Story Lesson Bundle for “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant!

Need help with implementing activities for “The Necklace?” See below!

17. “A Vendetta”

Guy de Maupassant’s late-19th-century story is all about REVENGE. A mother is obsessed with creating a plan to avenge her son’s murder and she then puts the plan into action with a morbid outcome.

There are so many texts that involve REVENGE! Why not use this concept as a focus for a thematic unit (texts linked to a similar concept and/or message)? You could read “A Poison Tree,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “Lamb to the Slaughter” as well as “A Vendetta” with the intention of writing about all 4 for a comparison/contrast paper, presentation, or seminar.
Analyze the development (how a character changes over time) of the mother and the dog throughout the story; you might annotate for similarities and differences as well as their motivations!
What comment is the story making about the nature (or need) for justice? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
What similes and metaphors does the author use to communicate the main character’s feelings about the vendetta?
How does the author use details to explain the main character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivation?

Add these activities for this lesser-known work to your short story plans. It’s sure to keep things fresh for your short stories and activities unit!

18. “Thank You, Ma’am” (also known as “Thank You, M’am”)

This heartfelt story by Langston Hughes tells the story of Luella, an older woman in the neighborhood, who is nearly robbed by a young man named Roger. In response to Roger, Luella brings him back to her home and treats him with an abundance of kindness, which has a profound effect on Roger.

This tale is at the top of the list for the BEST short stories and passages for upper middle and younger high school students!

Introduce perspective and/or point of view (how a story is told: 1st, 2nd, 3rd omniscient, 3rd limited, 3rd objective). Students might rewrite the story from another perspective or extend the story using the perspective of one of the main characters.
Review plot elements with a focus on the exposition (introduction to the characters, setting, and conflict), climax (highest point of interest/turning point of the story), and resolution (how the story is concluded and/or resolved in some way.) You could assign an activity surrounding each concept: visualization of the scene, a journal response to the event, or a short response focused on how the element is important to the overall theme!

thank you maam short stories and questions

Do you believe in second chances? What does the story say about second chances?
How might the climax of the story also be seen as the turning point in Roger’s life?
How would you describe Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones? Are her actions expected or unexpected in the story? Consider from Roger’s and the reader’s point of view.

Click to check out all of the details for this BUNDLE with differentiated options , which includes a Test Prep Quiz (with varied options), Venn Diagrams, Graphic Organizers, and Writing Responses!!

19. “Click Clack the Rattle Bag”

This short story by Neil Gaiman is creepy and fun in the best ways possible! The narrator is taking care of his girlfriend’s little brother and walking him to bed when the child asks for a story. Instead of the narrator sharing a story, the boy shares about the Click Clacks who drink their prey and leave behind rattling bodies. The end is too good to be missed!

Short stories and plots like those in “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” will most certainly engage even your most struggling learners!

We all know that test prep can be tough as many reading passages are, well, boring! Why not accomplish some test prep with your students and incorporate 5 standardized test-related questions ? You could focus on theme, structure, order of events, characterization, etc.!
Help students make inferences (acknowledging and hypothesizing about the impact of details that are not directly referenced or stated) as the scene moves along. Students can analyze the change in the setting, the little boy himself, the story the boy is telling, and specific phrases from the story.
What details in the story contribute to its eerie atmosphere or mood? Or what figurative language devices does Neil Gaiman use to create a sense of suspense in the story?
How does the author use ambiguity in the story? Is it effective or not? Explain.
What inferences can you make about the relationship between the narrator and the young boy?

click clack the rattle bag short stories and questions

This “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” Quiz Pack for middle and high school students uses the Common Core standards and contains questions and answers modeled after various state standardized tests! Make teaching this amazing short story by Neil Gaiman SIMPLE & EASY!

Why should we incorporate more short stories and activities in our teaching?

While I would never advocate replacing all novels with short stories and smaller texts, there is still something to be said about spending quality time with short stories and excerpts.

Including short stories and standards-based activities is an ideal option to improve reading comprehension and develop skills, especially in middle and high school English classes!

SHORT STORIES AND ACTIVITIES RESOURCES:

This Short Stories and Test Prep Questions ULTIMATE BUNDLE with Lessons, Quizzes, and Activities uses the Common Core standards with reading comprehension QUESTIONS and ANSWERS for 18 short stories such as “The Most Dangerous Game,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “After Twenty Years,” “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Veldt,” “The Lottery,” “The Pedestrian,” etc. modeled after various state reading exams.

Make teaching short stories and activities SIMPLE & EASY!

Just PRINT & TEACH with engaging short stories and lessons!!

Need more fun ideas for teaching short stories and corresponding activities? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep !

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I primarily focus on integrating multiple disciplines and subjects. The goal is to make teaching simplified and effective!

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6 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Situation

Critical thinking questions depend on what’s being ‘thought about,’ but one universal example includes, ‘How do I know what I think I know?’

What Questions Promote Critical Thinking In The Classroom?

by TeachThought Staff

While it’s true that critical thinking is a foundation rather than a brick, how you build that foundation depends on the learning process itself: exposing students to new thinking and promoting interaction with that thinking in a gradual release of responsibility approach.

The following graphic from learningcommons (the link/domain have expired) is most useful for its universal applicability via its simplicity–six basic questions that characterize critical thinking.

The questions are general enough that they can be used with almost anything–different age groups, content areas, and various learning contexts.

Whether you’re exploring math theories with a high school classroom, astronomical phenomena in a university, or a picture book in the elementary classroom, the questions can be used with few changes to promote critical thinking.

In addition to 28 Critical Thinking Question Stems For Any Content Area, the questions below might prove useful to you as you help your students better understand what ‘critical thinking’ means and how it can improve their own lives.

1. What’s happening?

Establish the basics and begin forming questions.

2. Why is it important?

Ask yourself why this is or isn’t significant.

3. What am I missing?

Consider, alone or with others, if there’s any crucial information or perspective you might be missing, or that the ‘thing’ in question is missing.

See also 6 Alternatives To Bloom’s Taxonomy For Teachers

4. How do I know what I think I know?

Identify how you know what you think you know, and how that meaning was constructed.

5. Who is saying it?

Identify the ‘position’ of the ‘thing’–a speaker and their position on an issue, for example–and then consider how that position could be influencing their thinking.

6. What else? What if?

Ask, ‘What else should we consider?’ and ‘If we consider it, how will it change X or Y?”

6 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Situation; image attribution learningcommons

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

Ukraine war latest: Russia says it is considering nuclear shift - and tells West it is 'playing with fire'; US leads drills after North Korea warhead test

A senior Russian diplomat says Putin is reviewing the country's nuclear doctrine - and warns the West it is "playing with fire". Meanwhile, a Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean. Listen to a Sky News podcast on Putin and North Korea while you scroll.

Friday 28 June 2024 08:56, UK

US warned of 'dangerous illusions' as Russia mulls change in nuclear stance
EU signs security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels
Ukraine receives latest EU financial support package worth £1.6bn
N Korea tests multiple warhead missile - as US leads drills after Putin-Kim pact
Your questions answered : Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures?
Big picture : What you need to know this week
Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts
Live updates by Katie Williams

Ask a question or make a comment

We're pausing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for this evening.

Scroll through below to catch up on the latest developments.

Two people have been killed and two more are wounded as a result of Russian shelling in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, an official has said.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the regional military administration, said Russian forces struck the centre of Kurakhove city, killing a woman and a 40-year-old man.

Two injured people were taken to hospital, he said.

He added that the extent of the damage in the attack was being assessed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a seemingly lively chat ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Brussels today.

It's not known what that the two men discussed - but relations between Budapest and Kyiv have become more strained since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Hungary is Russia's closest ally in the EU and Mr Orban has maintained a friendship with Vladimir Putin while criticising the EU's strategy on Ukraine.

In December, Mr Orban blocked a €50bn aid package for Ukraine in a move that frustrated other EU leaders. He lifted the veto several months later.

Two people have been injured in a Russian drone attack on southern Ukraine, an official has said.

The Kherson regional administration said Russian forces launched an attack on the village of Novodmytrivka, leaving a 66-year-old man and 71-year-old woman hurt.

Both have blast injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment, it said on Telegram.

The US, Israel and Ukraine are all in talks to provide Ukraine with up to eight Patriot air defence systems, according to the Financial Times.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for NATO members to send his country the US-made Patriot systems as it battles intensifying Russian attacks.

The FT said the deal would likely involve Israel first sending the systems it plans to retire to the US, before they are handed over to Kyiv.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations told the paper the outlines of the deal have been discussed between ministers and senior officials from each of the three countries.

Mr Zelenskyy said in May that Kyiv urgently needed at least seven more Patriot missile systems to ward off Russian strikes against its power grid, civilian areas and military targets.

Pictures have emerged this evening of the aftermath of Russia's latest airstrike on the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.

Emergency services said earlier that five people were injured and buildings were damaged in the attack (see 17.55 post).

Russian forces launched an assault on a new front in Kharkiv in May, after months of fighting focused on the east.

Ukrainian troops have repelled Russian forces from a neighbourhood in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian military official has said.

Nazar Voloshin, a spokesman for the Khortytsia operational-strategic group, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that Russian forces had been pushed out of the Kanal neighborhood in the east of the town.

Mr Voloshin claimed Moscow's forces were not slowing down in their push to break through in Chasiv Yar, and said two assault operations were ongoing.

"Ukrainian defenders reliably hold the defence in this area and give a decent rebuff to the Russian aggressor," he told the agency.

For context: Chasiv Yar, a strategically-important town in the eastern Donetsk region, has long been a Russian target.

It has been pummelled by Russian air, artillery and drone strikes for months now, as Moscow views the town as a gateway to launch direct offensives against several Ukrainian "fortress cities".

Chasiv Yar had a pre-war population of more than 12,000, but now only a few hundred residents remain.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged EU leaders to make good on their promises to provide his country with military aid after the bloc signed a security agreement underlining its support for Kyiv in the long term.

"Fulfilment of every promise is important, not only in terms of protecting lives but also to destroy the Russian illusion that they will achieve something by war," he said at the summit in Brussels today.

The Ukrainian president thanked countries that have so far promised equipment and arms aid, but pointed out that they were "needed urgently on the battlefield".

He also urged more help on "the urgent things - air defence, that is one".

The EU-Ukraine security agreement entrenches the EU's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

In essence, it encapsulates what the 27-nation bloc has been doing for the country since the start of the war.

But the EU has made a specific commitment to the "predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment" for Ukraine.

Kyiv in return has promised to uphold European values and continue on its reform path in preparation to join the EU.

Five people have been injured in Russian airstrikes in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, according to emergency services.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said the strikes hit a residential area of the region, partially destroying one building and damaging others - including a school - as well as cars.

Crews at the scene said five people were hurt.

The windows and gates of the local fire station were also damaged, the emergency service said.

While the apparent gains made by Russia during its spring offensive in Kharkiv were the focus of much of the news coverage of the way in May, a new report indicates any progress made by Vladimir Putin's troops came at a significant cost.

According to UK and other Western intelligence agency sources cited by the New York Times, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers were injured or killed each day last month.

However, the newspaper also cites US officials as saying Moscow is continuing to recruit between 25,000 and 30,000 new soldiers a month - roughly as many as it is losing from the battlefield.

American officials told the outlet that Russia achieved a critical objective of Mr Putin in creating a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for the Ukrainians to strike into the country.

But, the Western officials said, this did not threaten Kharkiv and was ultimately stopped by Ukrainian forces.

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6 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Situation
Questions: Building the Foundation for Critical Thinking
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48 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Content Area
Want to build a strong critical thinker? Ask them questions! Thinking
9+ Critical Thinking Skills & Examples for the Workplace

VIDEO

How to mapping in Rationale Online Mapping. Critical thinking. [PH]
Why Some People Win & Others Struggle
Ask the Big Questions with Oxford Thinkers
How to get students to ask better questions?
5 Tips To Improve Critical Thinking What is How To Develop Critical Thinking #EnergeticRavi
Importance of critical thinking for students

COMMENTS

Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions
Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions. Summary. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the ...
PDF The Art of Asking Essential Questions
Because we cannot be skilled at thinking unless we are skilled at ques-tioning, we strive for a state of mind in which essential questions become second nature.They are the keys to productive thinking, deep learning, and effective living. 4. The Miniature Guide to the Art of Asking Essential Questions.
48 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Content Area
The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Digital Thinking by Global Digital Citizen Foundation is an excellent starting point for the 'how' behind teaching critical thinking by outlining which questions to ask. It offers 48 critical thinking questions useful for any content area or even grade level with a little re-working/re-wording. Enjoy the list!
85 Critical Thinking Questions to Carefully Examine Any Information
Your critical thinking skills involve gathering complete information, understanding and defining terms, questioning the methods by which we get facts, questioning the conclusions, and looking for hidden assumptions and biases. Additionally, we can't expect to find all of the answers, and we need to take the time to examine the big picture of ...
20 Types Of Questions For Teaching Critical Thinking
Types Of Questions For Teaching. Clarifying Question: A question meant to clarify something-either a question asked by the teacher to clarify the answer a student gives or what the student thinks or a question asked by the student to the teacher to clarify something (a statement, a task, a question, etc.) Probing Questions: A probing question ...
An Updated Guide To Questioning In The Classroom
Asking a question that pierces the veil in any given situation is itself an artifact of the critical thinking teachers so desperately seek in students, if for no other reason than it shows what the student knows, and then implies the desire to know more. Asking a question (using strategies to help students ask better questions, for example) ...
How to answer critical thinking questions
Table of Contents. We'll be discussing the following 6 methods of answering critical thinking questions in order to give you a framework to start with: Ask the Important Questions. Consider All Possible Solutions. Articulate Yourself Clearly. Examine and Reflect. Research and Inform Yourself. Organize Your Thoughts.
How To Ask Questions That Prompt Critical Thinking
Because in order for critical thinking to actually happen, our brains have to be open. Barbara Fredrickson talks about the broaden and build theory and positive psychology -that when good things happen, our brains actually open up to new ideas. Whereas when we're worried about how we're going to pay rent and we don't know what's going ...
15 Questions to Encourage Critical Thinking
Ask students to apply critical thinking by analyzing how they could prevent a certain issue from reoccurring. 7. Why Does It Matter? Whether they're learning about a historical event or a mathematical concept, it's important to understand why the topic is relevant today. 8.
Critical Thinking Questions: The Big List for Your Classroom
In an age of "fake news" claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it's vital to ask questions about everything, but that it's also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts.
200+ Critical thinking questions
In this article I've compiled a list of 200+ of the very best critical thinking questions for almost any situation. Critical thinking questions: If you're presented with a claim. If you're reading a book, listening to a podcast, watching TV or YouTube. If you're watching an interview. In a group or panel discussion.
PDF How to Ask Questions that Prompt Critical Thinking
Prompt: In designing questions constructs; Firstly avoid questions that have an easy one-dimensional answer; Secondly plan your questions in advance; Finally, structure the questions so that you may guide a student by providing them with the appropriate prompt to attain the appropriate/desired "higher order thinking". 1.
Ask the Right Questions: Critical Thinking Skills for Life
What Is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves seeing beyond the obvious and developing an independent perspective. ### Developing strong critical thinking skills takes practice. Here are a few tips to get started: Ask questions.
Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions
Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. Here is a process for asking better, more effective questions.
The Big List of Critical Thinking Questions for Teachers
A Final Word. Questioning plays a crucial role in nurturing critical thinking skills. Through the act of questioning, individuals can challenge assumptions, explore multiple perspectives, and dig deeper into complex issues. It allows us to move beyond surface-level understanding, encouraging curiosity and promoting intellectual growth.
To Get Better Thinking, Ask Better Questions » Thinking Maps
Critical Thinking and Questioning . Socrates recognized the importance of questioning for developing understanding and reasoning skills more than 2,000 years ago. The Socratic Method of teaching through questioning still stands up today. But even more important than asking questions is teaching students how to ask their own questions. In many ...
Critical thinking: the art of asking questions
Asking great questions is a huge part of thinking critically, yet so often we either don't ask enough questions or even the 'right' questions. This is because we don't slow down long enough to either really listen (when asking questions of others) or really reflect (when asking questions of ourselves). Yet the more we can ask questions ...
Critical Thinking Questions That Will Blow Your Mind
The Standard of Questions You Should Ask. Although the actual questions will be very important to critical thinking, the emphasis and purpose of these questions will determine how effective the questions will be. You must first know how to question before you know what and which critical thinking questions to ask. 1. Open-ended questioning
240 Philosophical Questions for Deep Critical Thinking & Debate
Although such questions can open a "rabbit hole" that leads to endless and seemingly unanswerable questions, a list of philosophical questions to ask about life—like the ones provided below—can be used as a springboard for critical thinking. Such questions help us evaluate arguments, explore foreign ideas, identify potential biases, and ...
How to create critical thinking questions (+ examples)
Critical thinking is becoming a lost art in modern society. Far too many people never develop their ability to step back and look at their own beliefs and assumptions with a questioning mind. Here are some questions and examples for how to boost your critical thinking capabilities. 1) Why is this topic important or controversial to people?
Tips for Asking Better Critical Thinking Questions
Ask follow-up questions. 4. Use the Socratic method. 5. Apply the 5 Ws and 1 H. 6. Here's what else to consider. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply information in a ...
19 Short Stories and Questions For Critical Thinking
Table of Contents. 19 Short Stories and Questions - Suggestions for Teaching Them. 1. "The Most Dangerous Game". 2. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". 3. "The Masque of the Red Death". 4.
6 Critical Thinking Questions For Any Situation
2. Why is it important? Ask yourself why this is or isn't significant. 3. What am I missing? Consider, alone or with others, if there's any crucial information or perspective you might be missing, or that the 'thing' in question is missing. See also 6 Alternatives To Bloom's Taxonomy For Teachers.
Critical Thinking: Master Interview Questions with Smart Responses
Understanding the context of the questions asked during an interview is crucial. Critical thinking involves recognizing the underlying purpose behind each question.
21 Ways to Raise Critical-Thinking Children in the Digital Age
Art encourages creative thinking, which is a component of critical thinking. Encourage children to express themselves through drawing, painting, or crafting. Discuss their creations, asking about ...
Simplify Your Interview Process With This Blueprint + Questions
Here are five types of questions to ask in the first interview: 1. Introduction and background ... Problem-solving and critical thinking. The test project will give you a glimpse into how the candidate thinks, but you can ask pointed questions so the candidate can articulate their thinking. You'll also want to understand their decision-making ...
Ask a question or make a comment
A Russian navy missile cruiser has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, footage of David Cameron being tricked into thinking he was speaking to a former Ukrainian president has ...

Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

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85 Critical Thinking Questions to Carefully Examine Any Information

What Are Critical Thinking Questions?

Critical Thinking Questions When in an Argument

Critical Thinking Questions When Reading a Book

Critical Thinking Questions to Spot a Scam

Critical Thinking Questions About Your Life

Critical Thinking Questions for a Debate or Discussion

Critical Thinking Questions About Lying

Critical Thinking Questions When Presented With a Claim

Critical Thinking Interview Questions

Critical Thinking Questions for Kids

What Are the Basic Principles of Critical Thinking?

What Are Good Analysis Questions?

Why Is Critical Thinking an Important Skill?

Final Thoughts on Critical Thinking Questions

How to answer critical thinking questions

Table of Contents

Consider All Possible Solutions

Articulate Yourself Clearly

Examine and Reflect

Research and Inform Yourself

Organize Your Thoughts

Final Thoughts – 6 Critical Thinking Answer Tips

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How To Ask Questions That Prompt Critical Thinking

From Here to There

Critical Thinking

15 Questions that Teachers and Parents Can Ask Kids to Encourage Critical Thinking

How Questions Guide Young Students’ Critical Thinking

15 Questions to Encourage Critical Thinking

1. How Do You Know This?

2. How Would Your Perspective Be Different If You Were on the Opposing Side?

3. How Would You Solve This Problem?

4. Do You Agree or Disagree — and Why?

5. Why? Why? Why?

6. How Could We Avoid This Problem in the Future?

7. Why Does It Matter?

8. What's Another Way to Look at This Issue?

9. Can You Give Me an Example?

10. How Could It Have Ended Differently?

11. When Will We Be Able to Tell If It Worked?

12. Why did you ask that question?

13. Who Would Be Affected by This?

14. What Can This Story Teach Us About Our Own Lives?

15. Why Is This a Problem?

The Hun School of Princeton Teaches Critical Thinking

100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

More Critical Thinking Questions

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Critical thinking

If you’re reading a book, listening to a podcast, watching TV or YouTube

If you’re watching the news

If you want to spot a scam

If you’re watching a group or panel discussion

In an argument or a debate

How to spot a liar

Statistics questions

Critical thinking about your life questions

Recommended reading

Ask the Right Questions: Critical Thinking Skills for Life

What Is Critical Thinking?

Why Critical Thinking Matters

Better Problem Solving

Avoiding Bias and Assumptions

Continuous Learning

How to Develop Your Critical Thinking Skills

Ask probing questions

Evaluate arguments and evidence objectively

Consider alternative perspectives

Draw well-reasoned conclusions

Common Barriers to Critical Thinking