What: Explore the ABCs of evaluating online resources as a way to turn your students into credibility detectives who can effectively evaluate the trustworthiness of online resources.  

Directions: See this resource for extensive details on how to use this with students 

Templates/Resources: 

• Poster for Display

What: Hexagonal thinking is a simple method that yields big critical thinking results. Kids take a set of hexagons with varied terms, concepts, themes, real-world connections, etc. that relate to your current unit of study, and then link them together into an interconnected web. In pairs, groups, or even alone, they must use their critical thinking skills to decide which hexagons link best to which others. 

The key, in the end, will be that students are able to explain and argue for the order they have placed their hexagons in. They can write about key connections, fill in and place connection arrows, or present back to the class about  their choices.

Directions: 

1. In hexagonal thinking, you connect terms and ideas through the sides of each hexagon. A hexagon has six sides, therefore each term or concept CAN connect to up to six others. Use your critical thinking to decide where the terms you have been given best fit in the web of hexagons provided. Your goal is to drag each term to the position where it BEST fits within the overall web. You could connect any given term to several others, but be intentional with your placement. Make the most important connections your priority. You will not use every hexagon. Leave gaps where it makes sense. 

2. Once you’ve decided where each concept should go, you should be ready to explain its placement. In the slide following your web, choose five of your most significant connections and explain each one with a paragraph.

Templates/Resources: 

• Toolkit: includes directions, hexagons and reflection slides

Scaffolds:

• Include a “parking lot” slide for unused hexagons

• Begin with: Only 6–8 hexagons for the first round, and add more in a second pass

• Offer an optional starting hexagon placed in the center

• Allow students to work first in pairs before independent refinement

• Assign digital roles: Mover (drags hexagons), Connector (adds arrows/labels), Explainer (leads written responses)

• Use sentence prompts: “These connect because…”, “This relationship shows…”, “A stronger connection would be…”, “This concept matters because…”

What: Students will synthesize their responses to a text or concept by preparing a one-page summary that uses both graphic representation and words to convey meaning.  

Directions: Instructional Steps + Checklist  

Templates/Resources: 

• Directions and blank templates (GoogleSlides)

• (Haessly) Info Text Analysis 1 Pagers - Example 1, Example 2, Example 3 

Scaffolds:

• To increase rigor, use the concept of a one-pager as a post-assessment for a unit of study. In addition to the word, phrase, and sentence, including additional components may be required, such as: key vocabulary, supporting statements for opinions and visuals, or connections to other content areas or personal life. 

• To increase scaffolding, break directions into small chunks for each step of the process and model the creation of a one-pager using a different piece of text. 

What: This strategy is especially useful when analyzing primary source materials such as a photograph, piece of art or artifact. The POSER format allows students to analyze photographs and illustrations while developing their critical thinking skills.

P. People

O. Objects

S. Setting

E. Engagement

R. Relationships

Directions: You will carefully look at a photograph or illustration and use the POSERS strategy to help you observe, think deeply, and ask meaningful questions about what you see. 

1. Observe Carefully

• Look closely at the image.

• Take your time. Notice details, not just the first thing you see.

• There are no right or wrong answers—this is about what you notice.

3. Use POSERS to guide your thinking, and complete each section using the questions as prompts. 

4. Ask questions: what questions do you still have? What information is missing that would help you better understand the visual? 

Templates/Resources: 

• 4 different formats to pick from: Google Doc

Scaffolds:

• Chunk the assignment (one POSERS letter at a time)

• Highlight or color-code each section

• Model one section together before independent work

• Provide optional frames such as:

• “I notice that…”

• “This object might be used for…”

• “The setting appears to be… because…”

• “One possible relationship I see is…”

• “This image suggests that…”

• Word bank (emotion words, action verbs, setting words)

• Allow drawing + labeling before writing

• Ask follow-up prompts: “What makes you say that?”, “What details support your thinking?”

What: The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) is a simple step-by-step, rigorous process that facilitates the asking of many questions.  

Directions: Question Formulation Technique Document 

Templates/Resources: 

• Facilitating an Online QFT with Google Apps (templates linked)

• Example 

Scaffolds:

• Clear Structure and Visual Supports: Step-by-step QFT anchor chart or slide, Numbered sections for each phase (Produce → Improve → Prioritize), Icons for open vs. closed questions; Color-coding: Questions = blue, Revised questions = green, Priority questions = gold.

• Gradual Release of Responsibility: start with 3-4 questions instead of many, prioritize one strong question at first, delay the "improve questions" step until students are ready. 

• Provide a menu of stems, not a script:

• “Why does…?”

• “How might…?”

• “What would happen if…?”

• “What is the difference between…?”

• “In what ways does…?”

• “One question that helped my thinking was…”

• “Our questions changed when we…”

What: The 5 Whys Problem Solving technique is a simple process to follow to solve any problem by repeatedly asking the question “Why” (five times is a good rule of thumb), to peel away the layers of symptoms that can lead to the root cause of a problem. This strategy relates to the principle of systematic problem solving.

Directions:

1. State the problem you have identified as a strategic problem to work on.

2. Start asking “why” related to the problem. Like an inquisitive toddler, keep asking why in response to each suggested cause.

3. Ask as many whys as you need in order to get insight at a level that can be addressed (asking five times is typical). You will know you have reached your final “why‟ because it does not make logical sense to ask why again 

Templates/Resources: 

• Google Doc Template

Scaffolds:

• Provide tiered frames:

  1. Basic: “This happened because _____.”

  2. Intermediate: “One reason this is happening is _____.”

  3. Advanced: “A deeper cause of this issue may be _____.”

  4. For the final step: “The root cause of this problem seems to be _____ because _____.”

• Add a word bank (cause, result, pattern, leads to, affects).

• Model the strategy using a low-stakes, relatable scenario, such as:

  1. “Why are assignments missing?”

  2. “Why are we late to class?”

• Verbally narrate your thinking: “I’m not satisfied with this answer yet, so I’ll ask ‘why’ again.”