One of the ways I encourage critical thinking in the classroom is to include a true, false, or opinion exercise with each exam. True vs. false requires close reading and knowledge. If even one part of a statement is factually inaccurate, the answer must be false. Teaching kids how to discern fact from opinion is more difficult, but I have some rules. If a statement is a matter of personal taste or preference, the answer is always opinion. If two people can argue pro and con based on interpretation of facts, the result is an educated opinion. If one side can logically show that the ideas used to support the opposing view are factually wrong, we move from opinion to truth. You would be surprised; even kids as young as fourteen can be trained in logic.
