CRITICAL THINKING WORKBOOK

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is clear, rational, logical, and independent thinking. It’s about improving thinking by analyzing,
assessing, and reconstructing how we think. It also means thinking in a self-regulated and self-corrective manner. It’s
thinking on purpose!

Definitions
The process of independently analyzing, synthesizing, and
evaluating information as a guide to behavior and beliefs. The
Critical Thinking skill includes the ability to interpret, verify, and reason, all of
which involve applying the principles of logic.
First of the two Forms of reasoning that must be used in
Information determined as reliable critical thinking.
Analysis between valid or invalid Second of the two Forms of reasoning that must be used in
reasoning critical thinking.
What you do to determine whether or not the material is
Using Fact or Opinion reliable
A statement of this can be verified, or proven true by
Fact objective means (records, experimentation, and personal
observation).
A statement that can’t be verified. It is subjective and must
be supported with related facts before it can be accepted as
Opinion valid or reliable. They are mostly based on Judgement,
Personal Feeling, and Prediction.
An opinion expressing judgement based on facts. In cases like
this, the opinion can be taken as valid.
Judgement What type of opinion is this sentence?
"Planet X is probably capable of sustaining human life
because of the oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
An opinion and a personal statement, unsupported by facts,
cannot be considered a valid opinion.
Personal Feeling What type of opinion is this sentence?
"Surely there is life on Planet X"
An opinion that can be proven true only after the event has
actually happened. Therefore, a judgement must be
suspended until the evidence is in.
● What type of opinion is this sentence?
Prediction
"Within our lifetime, specimens brought back from
the surface of Planet X will prove that life existed
there."
FACT OR OPINION
Critical thinking involves mindful communication, problem-solving, and a freedom from bias or egocentric
tendency. You can apply critical thinking to any kind of subject, problem, or situation you choose.

This exercise is about differentiating between fact and opinion. A fact can be proven either true or false. An opinion is
an expression of feeling or point-of-view and cannot be proven true or false.

Evaluate an Editorial
Phonely enough: A device meant for people to talk to each other is used for anything but that
If Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, had been around today he’d have been quite bemused by
how we’ve disinvented his invention.

The telephone was originally meant to be a device which enabled people, separated by a distance, to speak to each
other. Today, thanks to smartphones, telephony is no longer about people talking to each other.

Phones are no longer advertised as phones but as cameras. Instead of showing models talking on the phone, ads
show photographs – of landscapes, of sunsets, of whatever – which have been taken by the phone being advertised.

We constantly use our phones to take pictures – of ourselves, of the food we’re about to eat, the place we went to
for a holiday, the party we were invited to last weekend. The phone has almost totally replaced the camera, and
Kodak, Canon, and Pentax may as well file for bankruptcy.

So, might Titan, Timex, Rolex and Omega.  Because more and more people have stopped wearing watches, finding
them to be unnecessary appendages when their smartphone can not only tell them the time at their present
location, but can also tell them with equal facility what the time is in London, Tokyo, Honolulu and Timbuctoo.

Calendars have also become redundant thanks to smartphones which give you the date, day of the week, and tell you
when Diwali is in 2022.

But don’t people still use phones to communicate with each other?  Sure, they do, but by texting, not talking. In fact,
it’s considered if not downright rude, definitely uncool to invade someone’s privacy by ringing the person when
texting can get the job done. C u l8r?  Gr8!

In Greek, ‘phone’ means voice, or sound. But as phones are no longer primarily being used to convey spoken words
from one person to another, phones should be called something else.

Phonies, perhaps?
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Find out the statements that are either fact or opinion. If it’s a fact, check on F and then briefly explain how it can be
proven. If it’s an opinion, check on O and briefly explain why you feel it can’t be proven. Compare answers with your
friends and share your views with each other.

STATEMENT F O REASONING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
ALIEN TRAVEL GUIDE
This exercise encourages us to look much deeper at who we are both as individuals and as a society. It’s about
looking at what we do or what we value with a fresh perspective.

Each activity encourages you to answer the questions as a way of exploring assumptions and some common
situations in life that we take for granted. There are 2 scenarios provided.

The blank space is so that you can write your own. You can test your fellow classmates with your scenarios in stylized
interview sessions where one of you is the alien and the other is the travel guide.

Scenario 1
You are conducting a tour for aliens who are visiting earth and observing humans.

You’re all in their spaceship when you fly over a football stadium. One of the aliens is confused, and turns to you for
help. Try answering these questions:

1. What is a game, and why do humans play them?

2. What are “teams” and why are they so important for humans to be part of?
3. Why is it these games seem to get more attention than other matters on your planet, like disease and
poverty?
4. Why do humans get so emotional and even violent when watching games?
5. What would happen if no human could ever play these games again?

Scenario 2
You are chatting with a group of aliens on a tour of a local library. While you all mingle, one of the aliens picks up a
volume about the history of global war and conflict. The alien turns to you and asks you these questions:

1. What is war and why do humans wage it upon each other?

2. Humans seem to feel that warfare is often the only way to resolve conflict. Why is this so?
3. How do you decide who wins and who loses? How do you know this is accurate?
4. How does warfare affect those who can’t or won’t participate?
5. What legacy do you feel these wars will provide for your future generations?

Scenario 3
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