Ict Mooc Full Course

Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of
Culture in an EFL Setting

Unit 1 – Orientation and Culture
Table of Contents
Welcome from World Learning ...................................................................................................2
Overview of Unit 1: Orientation and Culture ...............................................................................3
Unit 1: Initial Questionnaire ........................................................................................................4
Unit 1: Let's Introduce Ourselves (optional) ................................................................................4
Unit 1: Introduction to Culture ....................................................................................................5
Introduction to Culture Presentation Slides .............................................................................8
Unit 1: Introduction to Culture - Follow-on Quiz ....................................................................12
Unit 1: Intercultural Encounters ................................................................................................12
Intercultural Encounters Presentation Slides .........................................................................16
Unit 1: Intercultural Encounters – Follow-on Quiz .................................................................21
Unit 1 Discussion: Intercultural Encounters (optional) ...........................................................21
Unit 1 Self-assessment ..............................................................................................................22
Unit 1 Summary ........................................................................................................................22
© 2019 by World Learning. ICT MOOC Unit 1 Packet for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Welcome from World Learning
Hello and welcome to the
MOOC Integrating Critical Thinking Skills
into The Exploration of Culture in an EFL
Setting, produced by World Learning and
our School for International Training
(SIT) Graduate Institute.
My name is Dr. Kara McBride, and I was

the lead designer for this MOOC -- out of
a team of many experts in TESOL and
teacher training. This course was
primarily intended for teachers of
English as a foreign language (EFL). As the “Dr. Kara McBride” by World Learning is licensed under CC0
title of the course implies, we will be talking about the exploration of culture in an EFL setting while
engaging and increasing your students’ critical thinking skills.
So, let's talk about the content of the MOOC. The MOOC has five units. In Unit 1, we will present some
foundational ideas about culture and we will look at encounters between people of different cultures.
Unit 2 brings in critical thinking and also asks you to reflect on the cultures that you belong to.
In Unit 3, we will start to really get into how you teach culture and also how you assess your students’
learning.
Next, in Unit 4, we get into critical thinking again, focusing on that and how that helps you explore
culture.
Finally, in Unit 5, we'll get into the real details of putting together a quality lesson plan. By the end of
this MOOC, you will be in a solid position to implement these ideas into your classroom.
Now, let’s talk about the structure of this MOOC.
Each unit has an order of activities and you need to follow the order to advance in the course. First you
do activity one, then activity two, etc., which means that you can’t first do activity #9 and then go back;
you need to do each one in order. But once you do an activity, you can always go back to that activity
during the MOOC.
If you want more details about the course, you should look at the syllabus. You can find the syllabus in a
link that's in the navigation menu at the left side of your screen. Please be sure to take the time to read
this important document.
We estimate that participation in this MOOC can take up to five hours a week. If you have limited access
to the internet, you may want to download the unit packets. The unit packets are PDF files that contain
all of the material of each unit, except the quizzes. You have to be online to take the quizzes.
The quizzes were not created only to verify your comprehension of the material; the quizzes are also
made to help you think through the material and how you can apply it to your classroom. And by the
way, you can take the quizzes as many times as you want to.
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We also really hope that you are able to fully engage in the online discussions with other EFL
professionals, like yourself, from around the world. And we encourage you to discuss the ideas from this
course with your colleagues and friends locally, offline. This MOOC is packed with lots of fascinating
concepts about culture and critical thinking and how you can implement these in your classes. We hope
that you take full advantage of the course, that you enjoy it, and that you get lots of practical ideas! See
you online!
Overview of Unit 1: Orientation and Culture

Welcome to Unit 1! In this unit, you get oriented to the
course, introduce yourself and meet other MOOC
participants, and then dive into an exploration of culture.
Our first reading on culture will introduce foundational
concepts about culture. The next reading, called
“Intercultural Encounters,” presents tools for understanding
differences between cultures, which we can use to improve
our intercultural competence.
This MOOC is flexible in terms of when and how often you

log in. Ideally, you will spread out each unit's activities over
one week (one week per unit). The unit’s activities are listed
below, followed by approximate times for each activity.
Timing will vary depending on your experience and interest
in the topic.
1. Take the background survey or “diagnostic” (25 minutes)

2. Post an introduction of yourself in the discussion forum
(10 minutes – optional)
3. Respond to your classmates' introductions in the “Untitled” by Cathal Mac an Bheatha via Unsplash
is licensed under CC0
discussion forum (25 minutes – optional)
4. Read or watch material defining “culture” and “intercultural competence” (30 minutes)
5. Answer a follow-on quiz on the previous text (15 minutes)
6. Read or watch material on “intercultural encounters” (30 minutes)
7. Answer a follow-on quiz on the previous text (15 minutes)
8. Participate in a discussion on how to apply ideas from the unit to your classroom (30 minutes –
optional)
9. Take a self-assessment survey to check in on your participation in the MOOC (15 minutes)
10. Read the unit summary (10 minutes)
3
Unit 1: Initial Questionnaire
Help us get to know you! The team at World Learning
that created this MOOC is eager to know more about
the participants of this MOOC. We will use this
questionnaire to compare with an end-of-course
questionnaire, to see what you have learned and
whether your ideas about culture and critical thinking
have changed.
This questionnaire has 15 multiple-choice questions.

There are no right or wrong answers, so feel confident
in whatever answer is true for you. This questionnaire
is not graded, and you can only take it once. “Untitled” by rawpixel via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>
Unit 1: Let's Introduce Ourselves (optional)

Tell us a little about yourself! Please include the
following:
• Your name and what we can call you

• Where you are from and where you live
• What kind of school you work at, what levels you
teach, who your students are
• Why you decided to join this MOOC
• Something personal too -- maybe about your family,
your hobbies, whatever you would like to share
“Untitled” by Vladislav Klapin via Unsplash is licensed
• You are encouraged to add a photo of yourself to your under CC0
account profile.
When commenting on your classmates’ posts, you can identify similarities between you and your
colleagues, expand on an idea, or ask a question. When you receive a response to your original post, or a
reply to your comment, feel free to reply and continue the conversation!
<<This task can only be completed online.>>
4
Unit 1: Introduction to Culture
This video (7:29) introduces key concepts about culture. These concepts form the foundation of our
discussions about culture throughout the course. There is a quiz after this video, to confirm your
comprehension of these key concepts.
[Video available online for viewing. Script and presentation slides below.]
What is culture? The word culture is used frequently, and not just by language teachers or cultural
specialists. Pretty much everyone feels comfortable using the term. But how can we define it? I invite
you to try right now to define the term culture. If you're listening to this as a sound or video file, press
pause and try to put into words what culture means. If you're reading, set this text aside while you try to
define culture.
Give yourself at least 5 minutes to write a definition for the word culture.
…How did it go? What does your definition include? When you start really thinking about culture, you
realize that it includes or at least influences nearly everything in the human experience. Anthropologist
John H. Bodley defined culture as, "what people think, make, and do" (1994, p. 22). This broad definition
has been developed in further detail by what is called the 3P model of culture (Frank, 2014). The 3P's are
perspectives, practices, and products. Let us look at each of these.
Perspectives describe "what members of a culture think, feel, and value" (Frank, 2014, p. 3). This
includes ideas about what is important in life, and beliefs about how younger people should relate to
older members of society. Perspectives define what members of a particular culture consider
appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Perspectives shape practices. Practices include the traditions

and typical behaviors in a culture. The way people
communicate can differ greatly from one culture to another,
not just in terms of language but also what people talk
about; with whom; how direct they are when
communicating; the gestures they use; their use of eye
contact; etc. Practices include other behaviors as well, from
the formal – for example wedding ceremony traditions – to
the informal, such as how people dress and eat on a day-to-
day basis.
Food is often the first cultural product that people think of

when they think about another culture. The special foods
associated with a particular culture are often the first thing
someone unfamiliar with the culture learns about it. Other
cultural products include clothing, music, and literature.
Culture is strengthened through its expression. The more

people engage in the traditions and ways of living of their
culture, the more that culture's perspectives, practices, and
“Untitled” by Brooke Lark via Unsplash is
products are reinforced. A tradition that has been practiced for licensed under CC0
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hundreds of years is a very strong tradition. Culture is not static, however. On the contrary, culture is
dynamic. A culture's perspectives, practices, and products can change over time. As we will discuss in
later modules, this is particularly likely when there is contact between cultures.
In today’s globalized world, most people have encounters with members of other cultures, and for many
people, this is on a regular basis. These encounters happen in social, political, and commercial contexts.
It is therefore important for people, in all areas of their lives, to be able to interact successfully with
people who are from cultures that are different from theirs. This ability is called intercultural
competence. Intercultural competence is needed for people from different cultures – with their
different values, practices, and ways of
communicating – to avoid conflict and
misunderstanding. Intercultural competence
requires people to be flexible in their thinking and
to recognize that people are complex. To see
people in ways that are simple and not complex is
to stereotype people.
Intercultural competence is not an all-or-nothing

ability. People have different levels of intercultural
competence, among themselves, and from context
to context. People’s intercultural competence will
“Untitled” by Anoir Chafik via Unsplash is licensed under CC0 be more or less effective depending on their
familiarity with the particular culture they are
encountering and the particular stereotypes that they may believe.
No one can be completely prepared for all the intercultural experiences they will have in the future, and
so intercultural competence requires flexibility. It requires the ability to think critically about differences.
Critical thinking is also necessary to negotiate differences and use strategies to minimize conflict and
misunderstandings.
As English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, we are preparing our students for future intercultural
encounters. In order to understand differences, the first step is to understand “Different from what?” A
necessary step in developing intercultural competence is to have a very clear understanding of oneself
as a cultural being. That is, we need to understand what our own culture is and how it affects us day to
day.
The development of intercultural competence is an ongoing process; it never ends. In many activities in
this course, we will explore our own cultural perspectives, as well as other cultural perspectives. This will
put us in an excellent position to help our students go through a similar process.
References I
(This content is Creative Commons-licensed with some restrictions. It is not compliant with the AE E-Teacher Program’s standards for openly-
licensed content. Feel free to save and read any of these resources, but please check the individual license before adapting or distributing a
resource.)
Frank, J. (2013). Raising cultural awareness in the English language classroom. English Teaching Forum,
2-35.
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References II
(This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public Domain or Creative
Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use.)
Bodley, H. H. 1994. Cultural anthropology: Tribes, states, and the global system. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield.
Kubota, R. (2016). The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism:
complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 37(4), 474-494.
Sugiharto, S. (2013). Critical multiculturalism and the politics of identity in academic writing. K@ta: A
biannual publication on the study of language and literature, 15(1), 19-24.
Suggested Further Reading

resource.)
Shahed, F. H. (2013). 'Culture' as a skill in undergraduate EFL classrooms: The Bangladeshi realities,
24(1). TEFLIN Journal, 97-112. http://journal.teflin.org/index.php/journal/article/view/157/209
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Introduction to culture. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting" [MOOC].
7
Introduction to Culture Presentation Slides
8
9
10
11
Unit 1: Introduction to Culture - Follow-on Quiz
This quiz checks your comprehension of "Introduction to Culture." You must score at
least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the module. For this
quiz, that means that you must score at least 11 out of 15 points. You may take the
quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after
each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.

“Question mark” by
Gina Asalon is licensed
under CC BY 4.0
Unit 1: Intercultural Encounters

Our first text/video presented ways of understanding culture. Every culture is different, and so when
two people from different cultures encounter each other, they need ways to understand and negotiate
those differences. That is what this text will discuss. You can watch this video (8:04) or read the video
transcript below.
[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]
Why do people from different cultures sometimes have misunderstandings or conflicts? Because they
can interpret the same thing differently. Some behaviors that are polite in one culture can seem rude in
another culture. Clothing that is very nice in one cultural context can be entirely inappropriate in
another.
This is why we spent some time in Module 3 looking at the difference

between observation and interpretation. People from any two cultures should be able to make the
same observations, but their interpretations can be very different. This is because they attach different
cultural meanings to what they observe.
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Cultural meaning is symbolic. We do not see
events and objects just for what they are; we
attach symbolic meaning to it. For example,
instead of simply seeing clothing of a particular
color and style, we can interpret it to indicate that
a person is a policeman or baker. These
professionals’ uniforms have symbolic meaning to
all who know how to interpret them.
Gestures and actions take on symbolic meaning

when interpreted through a cultural lens.
Greetings, for example, vary widely from culture to
culture. How should you greet a particular person?
Do you shake hands? Wave? Give a kiss on the
cheek? Is a hug appropriate? Do you bow? The
rules vary widely around the world. Interculturally
competent people will adjust their behavior “Greetings Earthlings” by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC
BY 4.0
according to the context they find themselves
in. Greetings are fairly formulaic. The right way to greet different kinds of people can usually be
described in a few rules.
Other cultural differences are more general and are the result of differences in values. We have already
talked a lot about one such difference: the difference between high-context and low context-
cultures. As you will remember, most cultures in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia are high-
context cultures. When they communicate, they use the full context to understand a message. It's not
just the words that matter, but also how the words are said and in what context. They assume a shared
understanding. This means that many things may be left unsaid. In a low-context culture, like the United
States, messages are made explicit through words. Speakers do not leave key parts of the message
unsaid, and what is said is interpreted more literally.
That is one axis along which cultural differences are described. Today we will look at two more. The next
one concerns cultural attitudes towards time. The two extremes are called polychronic and
monochronic.
In monochronic cultures, such as in North America and Northern Europe, time is viewed as linear;
people prefer to do only one thing at a time; schedules are not flexible; and time is considered a
valuable commodity. In fact, a common saying is "time is money."1 Let's look at what a meeting would
look like in a monochronic culture. There will be an agenda. The first agenda item will be dealt with first.
During that time, people will only talk about that item and should not bring up topics related to other
agenda items. When an agenda item is finished, the topic will be left behind, and people should not
return to that topic during the meeting. If any of these rules are broken, members of the meeting may
feel like the rule breaker is wasting their time. 1
13
People from polychronic cultures (in much of the Middle East, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa),
will tend towards opposite behaviors. They focus on tasks or activities, not schedules. If a task takes a
little bit longer, they prefer to stay with the task and give it the time it needs. They are more likely to
multi-task: for them, mixing personal activities and work activities is not a problem.
The last major cultural difference that

we will look at today is collectivism
versus individualism. In a collectivist
society, your strongest identity is with
the group you belong to. Your
individual identity is less important.
This group may be your family, your
work place, or your national identity. If
the group’s needs conflict with your
individual needs, you will be expected
to sacrifice (give up) your individual
“Collectivist Vikings” by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0
needs for the group. In collectivist
societies, long-term relationships built on trust are very important.
People in individualist societies are the opposite. They will be willing to sacrifice personal relationships if
that is necessary for personal gain. Because of this, relationships outside of their nuclear family are less
important. Written contracts in these societies are very important documents for defining relationships
between many people.
Based on this description, what cultures do you think are collectivist? And which are individualist? You
are encouraged to read more about this by doing some research on the internet. 2
It can be very useful to understand these differences in motivations and values that are generally true
between certain cultures. But an important word here is “generally.” These generalities help
us understand people’s motivations, but we must be careful not to over-generalize about people.
People are always complex, and there are always differences among the members of any group of
people. These cultural tendencies can help us understand people’s motivations, but they should not
lead us to stereotype them or view them in a simplistic way.
Footnotes
1
It is interesting to see how this metaphor appears in other expressions about time: to spend time, to waste time,
etc.
2
Some of the other major ways that intercultural differences are described are: 1) neutral versus expressive; 2)
short-term versus long-term orientations; 3) universalism versus particularism; and 4) desire to avoid
uncertainty.
References
Hall, E. T. (1998). The power of hidden differences. In M. J. Bennett (Ed.) Basic concepts of intercultural
communication selected readings (53-67). Intercultural Press.
14
Jackson, J. (2014). The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication. NYC:
Routledge.
Kubota, R. (2016). The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism:
complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 37(4), 474-494.
McBride, K. & Gu, J. (2015). Do the folk believe they can speak their way into interculturality?
Perspectives on Interculturality: The construction of meaning in relationships of difference. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Neuleip, J. W. (2015). Intercultural Communication, 6th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Dalib, S. (2017). Probing intercultural competence in Malaysia: A Relational Framework. International

Conference on Communication and Media, 33, 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.shs-
conferences.org/articles/shsconf/pdf/2017/01/shsconf_icome2017_00045.pdf
Galante, A. (2015). Intercultural communicative competence in English language teaching: towards

validation of student identity. Brazilian English Language Teaching Journal. 6(1):29-39. Retrieved from
http://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/belt/article/view/20188/13593
Kojour, M. K. (2016). Intercultural communicative competence: A brief review of current thinking and
literature. International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies. 4 (4), 12-20. Retrieved
from http://www.eltsjournal.org/archive/value4%20issue4/2-4-4-16.pdf
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning,
Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved
from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Framework_EN.pdf
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Intercultural encounters. In "Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
15
Intercultural Encounters Presentation Slides
16
17
18
19
20
Unit 1: Intercultural Encounters – Follow-on Quiz
Answer these 7 comprehension and application questions about “Intercultural

Encounters.” You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to
continue in the module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at least 7 out
of 10 points. You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the
feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
“Question mark” by <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

under CC BY 4.0
Unit 1 Discussion: Intercultural Encounters (optional)

We read about some rich and complex concepts in
"Intercultural Encounters," including
• Cultural meaning is symbolic

• High- and low-context cultures
• Monochronic and polychronic cultures
• Collectivism and individualism
• Understanding people's values in order to
understand their motivations
• Stereotypes
In your post, please address the following 2

questions:
1. How might you use one or more of these

“Greetings Earthlings” by Gina Asalon is licensed
concepts (listed above) in a lesson on culture under CC BY 4.0
with
your students?
2. How could you present these ideas to your students for it to fit a) their level of maturity, b) their
level of English, c) their level of intercultural competence, and d) their interests?
Later, please come back soon and respond to (at least) one other participant's post.
21
Unit 1 Self-assessment
In a MOOC, you do not have the advantage of getting direct feedback from
an instructor. Because of this, self-awareness and self-assessment are even
more important than in a regular online course. This self-assessment
questionnaire is meant to help you assess your participation in the MOOC.
Answer all questions honestly. There are no right or wrong answers; you
simply are asked to answer the questions thoughtfully, and you must
complete this survey in order to move on to the next activities. Although you
must complete this self-assessment, it is not graded. You can only submit the
self-assessment once.
“list / liste” by lmproulx is

licensed under CC0
Unit 1 Summary
Congratulations on making it to the end of Unit 1!

We jumped right in and looked at a working definition of culture,
using the 3Ps framework.
• Perspectives
• Practices
• Products
This discussion helps us see how culture touches every aspect of

our lives. We then went on to explore some powerful ways that we
can analyze different cultural perspectives, products, and practices
by identifying where a culture falls on three continua1 or ranges,
namely,
low-context -------------------------------------------high-context
monochronic------------------------------------------polychronic
collectivist----------------------------------------------individualist “Untitled” by Igor Ovsyannykov via Unsplash

We describe these three dimensions as continua or ranges to
emphasize that some cultures may not be at either extreme, but instead somewhere in between the
two extremes. This is even more true when we use these dimensions to describe individual people. In
22
fact, you might want to take a minute and think about where you fall on those three continua. For
example, are you more of a monochronic person, or a polychronic person? Or somewhere in between?
These dimensions help us understand that

cultures differ in terms of priorities. When
we encounter differences in priorities, it is
easy to jump to conclusions and be
judgmental. This is exactly what we want to
avoid. In order to avoid this mistake, we need
to exercise critical thinking. For this reason, a
working definition of critical thinking will be
our first major task for Unit 2.
The unit ended with a self-assessment. The

self-assessment is there to help you think
about how fully you are engaging with the
concepts discussed in this course. The more “Untitled” by Igor Ovsyannykov via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
you engage with these concepts and apply
them to your life and your classroom, the more insights you will gain. For this reason, we encourage you
to not only engage in the online activities, but discuss these concepts with your friends and colleagues
locally.
Before you finish Unit 1, take a minute to review the terms introduced in this unit. Do you recognize
them all? If you need to see their definitions, you can go to the MOOC glossary.
• 3 Ps model of culture
• Collectivism
• Cultural being
• Formulaic greetings
• High-context culture
• Individualism
• Intercultural competence
• Low-context culture
• Monochronic culture
• Perspectives (one of the 3 Ps)
• Polychronic culture
• Practices (one of the 3 Ps)
• Products (one of the 3 Ps)
• Stereotype
• Symbolic meaning
1 Plural of the word “continuum”
<<This is the end of Unit 1.>>
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Unit 2 – Critical Thinking
Table of Contents
Overview of Unit 2: Critical Thinking ...........................................................................................2
Unit 2: What is Critical Thinking? .................................................................................................3
Unit 2: What is Critical Thinking? – Follow-on Quiz ..................................................................5
Unit 2: Micro-cultures .................................................................................................................6
Module 2: Identities Wheel .........................................................................................................8
Unit 2: Identities Activity .........................................................................................................9
Unit 2: Active Listening (and Active Reading).............................................................................10
Active Listening (and Active Reading) Presentation Slides .....................................................14
Unit 2: Active Listening – Follow-on Quiz...............................................................................19
Unit 2 Discussion: Moving through Cultures (optional) ..............................................................19
Unit 2 Summary ........................................................................................................................20
Overview of Unit 2: Critical Thinking
In the first unit, we saw how culture shapes our lives in all
areas: our perspectives, practices, and products. Cultural
differences can run deep and touch upon sensitive beliefs. In
order to successfully negotiate these differences, we need to
use critical thinking. Thus this unit begins with a working
definition of critical thinking.
Interculturality doesn’t come into play only on long trips

across continents. If you consider culture at the micro level,
you will see that we encounter different cultures even within
our own communities. After reading about micro-cultures,
you will work through two activities to help you explore your
own identity as a cultural being. Next, there is a video (or
reading) about active listening, which presents techniques
that help you listen to and understand others better. After
that, you have the opportunity to discuss the unit’s concepts
and apply active listening techniques in our discussion board.
The chapter ends with a self-assessment and a summary.
The activities are listed below, followed by approximate times

for each activity. Timing will vary depending on your “Untitled” by Cristian Newman via Unsplash is
licensed under CC0
experience and interest in the topic.
1. Watch a video or read about “What is Critical Thinking?” (30 minutes)

2. Take a quiz on “What is Critical Thinking?” (15 minutes)
3. Watch a video or read a text about “Micro-cultures” (20 minutes)
4. Explore your own identities through the “Identities Wheel” activity (20 minutes)
5. Take a quiz on the concepts of micro-cultures and multifaceted identities (20 minutes)
6. Watch a video or read about “Active Listening” (15 minutes)
7. Take a quiz on “Active Listening” (15 minutes)
8. Participate in the discussion forum (30 minutes – optional)
9. Take a self-evaluation survey (15 minutes)
10. Read the unit summary (10 minutes)
2
Unit 2: What is Critical Thinking?
As we have been discussing, culture influences every aspect of a person’s life. Intercultural encounters
can therefore be a site of conflict and misunderstanding in terms of emotional issues, stereotypes, and a
difference in values. This does not necessarily need to be the case, however. Intercultural encounters
can be very positive and can enrich the lives of all involved. Intercultural competence is needed to make
intercultural encounters more likely to be positive. An essential part of intercultural competence is the
ability to think critically. Critical thinking is necessary for understanding perspectives other than one’s
own and for effective problem solving. In this reading we will look more closely at what critical thinking
is.
Since we have examined the difference between high-context of low-context cultures already through
the Frank (2013) article, many examples in this reading will use this contrast to illustrate the main
points.
1. Critical thinking examines assumptions (Epstein,

2003). Many of the assumptions that we have are
based on our culture. For example, a person from
a low-context culture may assume that it is always
better to be direct when speaking. A person from a
low-context culture needs to be critically aware of
this assumption, especially when dealing with
people from high-context cultures. We have many
attitudes and assumptions that are deep culture
elements and are very hard for us to see (Frank,
2013). Because of this, being aware of all of our
assumptions is a difficult task that requires
discipline and work.
2. Critical thinking is thinking that is free (as free as

possible) from bias and prejudice (Haskins, 2006).
Because different values are expressed in different
ways, people from high-context cultures are likely
to consider people from-low context cultures too
blunt. At the same time, people from low-context
cultures are likely to consider people from high-
context cultures too secretive. Critical thinking
requires us to understand things in their context.
“Untitled” by Deniz Altindas via Unsplash is licensed
under CC0
3. Critical thinking distinguishes fact from opinion
(Debela & Fang, 2008). Because of different assumptions and different styles of communication,
it is common for someone from one culture to think that people from another culture are rude.
But this is just an opinion, not a fact. Very often the behavior that appears rude to one person is
entirely appropriate behavior within certain cultural contexts.
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4. Critical thinkers imagine and explore alternatives (Brookfield, 1987). As we are seeing, it is
necessary to understand other people’s point of view to fully understand any situation. To
understand someone’s intentions, it is necessary to understand their perspective.
5. Critical thinking is based on certain “universal intellectual values” (Scriven & Paul, n.d.):
clarity: We must think clearly.
accuracy: We must not base our thinking on incorrect information.
consistency: If we apply a rule to one context, we must apply that rule to all similar contexts.
depth: Considering only surface information is not enough.
breadth: We must consider a wide range of information.
fairness: We need to be fair.
All of these require careful thinking, time, and a reduction of bias.
6. Critical thinking is a process (Debela & Fang, 2008). From the points above, we can see that
critical thinking takes time and effort. It is a process; it does not happen in an instant.
7. Critical thinking can be learned, and critical thinking can be taught (Debela & Fang, 2008). In
part because critical thinking is a process, critical thinking is a skill that improves with practice.
Critical thinking can be described and broken down into steps, and this is how critical thinking
can be taught.
Specific techniques that are used to teach critical thinking include discussion, problem-based tasks, and
the use of small groups (Brookfield, 1987; Debela & Fang, 2008). It is interesting to note that these
teaching techniques are also frequently cited as particularly good ways of teaching foreign languages.
If you would like to read more about how to define and teach critical thinking, we encourage you to read
Debela & Fang (2008) or any of the other references listed below.
References
Brookfield, S. (1987) Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of
thinking and acting. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Debela, N., & Fang, B. (2008). Using discussions to promote critical thinking in an online environment.
Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 72-77. Retrieved from
http://www.iiisci.org/journal/cv$/sci/pdfs/e183sl.pdf
Epstein, R. L. (2003). The pocket guide to critical thinking. (2nd ed.) Toronto, Ontario: Wadsworth.
Haskins, G. R. (2006). A practical guide to critical thinking. Retrieved November 22, 2006, from
http://www.skepdic.com/essays/haskins.pdf
Scriven, M. & Paul, R. (n.d.) Defining critical thinking. Retrieved November 22, 2006, from
http://www.criticalthinking.org/
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(This content is licensed under CC BY 4.0 or CC0 and is free for public use.)
Li, Z., & Yang, C. (2014, May). Reading-to-write: A practice of critical thinking. Journal of Arts and
Humanities, pp. 67-71. Retrieved from
http://www.theartsjournal.org/index.php/site/article/view/478/270
Nosratinia, M., Abbasi, M., & Zaker, A. (2015). Promoting second language learners’ vocabulary learning
strategies: Can autonomy and critical thinking make a contribution? International Journal of Applied
Linguistics & English Literature, 21-30. Retrieved from
http://www.journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/IJALEL/article/view/1265/1255
Debela, N., & Fang, B. (2008). Using discussions to promote critical thinking in an online environment.
Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 72-77. Retrieved from
http://www.iiisci.org/journal/cv$/sci/pdfs/e183sl.pdf
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). What is critical thinking? In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting” [MOOC].
Unit 2: What is Critical Thinking? – Follow-on Quiz

Meet Bob. Bob hasn’t met very many people from cultures other than his
own, and he hasn’t had many educational opportunities that helped him
improve his critical thinking. Poor Bob! (And poor us!)
In this quiz, you will read about a number of things Bob does. In each of
them, he could be better at critical thinking. For each situation, choose the
aspect of critical thinking that could most specifically help him to think
more critically in that particular situation.
MODEL:
When Bob meets someone from his culture who is not polite, he thinks
that individual person is not polite. When he meets someone from another
culture who is not polite, he assumes that all people from that culture are
impolite.
“What is going on ?” by
Alessandro Lucia via Flickr is
What aspect of critical thinking is Bob missing here? licensed under CC BY 2.0
5
A) Critical thinking is based on clarity.
B) Critical thinking is based on consistency.
Answer: B) is the better answer. The primary source of error in Bob’s thinking here is inconsistency.
Remember, you must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the module.
For this quiz, that means that you must score at least 7 out of 10 points. You may take the quiz as many
times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be
your highest score.
Unit 2: Micro-cultures
When we first think about cultures, we often think about countries – for example, Japanese culture, or
US culture. These are large-scale cultures. There are also what are called micro-cultures. These are sub-
cultures that exist within larger cultures. Neuliep defines micro-cultures in this way:
“An identifiable group of people who share a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors and who
possess a common history and verbal and nonverbal symbol system that is similar to but
systematically varies from the larger, often dominant cultural milieu” (2015, p. xvi).
Let’s break this definition down so that we can understand it better.
An identifiable group of people: If other people do not recognize them as a group, their culture may not
be strong enough to really be a micro-culture.
…who share a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors: This fits perfectly with the 3P model of culture that
we looked at in Module 1. Cultures are defined by their perspectives, practices, and products.
…who possess a common history: Having a common history is another requirement for an identifiable
cultural group.
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…who possess a common… verbal system:
The verbal system is language. The members
of the micro-culture speak the same
language. Often this includes special terms
that only people in the micro-culture use
(slang or jargon). Sometimes this means that
the micro-culture speaks a different
language from the larger culture. An
example of this would be the Spanish-
speaking Latinos in the United States.
…who possess a common… nonverbal

symbol system: The members of the micro-
culture may use different clothing that helps to
“Untitled” by Thought Catalog via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
identify them. They may have in common a
special type of art or music. They may use different gestures when they are together.
…that is similar to, but systematically varies from, the larger, often dominant cultural milieu: This
means that the micro-culture has a lot in common with the larger culture, but they also have certain key
differences.
If you start to think about it, you are a member of many micro-cultures. As your postings last week
showed, your classroom is one micro-culture that you move through (and create) each day. Other
micro-cultures in your life might have to do with your hobbies, family ties, profession, religion, or
politics. We can see that there are many micro-cultures, and this is connected to the many different
aspects of a person’s identity. In the next two activities, we will explore both of these topics:
• the different aspects of our identities, and

• the different micro-cultures we participate in.
Reference
Neuleip, J. W. (2015). Intercultural Communication, 6th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

resource.)
Adams, B., & Crafford, A. (2012, September 19). Identity at work: Exploring strategies for identity work.
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology; Vol 38, No 1. Retrieved
from http://www.sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/904/1266
Crawford, T., Lengeling, M., Mora Pablo, I., & Heredia Ocampo, R. (2014, October). Hybrid identity in
academic writing: “Are there two of me?”. PROFILE Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 87-100. Retrieved
from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1053818.pdf
Shahed, F. H. (2013). 'Culture' as a skill in undergraduate EFL classrooms: the Bangladeshi realities,
24(1). TEFLIN Journal, 97-112. http://journal.teflin.org/index.php/journal/article/view/157
7
Vieira, R. (January-March 2014). Life stories, cultural métissage, and personal identities. SAGE Open, 1-
12. Retrieved from http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/4/1/2158244013517241
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Micro-cultures. In "Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of
Culture in an EFL Setting" [MOOC].
Module 2: Identities Wheel

Everyone participates in multiple micro-cultures. Different aspects of our identity connect to the
different micro-cultures that we are members of.
In this task, you will explore different aspects of your identity. The “Identities Wheel” is a visual tool to
help you think about the different roles that you play and the various characteristics that you have,
which define who you are. Look at this example wheel diagram.
"Identity Wheel" by World Learning is licensed under CC BY 4.0 for use in the AE E-Teacher
Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
This is an example of what you will be creating in this task. The visual pie pieces are intended to help you
consider the relative importance of each aspect. The elements in your "pie" or "wheel" will be
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different from those in the example. You may have some or all of the same categories (family, religious,
professional, etc.), and you may want to add or change some (for example, ethnicity, political identity,
etc.).
Please take some minutes to create your own "Identities Wheel." You may choose to do it on a
computer, or you may prefer to draw it by hand. You will not submit this document through Canvas. The
next activity will follow up on this activity.
References
Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use. Please do not save a copy for your personal use, and do not use it after the course ends.)
Karuna Center for Peacebuilding. (2012). “Wheel of Multiple Identities.” Retrieved from
http://www.karunacenter.org/
Engage McGill, McGill University. (n.d.). “Social Identity Wheel.” Retrieved from
https://www.mcgill.ca/engage/files/engage/social-identity-wheel-handout.pdf
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Identities Wheel. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of
Culture in an EFL Setting” [MOOC].
Unit 2: Identities Activity

This survey asks you questions about your experience creating your personal
“Wheel of Multiple Identities” and then asks you to consider some different
variations on the activity. Our objectives for this activity are for you to A) clarify your
understanding of the different identities you have and the different micro-cultures
that they correspond to, and B) think about ways you could use some of these ideas
in the classes that you teach.
Answer the following 12 questions according to your own experience. There are
no right or wrong answers; you are simply asked to answer the questions
“Question mark” by thoughtfully in order to move on in the MOOC. Because this quiz is not graded, it
Gina Asalon is licensed will not appear in the grade book.
under CC BY 4.0
9
Unit 2: Active Listening (and Active Reading)
Successful communication – whether in the classroom, during a private conversation, or during high-
level diplomatic talks – requires all parties to listen to each other. The term “active listening” is used to
describe a set of techniques we can use to make sure we are listening well. As you’ll see in the video,
these techniques do not apply only to oral communication; active listening techniques are also powerful
when applied to written forms of communication as well.
Have you heard of “active listening” before? The expression “active listening” is used in three main
fields:
• Counseling and training

• Business
• Conflict resolution
In other words, situations where it is extremely important for the listener to fully hear what other
speakers are saying. This is important for professional development as well. For us to really learn from
each other and help each other develop professionally, we have to have quality exchanges. For me to
respond meaningfully to what you say, I have to have really understood your message.
Traditionally, techniques for active listening have been developed for speaking contexts. However, most
of them can be applied to our situation. That is, we can use active “listening” techniques even when we
are communicating through written discussion boards. The purpose of using active listening in our
discussion boards is to help others gain insight and to help ourselves practice giving feedback, offering
suggestions, clarifying information, thinking critically and understanding.
These are essential skills for educators. We must strive to truly understand what someone is expressing,
before responding. Below you will find some techniques you can use while reading and responding to
discussion boards.
Techniques
1. Use your full attention to read the posts.
When reading, make sure you are not distracted. This includes not listening to the radio, watching
television, or having other conversations. Try to be fully present when you are reading. Clear your mind
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and try not to think about other things. If you are having a difficult time concentrating, try reading out
loud.
2. Reflect before responding.
Being an active listener requires self-awareness. Before you respond to what someone has written,
reflect. Think about your immediate reactions. What judgments are you making? Are your reactions
going to be helpful for the person you are responding to? Is it something that needs to be said? Will
your response bring greater awareness to the person that posted? Before offering feedback, perhaps
clarify the post.
3. Make sure you understood what the other

person wrote.
Sometimes it is necessary to be careful how you

express what you want to say. This may be
because
• you are not sure if you have completely

understood what the other person is saying,
or
• you are worried that the other person may
not be receptive to what you want to say.
If it is necessary to clarify what the person has “Untitled” by Thought Catalog via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
written, try asking questions. For example,
• “Are you saying that…?”

• “I’m not certain I understand. Do you mean…?”
• “Correct me if I’m wrong, but…”
Sometimes it is also appropriate to restate or summarize what you read in your own words. You can
introduce your restating or summary of what the other person wrote with these expressions:
• “Let’s see if I’m clear about this. . .”

• “So it sounds to me as if . . .”
• “Let me see if I understand. You…”
If it seems like an emotional topic, you might want to try:
• “This is what I think I hear you saying…”

• “You appear to be feeling…”
• “Is there a chance that you…” or
• “It seems that you…”
4. Recognize the emotional side.
Sometimes instead of just repeating what the other person said (or wrote), it is helpful to recognize the
emotional impact of what they are describing. Some phrases that are useful for this are,
11
• “This seems really important to you…”
• “You appear to be feeling…”
• “That sounds really frustrating (/exciting/ scary…).”
5. Offer alternatives.
Another way to understand someone is to offer alternatives to what they are saying. For example,
• “Is it possible that…?”

• “I wonder if…”
• “Would you agree with this idea…?”
You can use these phrases to check for understanding, take the other person’s ideas further, or perhaps
to take them in a new direction. When you take their ideas further, you show them implications
(meanings, outcomes) of what they are saying. These may be implications that they understand but did
not say, or they may be implications that they have not thought about yet. When you suggest taking the
other person’s ideas in a new direction, you offer an interpretation that is different from theirs.
6. Share your point of view, knowledge, or

experience.
You can share information, observations,

insights, and experiences. For example,
• “I have also experienced this, when…”

• “Your post reminded me of…”
• “I noticed that…”
7. Request more information.
Often when we ask for more information, we can “Untitled” by Christin Hume via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
get deeper and more meaningful information, and this can make the discussion more meaningful. Or
you may just be curious about their experience and want to know more. In either case, some useful
expressions to ask for more information are,
• “Can you tell me more about your experience?”

• “I am curious about your post, can you tell me more about…?”
• “What do you think would happen if you. . .?”
No matter what technique you use to respond, always remember to be respectful of the other person
and be honest and open.
References
Grohol, J.M. (n.d.) Become a Better Listener: Active Listening. (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://psychcentral.com/lib/become-a-better-listener-active-listening/
12
Mind Tool Videos. Active Listening. Improve your listening skills with active listening. (2015, June 12).
Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2z9mdX1j4A
Optimal Lifestyle. (2014, April 14). Active listening: How to be a great listener. Retrieved from
YouTube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-rNd7h6z8
Suggested Further Viewing

Mind Tool Videos. Active Listening. Improve your listening skills with active listening. (2015, June 12).
Retrieved from YouTube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2z9mdX1j4A
Optimal Lifestyle. (2014, April 14). Active listening: How to be a great listener. Retrieved from
YouTube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-rNd7h6z8
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Active listening (and active reading). In "Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into
the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting" [MOOC].
13
Active Listening (and Active Reading) Presentation Slides
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15
16
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Unit 2: Active Listening – Follow-on Quiz
This quiz checks your comprehension of "Active Listening (and Active Reading)." You
must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the
module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at least 7 out of 10 points.
You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that
you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
“Question mark” by <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

under CC BY 4.0
Unit 2 Discussion: Moving through Cultures (optional)

In Unit 1, we explored what is meant by the
term culture, and we looked at some ways in which
values vary between cultures. In order to
develop intercultural competence, a person needs to
start from a position of understanding him- or
herself as a cultural being. Only by being clear who
you are and what culture(s) you belong to, can you
understand how you relate to people from other
cultures. The "Identities Wheel" activity was
designed to help you think about these issues and to
call attention to the fact that you move through
multiple micro-cultures in your day-to-day life. “Untitled” by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
Please share with other participants in the course your experience of moving between the different
micro-cultures to which you belong. When you write, address these questions:
1. First, in one or two sentences, describe two or three of the micro-cultures that you move between
in your life.
2. Is there one micro-culture where you feel like you change aspects of yourself to fit in?
3. Is there one where you feel particularly at home?
Participants are encouraged to come back to the discussion and respond to at least one other
participant. But answering the 3 questions above is your main task. When you respond to someone,
write something substantive. If all you want to write is, "I agree with you," then using the "like" function
is best.
19
You’re almost finished with Unit 2. This is a good time for another check-in.
As with last unit’s self-assessment, you should answer all questions
honestly. There are no right or wrong answers. This survey is not graded,
but it is required in order for you to move on in the MOOC. There are 10
questions. You can only submit the self-assessment once.

licensed under CC0
Unit 2 Summary
Congratulations on making it to the end of Unit 2!

In this unit, we looked at several extremely familiar things
in new ways:
Critical thinking. We think all the time, but critical thinking

is a special type of thinking. It takes discipline and
awareness, but it is a powerful tool for solving problems
and resolving conflicts.
The cultures we participate in. In our daily lives we

regularly cross between cultures, when you consider
culture at the micro level.
Our identities. Each of the micro-cultures that we

participate in corresponds to different aspects of our
identities. By exploring the various roles that we play and
the multiple (micro-)cultures that we participate in, we
understand ourselves better as the cultural beings that we
are. Understanding where we are coming from culturally
helps us to understand and get along with people from
other cultures. “Untitled” by Sebastian Leon Prado via Unsplash is
licensed under CC0
20
Listening. There are techniques that we can apply when we listen or read, which can help us capture
and comprehend much more of what the other person in saying. This is a very helpful technique in many
areas of one’s life, including intercultural encounters.
In the next unit, we are going to take a sharp turn towards classroom applications. Up until now, we
have been talking about culture and critical thinking in fairly general terms. Starting next unit, we will
look at ways of applying these ideas in the lessons we teach.
21
Unit 3 – Activities and Assessments
Table of Contents
Overview of Unit 3: Activities and Assessments...........................................................................2
Unit 3: Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom .......................................3
Unit 3: Raising Cultural Awareness – Follow-on Quiz .............................................................15
Unit 3 Discussion: Culture Lessons in Your Classroom (optional) ...........................................15
Unit 3: Rubrics ...........................................................................................................................16
Rubrics Presentation Slides...................................................................................................21
Unit 3: Rubrics – Follow-on Quiz ............................................................................................27
Unit 3: How to Create a Rubric ..................................................................................................27
How to Create a Rubric Presentation Slides ..........................................................................29
Unit 3: How to Create a Rubric – Follow-on Quiz ...................................................................33
Unit 3 Summary ........................................................................................................................34
Overview of Unit 3: Activities and Assessments
As stated at the end of Unit 2, starting in
this unit, we will look at how we can
take what we understand about culture,
intercultural competence, and critical
thinking, and apply it in the lessons we
teach. Our first activity will be to read an
article from the English Teaching
Forum that presents activities for
exploring culture in an EFL class and a
framework for planning these. Reading
this article is likely to take you longer
than other individual activities that you
have done in this course so far.
“Untitled” by NeONBRAND via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
Next, participants will share ideas for
teaching culture in their local classroom contexts. This discussion comes early in the unit so that you can
return to it more than once and continue the discussion.
Any good teaching idea needs to fit the context that it is used in. One powerful tool for defining and
communicating learning objectives is the rubric. Because rubrics help us in these two areas -- in addition
to their primary function of assessment --, we will spend the rest of Unit 3 exploring best practices in
using rubrics and how we can apply them to the teaching of culture and critical thinking.
Below you see a list of each Unit 3 activity.
1. Read the article “Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom” (75 minutes).
2. Take a quiz on the article “Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom” (15
minutes).
3. Discuss how to apply ideas from this MOOC to your teaching contexts (30 minutes – optional).
4. Watch a video (and/or read a text) about how rubrics can help you plan lessons, communicate
learning objectives to students, and assess students (20 minutes).
5. Take a quiz about rubrics that will help you further explore their uses and applications (15 minutes).
6. Watch a video (and/or read a text) that gives more tips about how to make or adapt rubrics
successfully (15 minutes).
7. Take a quiz that will train you to identify and avoid potential weaknesses in rubrics for assessing
culture learning and critical thinking (15 minutes).
8. Read the unit summary, which will pull together concept from Units 1-3 (15 minutes).
9. Take a self-assessment to help you to continue monitoring your participation in this MOOC (10
minutes).
2
Unit 3: Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language
Classroom
Your next assignment for this course is to read the first five pages of the article “Raising Cultural
Awareness in the English Language Classroom” by Jerrold Frank (included in the following pages). This
article was published in 2013 in The English Teaching Forum, a professional journal for English Teachers,
which is run by The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Besides
excellent articles on teaching, the journal and website are rich resources for EFL lesson plan ideas.
“Raising Cultural Awareness in the English

Language Classroom” touches on some of the
ideas we have already discussed and adds in
other important concepts that will help
you find effective and appropriate ways to
include culture and critical thinking in your EFL
classes.
For this course, you only have to read the first

five pages (plus one sentence more) of the
article. The article begins on page 2 of the
journal. Read all of pages 2 – 6, plus the two
first lines on page 7 (it ends with
“Strategies for doing that are described below.”) “IMG81” by US Department of Education via Unsplash is licensed
under CC BY 2.0
After you finish reading, you will take a
comprehension check quiz.
Reference
2-35.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Unit 3: Raising Cultural Awareness – Follow-on Quiz
This quiz checks your comprehension of "Raising Cultural Awareness in the English
Language Classroom" (Frank, 2013). You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this
MOOC in order to continue in the module. For this quiz, that means that you must
score at least 11 out of 15 points. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.
Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be
your highest score.

under CC BY 4.0
Unit 3 Discussion: Culture Lessons in Your Classroom (optional)

How can we apply the ideas from Frank's article to
our own classrooms? In your post, please address
both #1 and #2:
1. In two to three sentences, describe an

idea from Frank's article "Raising Cultural
Awareness in the English Language
Classroom" that you would like to try in
your class.
2. In another two to three sentences, tell us
how you would need to adjust the activity
to make it work with your students. As
“Untitled” by Wokandapix via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
you explain this, include information
about who your students are (such as English level, age).
Try also to respond to at least one other participant's post. But answering the 2 questions above is
your main task. When you respond to someone, write something substantive. If all you want to write is,
"I agree with you," then using the "like" function is best.
15
Unit 3: Rubrics
The way we learn about culture and critical thinking is not the same way that we learn about grammar
or mathematics, but no matter what we are teaching and learning, we need ways to know if our learning
objectives are being met. Rubrics are one of the best ways of assessing learning in areas such as culture
and critical thinking.
We have spent some time learning about culture and critical thinking, but how can we assess our
students’ work in these areas? One way to assess this is through the use of rubrics. In this lesson, we will
discuss what rubrics are, how to create them, and how to use them to assess our students.
Some assignments are easy to assess. When there is one right answer, grading can be fairly simple. For
complex tasks, however, we need to consider several factors. This is when a rubric can be very useful.
A rubric specifies first what is being evaluated. These are the evaluation criteria. For example, when
grading an essay, a teacher might choose to focus on the organization of the essay, the content, and the
grammar and mechanics. Next, a rubric describes the different levels of mastery. In this rubric, the
teacher can describe the essay’s organization as "inadequate," "adequate," "good," or "very good." Each
area will be assessed using these criteria (see Image 1.1).
Image 1.1
How does the teacher decide which level to choose? Quality definitions for each level of each skill are
included in the rubric. The teacher chooses the level whose description best describes the student’s
work in that area. In this case (Image 1.1), the teacher decides that the descriptions for the level “good”
fit the student’s work in terms of organization and content. For grammar and mechanics, the definition
for “adequate” is the best description of the quality of the students’ work. (Image 1.2)
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Image 1.2
Rubrics are very helpful for the teaching-learning process. For teachers, a rubric is not only a tool for
assessing students. It also helps the teacher clarify learning objectives. This helps the teacher plan
activities better. For learners, rubrics communicate what is expected of them.
Creating a Rubric
Now that we have talked about the basics of rubrics, let’s look at how we can make one.
Step one, list the evaluation criteria that you will be assessing. This rubric is for evaluating a lab
report. The teacher has chosen to evaluate defining the research problem and providing hypotheses,
data collecting and processing, and interpretation of the results (Barbero, 2012, pp. 52-53). (Image 1.3)
Image 1.3
Next, decide how you will rate these criteria. For this, you need to identify the levels of mastery. If you
want three levels, you can label them. In this example (Image 1.3), the levels of mastery are
"developing," "accomplished," and "exemplary." These are very specific words, but they will be too
17
difficult to understand for many audiences. It is important for your students to understand the rubrics
that are used to assess them. Alternative labels for these three levels might be, "needs improvement,"
"good" and "excellent" as levels of mastery. These words are a little bit simpler to understand for many
audiences. When considering what to write for levels of mastery, it’s important to think about who your
students are and the purpose of the rubric.
Then you must write quality descriptions for each level as it relates to each evaluation criterion. The
definitions need to be about observable and measurable behavior. This will help distinguish between
the levels and help both learner and educator accurately and fairly assess progress. For example, “thinks
critically” is too vague. The level of detail you include depends on your students and context. Here is a
completed and simple example of a Rubric for Critical Thinking. (Image 1.4)
Image 1.4
The last rubric (shown below - Image 1.5) was designed for young learners. As you can see, the criteria
are written in short sentences using simple language. They are also written as “I statements” which help
the learners think about themselves. This rubric also uses images to show levels of mastery. The images
could be smiley faces, stars, or anything that might be relevant to students, as long as it is a symbol they
will understand.
18
Image 1.5
References
resource.)
Barbero, T. (2012). Assessment tools and practices in CLIL. In F. Quartapelle (Ed.), Assessment and
evaluation in CLIL (pp. 38-56). Ibis. Retrieved from
https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/promoitals/article/viewFile/2827/3030
Critical Thinking Rubric for PBL. (2013). Buck Institute for

Education http://www.bie.org/object/document/k_2_critical_thinking_rubric
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Self-assessment grid - Table 2 (CEFR
3.3): Common Reference levels. http://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-
languages/table-2-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-self-assessment-grid
Guidelines for Critical Thinking (Rubric). Retrieved from Hello

Literacy https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Critical-Thinking-Rubric-Aligned-to-Common-
Core-348003
Sample Rubric. Retrieved from Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-for-creating-visually-

engaging-rubrics-cait-camarata

resource.)
19
Lassonde, C. A., Black, A., Miller, J., & Mi, H. (2009). Through rubrics and scaffolded instruction: a
programmatic self-study of writing expectations. Brock Education Journal, 29-46. Retrieved
from https://brock.scholarsportal.info/journals/brocked/home/article/view/90/91
Reddy, M. Y. (2007). Rubrics and the enhancement of student learning. Educate: The Journal of Doctoral
Research in Education, 7(1), 3-17. Retrieved from
http://www.educatejournal.org/index.php/educate/article/view/117/148
RubiStar: Create Rubrics for your Project-Based Learning

Activities, http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
De Silva, R. (2014). Rubrics for assessment: Their effects on ESL students’ authentic task performance.
In Fourth CELC Symposium (pp. 136–141). National University of Singapore. Retrieved from
http://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/research/books/4th%20Symposium%20proceedings/19).%20Radhikda%20
De%20Silva.pdf
To cite this article:

World Learning. (2018). Rubrics. In “Integrating Cultural Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in
an EFL Setting" [MOOC].
20
Rubrics Presentation Slides
21
22
23
24
25
26
Unit 3: Rubrics – Follow-on Quiz
Answer these 10 comprehension questions about rubrics. Choose your answers

carefully; no partial credit is given for answers. However, you may take the quiz as
many times as you like. Your final grade will be your highest score. Be sure to read
the feedback that you receive after you submit your answers.

under CC BY 4.0
Unit 3: How to Create a Rubric

Here are some further tips when creating a

rubric.
When creating a rubric, think

about your students, your context, and what
your students most need to learn and are ready
to learn. Use simple language, with words your
students will understand. For more mature
audiences, try words like "Unsatisfactory" and
"Competent" or "Below standard" and "At
standard." For younger learners, try "Still
learning," "Sometimes," and "Almost always" or
even pictures, such as one smiley face for one “Untitled” by akshayapatra via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
level, two smiles for the middle level, and three smiles for the highest level (Buck Institute of Education,
2013). Sometimes symbols can work even better than words. For example, using smiley faces or stars to
illustrate levels of mastery.
Writing quality definitions in the first person can often make them easier to read. This is especially true
for younger learners. Two examples of this are "I speak and write in complete sentences" and "I
thoroughly assess the quality of information, separating fact from opinion." A sentence like "I speak and
write in complete sentences" -- in the first person -- may be easier to understand than, for example,
"The student speaks and writes in complete sentences."
27
Many educators find that the best wording for quality definitions are "can do" statements. For example,
"I can write a short, simple postcard" or "I can describe cultural situations from more than one
perspective."
Make sure you describe observable behavior. For example, you can observe a student explaining
something, but you cannot directly observe a student's comprehension of something. For the item -- "I
understand why we are doing the project" -- what could the teacher observe to know that this is true? A
better description might be this: "I can explain why we are doing the project."
When choosing levels of mastery and writing quality definitions, make sure that the levels are
distinguishable from one another. Sometimes words like "few" and "some" may be hard to distinguish.
You may need to add some more information to make the difference clear.
In these videos (/readings), we have discussed what rubrics are, how to create them for your context,
and the benefits of using a rubric. Rubrics are useful because they help you grade, help the students
understand the objectives, and align the lessons with objectives. Rubrics are also useful because they
can be adapted to any context to assess skills or assignments. They also help teachers articulate how
and why a student received certain feedback. They encourage both teachers and students to be
responsible for learning.
References
Critical Thinking Rubric for PBL. (2013). Buck Institute for Education. Retrieved
from http://www.bie.org/object/document/k_2_critical_thinking_rubric
Guidelines for Critical Thinking (Rubric). Retrieved

from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Critical-Thinking-Rubric-Aligned-to-Common-
Core-348003

resource.)
Lassonde, C. A., Black, A., Miller, J., & Mi, H. (2009). Through rubrics and scaffolded instruction: a
programmatic self-study of writing expectations. Brock Education Journal, 29-46. Retrieved
from https://brock.scholarsportal.info/journals/brocked/home/article/view/90/91
Reddy, M. Y. (2007). Rubrics and the enhancement of student learning. Educate: The Journal of Doctoral
Research in Education, 7(1), 3-17. Retrieved from
http://www.educatejournal.org/index.php/educate/article/view/117/148
To cite this article:

World Learning. (2018). How to create a rubric. In “Integrating Cultural Thinking Skills into the
28
How to Create a Rubric Presentation Slides
29
30
31
32
Unit 3: How to Create a Rubric – Follow-on Quiz
In this quiz, you will see 10 examples from rubrics that have some problems. For
each one, try to identify the weaknesses. You must score at least 70% on each quiz
in this MOOC in order to continue in the module. For this quiz, that means that you
must score at least 7 out of 10 points. You may take the quiz as many times as you
like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade
will be your highest score.

under CC BY 4.0
Take the time to look back on Unit 3 and assess your activity in the MOOC.
Like the other self-assessments in this course, you should answer all
questions honestly and thoughtfully; there are no right or wrong answers.
You must complete this survey in order to move on to the next activities,
but it is not graded and will not show up in the grade book. There are 10
questions. You can only submit the self-assessment once.

licensed under CC0
33
Unit 3 Summary
In this unit we began to look at ways of
implementing culture and critical thinking
lessons into our local teaching contexts. We
started with the Frank (2013) article, which
contains many ideas on how to bring culture
into EFL classes, starting with the most basic
building block, the self as cultural (p. 2).
Intercultural competence is about relating
successfully to people of other cultures. In
order to relate successfully to members of
other cultures, one should start from a solid
foundation of understanding oneself as a
cultural being.
“Untitled” by Chris Brignola via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
Many teachers have found that the “Identities
Wheel” activity that we did in Unit 2 is an excellent way to get to know one’s students, as well as to
begin students’ exploration of culture. By connecting an exploration of identities with the micro-
communities that each one is associated with, students come to a better understanding of the cultural
diversity that exists even in their own lives. This can serve as a “bridge” exercise: students first explore
the differences and contact between micro-cultures that they are familiar with. Later, they can transfer
this understanding to new situations and explore the differences and contact between their culture and
other cultures in other countries.
This kind of work is as important as it is complex, and we need help defining learning objectives and
assessing whether they have been met. That is why we spent a long time this unit exploring rubrics and
how they can be created and adapted to meet our teaching needs. Besides the additional reading
suggestions provided in this unit (at the bottom of “Rubrics” and “How to Create a Rubric”), we
recommend conducting further searches on the internet using the keywords “rubric” and “critical
thinking” and/or “culture” to explore more models.
We have two more units to go in this

MOOC. In both Units 4 and 5, we will
continue exploring our two main themes
of culture and critical thinking. We will also
continue looking in increasingly concrete
terms at how these can be successfully
translated into lessons that will work in
your teaching context. At this point, it is
probably clearer to you how you can
include culture in your lessons; you may
have more questions about how critical
thinking can be systematically included
into our EFL classes. For that reason, Unit 4
has several activities that will help us “Untitled” by hdornak via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
articulate what critical thinking is and what it looks like in practice. Finally, in Unit 5, we will bring all of
the elements of this course together and see what they look like in actionable lesson plans.
34
As we enter into these two units, you should be thinking about specific culture and critical thinking
learning objectives that you want to teach your students. Ask yourself,
• What lessons about culture do I want to teach my students?

• What critical thinking skills would my students most benefit from practicing in class?
• How can I define our learning objectives and communicate these to my students?
• What kind of student outcomes would show me that the lessons are successful?
Units 4 and 5 will guide you in bringing your answers to these questions in focus.
35
Unit 4 – Interpretation, Reflection, and
Beginning Lesson Planning
Table of Contents
Overview of Unit 4: Interpretation, Reflection, and Beginning Lesson Planning ...........................2
Unit 4: Description versus Interpretation ....................................................................................3
Unit 4: Description versus Interpretation – Follow-on Quiz .....................................................4
Unit 4: Depth of Reflection: A Rubric .........................................................................................13
Unit 4: Depth of Reflection – Follow-on Quiz .........................................................................19
Unit 4 Discussion: Description versus Interpretation – Your Personal Experience (optional)......19
Unit 4: Generating Ideas for a Lesson ........................................................................................21
Unit 4: Your Lesson Plan ............................................................................................................23
Unit 4 Summary ........................................................................................................................30
Overview of Unit 4: Interpretation, Reflection, and Beginning
Lesson Planning
In this unit, we will cover two more key
skills in critical thinking and get you
started on formulating a lesson plan on
culture and critical thinking. Work on
lesson plan development will continue in
Unit 5.
We will start our current unit by

investigating the difference
between descriptions and
interpretations. Being able to distinguish
between these two is essential for
examining assumptions, reducing bias,
and distinguishing fact from opinion. “Untitled” by Igor Miske via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
All of these skills form part of reflection. Deep reflection is critical thinking at work. In order to
understand what deep reflection looks like, we'll look at an instrument for measuring depth of
reflection. The rubric that we will look at describes seven levels of depth when it comes to reflection.
Working with this rubric will A) give you the opportunity to work with a rubric to assess complex tasks,
and B) give you a framework for recognizing different levels of depth of reflection.
Our Unit 4 discussion will be a discussion about the role of interpretations in intercultural encounters.
At the end of the unit, you'll be given some guidance for generating ideas for creating lesson plans about
culture and critical thinking to use in your classes. This will set us up for Unit 5, which is dedicated to the
process of lesson planning.
Below you see a list of each Unit 4 activity.
1. Read a passage about distinguishing objectives from interpretations (30 minutes).

2. Answer a comprehension check quiz on “Description versus Interpretation” (20 minutes).
3. Read about the Depth of Reflection rubric and watch a video (or read its transcript) where two
educators talk through how the rubric works (35 minutes).
4. Answer a quiz where you apply the Depth of Reflection rubric to some writing samples (25 minutes).
5. Discuss with other participants the role of interpretations in intercultural encounters (30 minutes –
optional).
6. Read ideas about how to decide what cultural lessons to teach and how to get your students to
engage with the ideas (15 minutes) and then, on your own, explore ideas (30 minutes).
7. Review a lesson plan template that can help you in your lesson planning (20 minutes).
8. Take a self-assessment that helps you reflect on your participation in the MOOC. This self-
assessment includes ideas from the Depth of Reflection rubric (20 minutes).
Work on this throughout the week. We will discuss it next week.
9. Read a summary of the unit (10 minutes).
2
Unit 4: Description versus Interpretation
As critical thinkers, we must be able to
know the difference between what we have
observed and our interpretation of what we
have observed.
This is important for us as educators too.

Good teaching requires accurately
understanding what is happening with our
students on an on-going basis. We need to
adjust our lessons so that they are pushing
our students towards more learning but not
so “above their heads” that they cannot
“Concentración” by Eduardo Yepes via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0 follow what is happening in class.
For example, imagine you are observing a

class. You might, with your familiarity with classroom activity, look at the class and think, “They are
learning,” while for one specific student you think, “She is unhappy” and for another student you might
think, “He is bored.”
But do you know this with certainty? All of those are interpretations. Let’s look at each case and look at
why we came to these interpretations.
Interpretation: “They are learning.”

This was based on the observation, “They are answering the teacher’s questions correctly.”
It may be true that they are learning. But there are other possible interpretations that could also be
correct. The students might be able to answer the questions correctly because they already knew the
material before the lesson. Or it might be that the teacher is asking questions in such a way that the
correct answer is obvious, even if the students don’t understand why.
Interpretation: “She is unhappy.”

How about for our unhappy student? We based our interpretation
on the observation, “She is frowning.” But perhaps this student
makes a frowning face when she is concentrating. She may be
quite content but simply concentrating.
Interpretation: “He is bored.”

Finally, let’s look at the student who we think looks bored. Our
basis for this conclusion was the observation, “The student is
looking at the clock.” It is true that some people look at clocks
when they are bored, but just because someone looks at a clock
does not necessarily mean that they are bored. This student might “Bored or Not Bored?” by Gina Asalon is
simply wonder how far along in the lesson they are. licensed under CC BY 4.0
An observation is something you notice by watching or listening1. Our three classroom observations
discussed here were:
3
• They are answering the teacher’s questions correctly.
• She is frowning.
• The student is looking at the clock.
It is natural to make interpretations based on our observations. Many times our interpretations will be
correct – but not always. Critical thinking requires us to be able to distinguish between observation and
interpretation. As we saw in “What Is Critical Thinking?”, if we want to think critically about a situation,
we need to be aware of our assumptions, and imagine and explore alternative interpretations.
1 Observations can sometimes be made through other senses, such as touch or smell.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Description versus interpretation. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Unit 4: Description versus Interpretation – Follow-on Quiz

In this quiz, you will see 15 images (twice you will see an image repeated). Each
image will be accompanied by a statement. You must decide if that statement is
an observation or an interpretation.
NOTE: This quiz requires you to look at photos. If the photos do not load
properly in your browser, you can view them below.
You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the
“Question mark” by You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback
Gina Asalon is licensed that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
under CC BY 4.0
4
1. This is a mother and daughter.
“Untitled” by London Scout via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
2. This is a diner.
“Diner” by Tracy Hunter via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
5
3. These are forks.
“Untitled” by Alejandro Escamilla via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
4. This is a wedding.
“Untitled” by StockSnap via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
6
5. This boy is very young.
“Untitled” by kazuend via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
6. The glass is half full.
“Half what?” by Kalyan Chakravarthy via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
7
7. The man in the photo is bending over.
"Untitled" by August Schwerdfeger via Flickr and is licensed under CC BY 2.0. This derivative is licensed under CC BY 4.0. by
FHI 360 for use in the AE E-Teacher program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
8. Several people in this photo are raising their hands.
“Untitled by dschap via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
8
9. These little girls are learning a lot.
“Untitled” by 12019 via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
10. Most but not all of the women in this photo are wearing head scarves.
"Untitled" by felixioncool via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
9
11. The boys in this photo are nervous.
“Untitled” by cordens via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
12. The girls in this photo are studying English.
"Untitled" by andros1234 via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
10
13. The man standing up is a scientist.
“Untitled” by cordens via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
14. This is a lecture hall.
“Untitled” by nikolayhg via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
11
15. There has been flooding in the area where this photo was taken.
"Flooded park bench" by August Schwerdfeger via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
12
Unit 4: Depth of Reflection: A Rubric
There are some things that we can learn though memorization, but there are many things that require
deep thinking and reflection to learn. The development of intercultural competence is in this second
category. In order to develop intercultural competence, we need to think and reflect deeply on our lived
experiences with cultures and intercultural encounters.
Another area where deep reflection is necessary on

a frequent basis is in our professional development
as EFL teachers. To stay relevant and effective, we
should regularly reflect on our lessons.
Given 1) these facts and 2) our MOOC objective of

knowing how to incorporate critical thinking into our
lesson, we are now going to work with a special
rubric called The Depth of Reflection Rubric. The
Depth of Reflection Rubric was developed as a way
to check how deeply pre-service and in-service
teachers are reflecting on their teaching
experiences. The rubric consists of seven levels of
mastery but only one evaluation criterion, which “Untitled” by Chetan Menaria via Unsplash is licensed under
CC0
is depth of reflection. For each level, observable
behaviors are described in the quality definitions. These behaviors are ones that have been found to
indicate depth of reflection in teachers (Luk, 2008; McBride, 2010; Robinson & Kelley, 2007). When you
look at the rubric, note the way in which it establishes observations as the foundation of reflection.
Deeper reflections include interpretations that use the observation as a guide.
The purpose of you learning about and working with this rubric is twofold:
1. Learning the indicators for depth of reflection can help you push yourself (and your colleagues) to
think more deeply about your teaching in the future, and
2. By applying the rubric to writing samples (in the next exercise), you will gain experience working
with a rubric to assess a complex task.
Let's familiarize ourselves with the rubric.
We suggest that you first look over the rubric (included below); then read the explanation below and
watch the video (or read the transcript); and then look at the rubric again before starting on the next
activity.
The Depth of Reflection Rubric is used to analyze a teacher's written reflection on a classroom
experience. These are the steps for using the rubric:
1. Choose a text to analyze. The text should be a teacher's reflection on a classroom experience.
2. Divide the text into sections. Each section should describe one basic idea. This could be as little as
one sentence or as much as a paragraph or two.
3. Read the first section of text, and then look at the rubric. Which quality definition best describes
that section of text? What is the highest number you can assign to that section of text?
4. Repeat this for every section of the text.
13
Now that you know how the rubric is applied to a text, look over the rubric again. You will probably still
have many questions about how to use the rubric. That's okay! Next, please watch this video, or read
the transcript below, for further explanations.
Andy: Hi, Kara
Kara: Hey, Andy, how are you?
Andy: I'm fine thanks. And I'm very

interested in this depth of reflection the
rubric that you were telling me about. I
think it's something that I can use with my
students to help them improve their
observational skills and also their reflective
practice.
Kara: Yeah, I think so. I have used this rubric “Dr. Kara McBride and Andy Noonan” via Depth of Reflection: A Rubric
video by World Learning is licensed under CC BY 4.0
in a number of classes and I find that it helps
people to write more in-depth reflections.
Andy: Do you think maybe some of your students just follow the descriptions so that you will give them
a higher grade?
Kara: I'm sure they do that at the beginning, but after following these suggestions for how to reflect on
something, eventually these guidelines become habit and leave them to reflect more deeply.
Andy: Ah. I see. But I was wondering if you could talk me through the rubric. There are some things
about it that I don't understand.
Kara: Sure, I'd be happy to.
Andy: So, to start, my understanding is that level I is the least amount of depth and level VII is the
greatest amount of depth.
Kara: That's right.
Andy: And I think the idea also is that every higher-level on this rubric contains the characteristics of the
previous levels.
Kara: Yes, that's right!
Andy: Okay, well, level II says that something must be observed. Why does there have to be observation
for there to be depth of reflection?
Kara: Excellent question, Andy. This rubric was originally developed for reflecting on classes and what
happened in the classroom. So if the teacher is just talking about something that he thinks but isn't
referring to what actually happened in the classroom, then he's not really reflecting on the classroom.
When we use this rubric for other occasions, this idea of description can be interpreted more generally.
14
But the basic idea here is that you must refer to the actual characteristics of the thing you are reflecting
on, and not just restate your personal beliefs.
Andy: Okay. That makes sense. Then the next level adds one more characteristic. Here we should be
using specific terminology special to what we are studying.
Kara: That's right. So for example in this class about culture, talking about intercultural competence,
critical thinking, depth of reflection, or even culture itself can fit this requirement.
Andy: I see. It almost seems like it would be difficult not to do that.
Kara: For some people, yes, and for some people, no.
Andy: Then the next level, level IV, what's different about this level?
Kara: At level IV a person is not only describing what happened with the proper terminology, but she is
also talking about her perspective on it and thinking about how this could affect others.
Andy: Okay, then at level V what is added is to not only think of one's own perspective but to think
about multiple perspectives.
Kara: Yes, and this is the real hallmark of depth of reflection: to look at something from more than one
perspective.
Andy: Okay then level VI and level VII are really special I guess.
Kara: That's right, it's very rare actually to find level VI and level VII in people’s reflections. But it's what
we're shooting for.
Andy: So it looks like at level VI the person is not only thinking about other perspectives but actually
working to change his or her own perspectives on this situation.
That's right. That's why this level is called "critical" reflection. At this level the practitioner is really
questioning his or her own assumptions.
Andy: And then finally at level VII we bring in ethical and moral issues and we start looking towards the
future. Can you say a little bit more about that?
Kara: Yes, at this final level, the practitioner is not only thinking about what has happened and trying to
understand it from multiple perspectives and really questioning his or her own beliefs, but in addition to
that he or she is really thinking about how this can have an ethical or moral impact on others and what
that means for how he or she should act in the future.
Andy: So one thing that I can take from this rubric is the idea that truly deep reflection is likely to change
the person who's deeply reflecting.
Kara: That's absolutely right, Andy. And that's why we try to achieve deep reflection in our classes. If
what you learn doesn't change you at all, then in some ways you haven't really learned anything.
Andy: Okay! Well then I’m excited to see what lays ahead.
References
15
The Depth of Reflection Rubric was first published here:
McBride, K. (2010). “Reciprocity in service learning: Intercultural competence through SLA

studies.” Selected proceedings from the International Conference on the Development and Assessment of
Intercultural Competence, 235-261.
The rubric was developed primarily from these two sources:
Luk, J. (2008). Assessing teaching practicum reflections: Distinguishing discourse features of the ‘high’
and ‘low’ grade reports. System, 36, 624–641.
Robinson, L., & Kelley, B. (2007). Developing reflective thought in preservice educators: Utilizing role-
plays and digital video. Journal of Special Education Technology 22(2), 31-43.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Depth of reflection: A rubric. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
16
Depth of Reflection Rubric
Type of Comments:
Defining
Level reflective Example text from a teacher’s reflections Comments in this column refer to the
characteristics
thought text in the column to the left
1 None Statement; no It’s really important for teachers to limit their talking time and for students to While we agree with what this example
observation have time to participate actively. text says, this quote does not report any
observed actions.
2 None Description of The lesson today was on prefixes and suffixes. I began by reading children’s books This quote reports on what happened. It
something that explain each. Then I spent almost 20 more minutes explaining again what was includes some details of the students’
observed in the books and giving my own examples using PPT. Students were looking at me behavior, but much of it is what the
most of the time, and many nodded from time to time. But this took so long that I teacher did. (You can observe yourself!)
didn’t have time for the three other activities. I talked a lot and the students
didn’t.
3 Technical Description of I spent over half the class time on the Preview or Lead-in Stage of my lesson This quote also reports on what happened.
Rationality observed event introducing prefixes and suffixes. Students maintained eye contact with me and Unlike the example for Level 2, it includes
with technical some nodded occasionally. But my teacher talking time was way out of balance technical terms such as “Preview or Lead-
terms because after the books I summarized all the same points and gave my own in Stage,” “teacher talking time,” and
examples. I rushed through the practice activities giving almost no time for “meaning-focused interaction.”
meaning-focused interaction.
4 Descriptive Looks at impact By spending so much time on the lead-in, and including a long lecture, my pacing The teacher analyzes the impact the
Rationality on others left very little time for students to differentiate between the new affixes and get lesson had on the students by thinking
feedback during the activities. Without real communicative practice, I don’t think about their learning process (differentiate
they had a full opportunity to integrate or internalize the new material. I primarily between… opportunities to
heard students produce high frequency affixes that were familiar before the integrate/internalize new material…).
lesson.
Adapted from: McBride, K. (2010). “Reciprocity in service learning: Intercultural competence through SLA studies.” Selected proceedings from the International
Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence, 235-261.
17
Type of Comments:
Defining
Level reflective Example text from a teacher’s reflections Comments in this column refer to the
characteristics
thought text in the column to the left
5 Dialogic Uses multiple I thought students needed clarity about the affixes before they started practicing The teacher’s perspective during the
Reflection perspectives and some like the security of knowing the rules and patterns directly before lesson focused on providing clarity. In this
(teacher and producing. But, actually, I think students were pretty clear and eager to try after reflection, the teacher considers the
students’, the books, and many lost interest and some may even have got confused by the students’ perspective: “eager to try,”
usually) long lecture and PPT examples. They are less metacognitive and generate meaning “may have got confused,” and “they
more from active experimentation than from listening. generate meaning from active
experimentation.”
6 Critical Considers I believe it’s important to capture the students’ attention at the beginning of the This quote answers questions such as,
Reflection entire context; class and that’s why I read the children’s books. They conveyed important • Why did the teacher decide to
discourse with information about suffixes and prefixes in a fun way. But my lack of trust that the read the children’s books?
self and students could grasp what was important from the books and from the following
explores more indirect/interactive activities lead to an overly long and boring first stage of • Why did the teacher present
possible the lesson and kept students from important practice. I felt I needed to be more examples after the books?
reasons for directive and frontload information to ensure all was clarified. I felt in my planning,
actions it was part of my role as teacher--the one who knows.
7 Reflect- Ethical and I know that learners need to be active in their own learning. And yet, I and my Here the teacher considers the lesson’s
on- moral issues; teacher community, still have thousands of hours learning from teachers who took affect not only on the students’ learning
Action considers the role of transmitter of information and expected students to listen and learn. about affixes but also their development
implications for We know now that this doesn’t promote critical thinking, independence, and life- of critical thinking and becoming lifelong
future practice long learning--and these are the purpose of education, and we/I have to break this learners.
outdated role. It’s important for me to remember to give students time to puzzle
things out, to experiment, and get feedback. In terms of lesson pacing, I need to The teacher generalizes from the
keep the lead-in and directive input to a minimum and provide sequenced practice reflection and formulates guidelines for
activities that move from more support to more independence and that allow future lessons. These are marked with
students to clarify, gain confidence, and integrate the new material actively and phrases such as “It’s important for me…,”
through exchange of meaning. I also want to support learners who want stated “I need to…,” and “I can….”
rules and examples. I can elicit these after activities and provide a period of
reflection to write or record what was learned. I can also ensure that students
have the clarity they need to carry out activities feeling secure, by having several
demonstrate before independent practice.
18
Unit 4: Depth of Reflection – Follow-on Quiz
Now that you have reviewed the “Depth of Reflection” rubric and watched the
video (or read the transcript) of two colleagues discussing how it works, let’s see if
you can use the rubric to evaluate the depth of reflection present in some teacher’s
reflections on their classes.
There are five passages. For each one, determine the level of depth of reflection of
that passage. It is not necessary to have a copy of the rubric with you as you work
through these examples, but that might make it a bit easier for you.
Remember, each of these passages was written by a teacher talking about
Gina Asalon is licensed something that happened in his or her classroom.
under CC BY 4.0
module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at least 7 out of 10 points. You may take the quiz
as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade
will be your highest score.
Unit 4 Discussion: Description versus Interpretation – Your

Personal Experience (optional)
What we observe, we know to be true. Our interpretations, on the
other hand, may or may not be true. For example, the interpretation
“The students are learning” may be a true and accurate
interpretation of what we observe, but it may not. One way to check
to see if that was a correct interpretation would be to test the
students’ comprehension.
Other interpretations are true for some people and not true for
other people. For example, the same two people can listen to a
speaker and leave with very different impressions. One person says,
“She is a great speaker” and another person says, “She is not a very
good speaker.” Both interpretations are true for the people who
have made them. “Thumbs up” and “Thumbs down” by
SavanaPrice and “Presentation” by
In cultural matters, these differences of interpretation often have to lmproux via Openclipart are licensed
under CC0
do with our expectations and the symbolic meaning that we attach
to certain behaviors. For example, the same greeting might be considered very warm and appropriate
19
by some people, while causing the opposite reaction in others (see “Intercultural Encounters” from Unit
1).
Share with us a time when you mistook your interpretation as an observation. You can choose to
share a story from your teaching experience, or a story of an encounter with someone from another
(micro-) culture.
In your post, please address the following:

1. Tell us the story. Be brief, but also include enough
information for everyone to understand the story.
(Suggested length: approximately 100 words)
2. Tell us how you eventually realized that your
interpretation was just an interpretation, not fact.
(Suggested length: Another approximately 100
words)
Later, please come back soon and respond to (at least)

“Hug” by Tania Cataldo via Flickr is licensed under CC BY
one other participant's post. As you engage online, 2.0
consider how your contributions to the forum would
score on the Depth of Reflection rubric.
20
Unit 4: Generating Ideas for a Lesson
We have covered a lot of ground in this MOOC! We
have explored multiple aspects of culture and critical
thinking, and we have looked at activities and
techniques to promote both. Now the question is, how
will you take these ideas and adapt them to make
effective and interesting lessons for your students?
We'll get started on this process in this unit. The next
(and final) unit will present you with a number of
issues to consider when developing lesson plans. You
will get more out of that material if you start
developing a lesson plan idea now. So, let's begin!
What do you want your students to learn?

The first step is to decide what you want your students
to learn. In terms of culture, learners are in the best
position to understand other cultures when they have
"Iceberg" by lmproulx is licensed under CC0; "Quiz"
a good understanding of their own. Three activities and "Identity Wheel" by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0
that we have seen that can help learners with this are
1) the cultural iceberg activity (Frank, 2013, pp. 3-4, 35), 2) quizzes to help learners understand their
cultures’ values (Frank, 2013, p. 6), and 3) the “Identities Wheel” activity (Unit 2).
The Frank (2013) article described multiple ways of exploring other cultures in class. These
include cultural collections (p. 7), web quests (p. 7), visits from cultural informants (p. 8), role
plays (pp. 8-10), cultural observations (p. 10), and keeping a culture journal (p. 10).
The critical thinking aspect of your lessons is found in the way in which learners approach information
about culture and the extent to which they are able to
• examine assumptions
• remain as free as possible from bias and prejudice
• distinguish fact (observations) from opinion (interpretations)
• imagine and explore alternatives, and
• maintain clarity, consistency, and fairness.
Be explicit, and give your students enough time

As the teacher, you need to structure activities and instructions so that your students approach cultural
information and cultural experiences with the attitudes listed above. Research shows that critical
thinking is more easily learned in class when the teacher's instructions are explicit (Marin & Halpern,
2010). That is, say what you mean. For example, if your objective is for students to examine a situation
from multiple perspectives, they are more likely to do it if you tell them explicitly that they should look
at the situation from multiple perspectives.
Another common finding in planning lessons on culture and critical thinking is that this kind of lesson
requires more time than some teachers originally plan for. We need to allow time for discussion. But in
the right class level, this can be excellent opportunity for language practice!
21
Your next assignment is one that you will have
to do outside the MOOC, but it is a very
important one: begin planning a lesson for your
students that will teach them about culture and
critical thinking.
If you are looking for inspiration for lesson

ideas, in addition to the examples listed above
(from Frank and from this course), consider
these sources:
The textbook you use: Consider taking some

cultural information found in your textbook and
expanding on it, to make sure that your students
are able to explore the topics with some depth.
• Your and your students’ context: Where

are areas in your daily lives where
intercultural competence is needed? You
can explore these areas in class.
• Cultural misunderstandings (or cultural “bumps,” as they are sometimes called): These are rich
grounds for exploration. You might find some interesting possibilities from this unit’s discussion
forum, or perhaps from
misunderstandings you have heard about "Man Light Bulb Brain" by GDJ via Openclipart is licensed under
CC0; "Wordle" by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0
from your students.
• The English Teaching Forum: This is an online and print journal that is published four times a year
by the United States Department of State. Each issue is full of cutting-edge, classroom-tested
teaching ideas. This is where Frank’s (2013) article was published.
Use these sources to help you begin planning a lesson for your students that will teach them about
culture and critical thinking. Use these questions to guide your planning process:
1. What are your learning objectives? That is, what do you want your students to learn?
2. What activities will you do?
3. How much time do you need?
4. How will you assess whether the learning objectives are met? (Perhaps a rubric?)
5. How will you communicate to the students what is expected of them? (Perhaps a rubric?)
Set aside a solid 30 minutes or more to think through these questions in depth and come up with a
plan. On the next page, you'll find a lesson plan template that you can use and a self-assessment rubric
to help you think about how well developed your lesson plan is.
Reference
Marin, L. M., & Halpern, D. F. (2011). “Pedagogy for developing critical thinking in adolescents: Explicit
instruction produces greatest gains.” Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6, 1-13.
22
To cite this page:
World Learning. (2018). Generating Ideas for a Lesson. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Unit 4: Your Lesson Plan

Once you have an idea for your lesson, you
should start writing it out. While there are
many lesson plan formats that you could
use, we suggest using the lesson plan
template provided below, which was created
for planning lessons that cover both culture
and critical thinking. Follow these steps to
write your lesson plan out:
1. Look over the lesson plan template. You

may want to first look at a blank
template and then look at an annotated
version of the template (included below - it is the same as the blank template, plus some
explanations).
2. Plan a sample lesson that focuses on both culture and critical thinking, using the lesson plan
template. If you have Word, download the Word version of the template that you can fill out on
your computer.
3. Assess your lesson plan using this self-
assessment rubric (included below). "Lesson Plan" by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0
4. If possible, discuss your lesson plan with a
colleague.
This activity is an opportunity for you to work out a lesson plan that uses concepts from this MOOC. The
more you put into this activity, the more you will get out of it. You will not submit your lesson plan
through Canvas.
23
Lesson Plan Template
Name: Length of lesson:
1. Overview description of your students (how many, age, language level, and purposes for
studying English)
2. What aspect(s) of critical thinking does this lesson work on?
3. What aspect(s) of intercultural awareness and culture does this lesson work on?
4. In this lesson, I anticipate students will be challenged by:
5. To address these challenges, I plan to (note the specific activities that will address these
challenges):
6. This is the way I will assess my students (note specific stages and specific activities that you will
use for assessment):
Objective(s): By the end of the lesson, students will be able to…
24
Detailed Lesson / Activity Plan Steps
Time Lesson Students will… (what they Language focus (what kind Role of the teacher… (my Questions that I will
content / will do and how they will of language will the role, and what I will be ask the students to
Activity interact with each other and students be using / paying attention to) deepen their
stages the content) practicing) learning
25
Lesson Plan Template (Modeled)
Name: Put your name here Length of lesson: How long is it? (50 minutes?)
1. Overview description of your students (how many, age, language level, and purposes for
studying English)
Other possibly useful information: is English an obligatory subject for them?
Is it a public or private institute?
2. What aspect(s) of critical thinking does this lesson work on?

Critical thinking aspects I plan to address:
Examples might include examining specific assumptions, distinguishing fact from opinion, …
3. What aspect(s) of intercultural awareness and culture does this lesson work on?
Some possibilities:
• Ideas and facts concerning cultural products (for ex., clothing) or practices (for example,
activities done at school)
• Students examining themselves as cultural beings
*Note: Your response should be more specific than these.*
4. In this lesson, I anticipate students will be challenged by:
Here are some possibilities:

• Showing emotional empathy
• Viewing a situation from a new perspective
These two examples are conceptual. Other difficulties could be procedural, such as access to
materials, or linguistic, such as being unfamiliar with some of the associated vocabulary.
*Make sure your answer will make sense to someone who is not familiar with your class.*
5. To address these challenges, I plan to (note the specific activities that will address these
challenges):
Address each challenge mentioned in #4.

You can use sentences like, “In order to minimize _____________, I will…”
You may discuss class atmosphere, conceptual learning, and helping with the logistics of the
activity (making steps less difficult to do).
6. This is the way I will assess my students (note specific stages and specific activities that you will
use for assessment):
Here we are talking about assessment not necessarily in terms of tests or exams, but answering
the question, “How will you know if the lesson is being effective?”
“Note specific stages” means to address assessment for each part of the class: presentation,
small group work, class discussion, etc.
Here are some ideas of how to assess students in class:

• The number of sentences/examples/etc. each group is able to generate
• Whether everyone in the class is participating
• How quickly the students work through the activity
• The originality of their ideas
• A self-assessment students do after the class
Objective(s): By the end of the lesson, students will be able to….
What will students accomplish during the lesson? Here are some possibilities:
• Describe a person dressed at different historical epochs, to identify the relationship between
fashion, historical time and people’s beliefs
• Recognize stereotypes, express opinions about them and justify it
• Present their opinions and practice communicative skills
State your objectives in terms that are observable and measurable. For example, “By the end of the
lesson, students will be able to empathize with another cultures’ reality that is different from their
own.” is an excellent goal, but how do we measure “empathize”? We can’t.
Some observable and measurable indicators of this goal could include:
• By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe core cultural values of another
culture.
• By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how the behaviors of members from
the other culture are expressions of their values.
• By the end of the lesson, students will be able to plan a fun and productive event where youth
from two or more cultures get together and share cultural practices.
Detailed Lesson / Activity Plan Steps (Modeled)
Time Lesson Content / Activity Students will… (what Language focus (what kind Role of the teacher… (my Questions that I will ask
Stages they will do and how of language will the role, and what I will be the students to deepen
they will interact with students be using / paying attention to) their learning
each other and the practicing)
content)
Some possibilities: Some possibilities:

Based on what students
Some possibilities:
How will be doing, what are
-Vocabulary for clothing -Introduce the activity
much some questions you can
-Warm-up -Describing hypothetical -Give directions, model
time? Describe what the ask them to get them to
-Introduce vocabulary situations student behavior
students will be doing think more deeply about
-Reading -Reading for specific -Answer students’
For ex., during this stage. what they are doing?
-Jigsaw activity information questions
10
-Pre-listening activity -Giving opinions -Lead the discussion
minutes Write the actual questions
-Discussion -Encourage students to
here.
express themselves
Lesson Plan Self-assessment Rubric
Sounds great Needs a bit more Considerable development

clarification still needed
Objectives There are well-defined, There are learning I don't have clearly defined
observable, realistic, and objectives, but they're learning objectives. This is my
valuable lesson objectives. still a little vague. first culture lesson plan, and
I'm not sure exactly what I
want to accomplish with it.
Culture After this activity, students This activity will help This activity will expose
will better understand their students to better students to elements
own culture, another culture, understand their culture, associated with a particular
or both, and they will be able another culture, or both, culture, but it will not lead
to explain this to others. but they may not be them to understand their own
aware of it or be able to or others' cultures in a way
explain it to others. that would increase their
intercultural competence.
Critical This activity leads students This activity leads It would be easy for a student
thinking through steps that require students through steps to participate in this activity
critical thinking, gets them to that require critical without exercising critical
reflect on their thought thinking, but it does not thinking.
process through reflection, require students to
and is likely to lead to reflect on their thought
similarly conscientious process.
thought processes in other
contexts.
Explicit The cultural and critical Both culture and critical The elements of culture and
instructions thinking elements of the thinking are discussed to critical thinking are never
lesson are explained in an some extent in the explicitly discussed during the
explicit fashion using clear lesson. lesson.
terms that the students will
understand. These
explanations are framed in a
way that will facilitate the
students applying this
learning to new contexts in
the future.
It’s time for your last self-assessment in this MOOC. Like the other self-
assessments in this course, there are no right or wrong answers; we just
ask that you answer the questions honestly and thoughtfully. You need to
complete this survey in order to move on to the next activities, but it is not
graded and will not show up in the grade book. There are 10 questions.
You can only submit the self-assessment once.

licensed under CC0
Unit 4 Summary
The world will present you with a lot of challenges in life – both
in the classroom and out of it. How can you meet those
challenges? Critical thinking is one of the most powerful tools
that we have to assess situations and develop solutions. This unit
included activities on one of the fundamental skills in critical
thinking: the ability to distinguish observations from
interpretations. Being able to make this distinction helps you to
better analyze situations and identify areas where positive action
can be taken.
To introduce this idea to your students, you could develop a

variation on the picture-based quiz that we did in this MOOC.
Guided practice like that is a good intermediate step on the way
to in-depth discussions.
Complex problems require creative solutions, and thinking

deeply about a problem is one of the best ways to get to new
ideas. This is why we spent time learning about and applying the
Depth of Reflection rubric. It has research-based markers of
depth of reflection. You may have been surprised by some of the
characteristics. For example, the first thing we need in order to get
“Untitled” by Jeremy Vessey via Unsplash is
beyond the lowest level of reflection, is to root our reflection licensed under CC0
in observations. Why is this? Because observations are the proof that support our interpretations, so we
need to start with our observations in order to see whether our interpretations are well founded.
You can use the seven levels of depth of reflection to guide you in several areas:
• To evaluate your own reflection
o This includes written reflections you make about a situation
o It also includes discussions that you have with others
• To help a colleague deepen his or her thinking about a matter
• To guide students in their written and spoken discussions and reflections
It is through discussion and writing that students can clarify and deepen their understanding of
something. You as a teacher need to facilitate this discovery process. By knowing the markers of depth
of reflection and techniques for active listening, you can help your students think critically about culture.
In our final unit, we will look at the elements of an excellent lesson plan on culture, including critical
thinking. We’ll see you online in Unit 5!

Unit 5 – Applying it Locally
Table of Contents
Overview of Unit 5: Applying it Locally ........................................................................................2
Unit 5: Post-test Review of Units 1 – 4 ........................................................................................4
Unit 5: Elements of a Good Lesson Plan ......................................................................................4
Elements of a Good Lesson Plan Presentation Slides ...............................................................7
Unit 5: Elements of a Good Lesson Plan – Follow-on Quiz .....................................................10
Unit 5: Planning to Teach Culture ..............................................................................................10
Planning to Teach Culture Presentation Slides .......................................................................13
Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Culture – Follow-on Quiz ..................................................................17
Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking ....................................................................................17
Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking Presentation Slides.............................................................20
Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking – Follow-on Quiz .....................................................25
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1a .................................................................................................25
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1a – Follow-on Quiz ..................................................................28
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1b .................................................................................................28
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1b – Follow-on Quiz ..................................................................31
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #2 ...................................................................................................31
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #2 – Follow-on Quiz ....................................................................34
Unit 5: End-of-Course Diagnostic...............................................................................................34
Unit 5: Next Steps and Farewells (optional discussion) ..............................................................35
Overview of Unit 5: Applying it Locally
Welcome to the last unit of our MOOC! In
this last unit, we will talk about elements of
a good lesson plan and then look more
specifically at what kinds of elements we
should include in lesson plans about culture
and critical thinking. Next, you will hear two
educators talk about successful culture
lessons that they taught that were also
occasions for engaging their students’ critical
thinking skills. All of these points are
illustrated with short videos that are
followed up by comprehension quizzes.
You will see that the total number of activities “Untitled” by sasint via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
for this unit is higher than in other units.
However, it is expected that Unit 5 will take you approximately as much time as the other units did.
Before we get into the lesson plans, we ask you to review some of the main ideas from Units 1-4 by
taking a quiz. At the bottom of this page, there is a list of terms that you can study to help you prepare
for this quiz.
Near the end of the unit, you will be asked to take an end-of-course diagnostic. This diagnostic will help
us understand your experience in the MOOC. It is not graded, but you must complete the diagnostic in
order to complete the MOOC.
Finally, at the end of the unit, there is a discussion space for you to share with others your thoughts
about the topics in this MOOC and your plans for incorporating critical thinking in the exploration of
culture in your EFL setting.
The unit activities are listed below, followed by approximate times for each activity. Timing will vary
depending on your experience and interest in the topic.
1. Take a review quiz that covers concepts from Units 1-4. (20 minutes)
2. Watch a video or read about lesson planning (15 minutes)
3. Check your comprehension of the previous lesson by taking a quiz (15 minutes)
4. Review a video or read about planning lessons about culture (15 minutes)
5. Take a quiz about planning lessons about culture (15 minutes)
6. Watch a video or read about teaching critical thinking (15 minutes)
7. Interact with ideas from the previous video (or text) by taking a quiz on teaching critical thinking (15
minutes)
8. Listen to a teacher trainer tell a story about teaching culture in Russia – Part I (15 minutes)
9. Take a quiz over the ideas expressed in the teacher trainer’s story – Part I (15 minutes)
10. Listen to the second part of the teacher trainer’s story (15 minutes)
11. Take a quiz over the second part of the teacher trainer’s story (15 minutes)
12. Watch another video, where an educator talks about teaching culture and critical thinking to
children in India (20 minutes)
13. Take a quiz to review the ideas discussed in the second educator’s story (25 minutes)
14. Reflect on your learning and experiences in this MOOC by taking the end-of-course diagnostic (15
minutes)
15. Say our goodbyes, and discuss what we have learned in this MOOC and what we plan to do in our
classes as a result (30 minutes – optional)
Here are the terms to study for the review quiz:
1. 3P Model of Culture: Perspectives, practices, and products

2. Intercultural competence
3. Depth of reflection
4. Rubrics: Evaluation criteria, levels of mastery, and quality definitions
5. Cultural being
6. Critical thinking
7. Micro-culture
8. Active listening
9. Interpretation vs. description
10. Different cultural perspectives
11. Different cultural values
12. How to avoid stereotyping people
13. Symbolic meaning
14. High context vs. low context cultures
15. Monochronic vs. polychronic cultures
16. Individualism vs. collectivism
17. Sequencing
18. Timing
19. Differentiation
20. Learning objectives
You may also want to consult the MOOC glossary online.

Unit 5: Post-test Review of Units 1 – 4
This quiz reviews major terms that have been presented in this course. There are
15 multiple-choice questions. A list of terms to study can be found in the
module overview. You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order
to continue in the module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at
least 11 out of 15 points. You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure
to read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your
highest score.

under CC BY 4.0
Unit 5: Elements of a Good Lesson Plan

Now that we have reviewed important concepts about culture and critical thinking, we want to visualize
how we can teach these things to our students. For a good lesson, we need a good lesson plan. Watch
this video (6:56), and/or read the transcript below, to review what elements are needed in a good
lesson plan. Later, we will take these same concepts and consider them in the context of culture
teaching and critical thinking activities.
Teaching is much more likely to be successful when guided by a clear and complete lesson plan. The key
elements of a good lesson plan include: objectives, timing, sequencing, differentiation, assessment, and
materials.
Objectives
The first important question you should ask when designing a lesson plan is: What will students learn in
this lesson? Think about the specific knowledge, skills, awareness, and language you want students to
learn in the lesson. Make the objectives reasonable and attainable. That is, make sure that the
objectives can be reached within the time you have for the lesson.
In order to know if a lesson’s objectives are reached, the objectives need to describe something that can
be measured. Because of this, a lesson plan objective should describe behavior that can be observed.
Good lesson plan objectives describe what students should be able to do after the lesson, not what they
will know. So, for example, an objective of this current lesson is for readers to know the key elements of
a good lesson plan. To word this in a way that can be observed and measured, we can say that after this
lesson, participants will be able to describe the six key elements of a good lesson plan.
Sequencing
Sequencing describes what will happen during the lesson, the order it happens in, and how you will
transition between activities and to the next lesson. Considerations for sequencing could include: when
is the best time to do a certain activity, and what is a logical but meaningful way to organize the lesson?
The sequencing of a lesson should support the lesson’s learning objectives. Many lessons follow this
structure:
• Warm-up
• Introduction to the class topic
• Presentation of material
• One or more activities for students to practice
• Evaluation of the practice
• Application to a relevant activity
We want learners to be able to apply their new knowledge and skills to authentic, real-world situations.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by slowly removing the teacher as a director. Activities early in a
lesson should include more direct guidance from the teacher. As the lesson progresses, learners should
be given more independence.
Timing
While it is important to be flexible when teaching, it
is also important to estimate how long each part of
the lesson will take. This will help organize activities
and determine what is possible to do in a lesson.
Never forget that learning takes time. Make sure to
give your students plenty of time to process an
activity or engage in new learning.
Differentiation
You will have a variety of students in your classroom.
How will you support students who need extra help
and students who need to be challenged more?
When writing your lesson plan, make sure to include “Untitled” by ArtsyBee via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
details about student interaction. For example, will they be doing pair work, individual work, group
work, or be listening to the teacher presenting information? Make sure that your lesson includes a
balance of interaction during the class, as this can help with differentiation and create a learning
environment that is productive for multiple learning styles.
Providing detailed notes in a lesson plan regarding what challenges students might have and how you
might avoid or lessen the impact of these challenges can help a teacher adapt for differentiation.
Assessment
For assessment of student learning, how will you know what students have learned? How will you know
if the learning objectives were met? Will you ask your students comprehension questions? Will there be
a short presentation, drills, a short quiz, a written assignment, or a group activity where students must
use new learning to complete the task? For assessment of the overall lesson, do you leave time at the
end of the lesson to gather feedback? Is there space for you to take notes on the lesson plan? After each
class, try to find the time to reflect on the lesson and identify what worked and what did not.
Materials
In order to implement a good lesson, you need to know what
materials will be necessary. This can include books, handouts, pens,
and so on. Making sure to obtain the necessary materials before
class is important, as it saves time and helps teachers feel more
prepared.
Conclusion
Now that we have looked at six essential elements of a good lesson
plan, your next step is to take a comprehension quiz, which will not
only help you review these concepts but also think through why
“books-lineart” by frankes via Openclipart is
licensed under CC0
these six elements should be included in a lesson plan.
References
(This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public or Creative
Center for Applied English Language Acquisition. (2007). The CAELA guide for adult ESL
trainers. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English: an introduction to the practice of English language
teaching. Harlow: Pearson Longman.
Li, W., & Zou, W. (2017). A study of EFL teacher expertise in lesson planning. Teacher and teacher
education, 231-241.
Murray, B. (2002). The New Teacher's Complete Sourcebook: Grades K-4. Scholastic.
SIT Graduate Institute. (2012). Lesson planning support.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Elements of a Good Lesson Plan. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Elements of a Good Lesson Plan Presentation Slides
• OBJECTIVES
• TIMING
• SEQUENCING
© 2017 by World Learning. Elements of a Good Lesson Plan PPT for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
• DIFFERENTIATION
and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy
of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by

FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
• ASSESSMENT
Reis font by Marcelo Reis Melo via Free Goodies for Designers is licensed under CC0
• MATERIALS
Doable
Observable
What is it? Things to consider

What will students learn in • describes what will happen during the • when is the best time to do an activity?
this lesson? Measurable lesson, the order in which it happens,
• what is a logical but meaningful way to
and how you will transition between
→ Knowledge activities and to the next lesson
organize the lesson?
→ Skills
→ Awareness
→ Language Warm-up Introduction Presentation 1+ activities Evaluation Application
Participants will be able to describe the six key Direct guidance from Learners have more
elements of a good lesson plan. teacher independence

Surface-level memorization This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by
Higher-level interactions
FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning & identification tasks FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
with lesson material
pair work individual work group work
Yoga by StockSnap and Stopwatch by OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay are licensed under CC0 1.0 “Untitled” by greenspc, “Untitled” by alfakurnia and “Untitled” by ArtsyBee via Pixabay are licensed under CC0 1.0
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by
FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
Student Learning Overall Lesson

• comprehension questions • leave time at the end for feedback
• short presentation • space to take notes on lesson plan
• drills
• short quiz
• written assignment
• group activity
“books - lineart” by frankes and “Document” by Andy via Openclipart are licensed under CC0; Pencil by OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay is licensed under CC0 1.0
Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of
6 elements of a good Next steps educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain.
lesson plan New York: David McKay Company.
• Objectives • Review these concepts and take a Center for Applied English Language Acquisition. (2007). The CAELA guide for adult ESL trainers.
comprehension quiz Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
• Timing
• Think about why these six elements Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English: an introduction to the practice of English language
• Sequencing teaching. Harlow: Pearson Longman.
should be included in a lesson plan
• Differentiation Li, W., & Zou, W. (2017). A study of EFL teacher expertise in lesson planning. Teacher and Teacher
Education, 231-241.
• Assessment
Murray, B. (2002). The new teacher’s complete sourcebook: Grades K-4. Scholastic.
• Materials SIT Graduate Institute. (2012). Lesson planning support.
© 2017 by World Learning. “Elements of a Good Lesson Plan” for the

AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and
administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy

Unit 5: Elements of a Good Lesson Plan – Follow-on Quiz
This quiz tests your understanding of the text “Elements of a Good Lesson Plan”
and your ability to apply the ideas from the text to relevant examples. For each
item, choose the correct answer. Choose your answers carefully; no partial credit
is given for answers.
You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback
that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
Gina Asalon is
licensed under CC BY
4.0
Unit 5: Planning to Teach Culture

Now that we have looked at the elements of a good lesson plan, let’s focus in a little bit more on our
specific teaching-learning goals. In this lesson, we will look at how we can prepare a lesson focused on
teaching culture. Read the following guidelines below. The quiz that follows will give you the
opportunity to apply these guidelines to culture lessons.
Objectives
As with any lesson, we need first to be clear on our objectives. What do we want our students to learn?
To help you define your objectives for your lessons on culture, consider which of the 5 dimensions of
culture learning (Frank, 2013) you want your students to learn about:
• The self as a cultural being

• Elements of culture
• Intercultural phenomena (cultural-general learning)
• Particular cultures
• Acquiring strategies for culture learning
Many scholars argue that helping learners understand themselves as cultural beings is an essential first
step in developing intercultural competence (Bennett, 2015). Frank (2013) suggests several questions
that can guide this kind of lesson, including, “What symbols are prevalent in our culture?” (p. 3).
The 3 Ps Model (See Unit 1) can help inform a lesson
about elements of culture. Using the iceberg metaphor, learners
can explore surface elements of a culture (products) and
compare these to sub-surface and deep culture elements
(practices and perspectives).
Lessons covering intercultural phenomena can be rich

opportunities for exploring intercultural encounters. Keep in
mind that such encounters do not necessarily involve
international travel; they could instead involve online encounters
or the meeting of representatives from two different (micro-)
cultures within the same city.
“iceberg” by lmproux via Openclipart is
Studying particular cultures can be enhanced when framed by
licensed under CC0
some of the concepts we explored in Unit 4 including symbolic
meaning, high- versus low-context cultures, monochronic versus polychronic cultures, and individualism
versus collectivism.
The fifth dimension of culture learning is acquiring strategies for culture learning (learning to learn). As
you prepare a lesson on this, you might want to look again at Frank’s characterization of interculturally
competent learners (see also Byram, 1997). One of the characterizations is:
“An understanding of social practices and products in both one’s own culture and the target
culture” (Frank, 2013, p. 6).
How can we turn this into a learning objective, describing observable and measurable behaviors? As it is
written above, it is too broad. We would want to narrow our focus to one or two specific social practices
or products. One possibility could be,
“Describe and compare wedding rituals in your country and in the United States.”
Sequencing
After you have determined the learning objectives for a lesson, you must decide on the activities that
will lead you to this goal. Just as with language lessons, culture lessons should proceed from simpler
activities that provide students with ample support, to more open-ended activities in which students
apply what they have learned.
Timing
Culture lessons almost always take longer than teachers expect, especially for teachers who have less
experience teaching culture lessons. Try to be as realistic in your timing as possible. You are very likely to
find that students are so enthusiastic about the topic, they all want to say a lot. Think about how you
will find an opportunity for all students to share their ideas with someone – this might be a great
opportunity for small group or pair work.
Differentiation
A variety of interaction styles (individual versus
group work, for example) is one way to
address different students’ learning styles,
needs, and interests. Your students will come
into a culture lesson with different previous
experiences. Giving them the opportunity to
share their personal experiences and allowing
for more than one type of contribution in class
are ways you can turn their differences into an
advantage.
Assessment
Comprehension quizzes can be appropriate "Jefferson City students educate the public about the
forms of assessment when it comes to factual Constitution" by KOMUnews via Flickr is licensed under CC BY
2.0
knowledge. For other aspects of a culture
lesson, you are likely to want to use a rubric. These can be used effectively with oral presentations
(individual or group), as well as writing assignments, and even dramatic and visual representations.
Materials
Try to be creative in finding a way for your students to experience culture through multiple senses. You
probably cannot offer them a full, authentic meal to introduce them to international cuisine, but look for
small ways to engage their senses. Perhaps you can let them taste a tea from another country, smell a
soap bought abroad, touch a coin from elsewhere, or watch and then try a popular dance from far away.
Experiences that engage multiple senses can be extremely motivating for learners.
References
(This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public or Creative
Bennett, M. (2015). The Sage encyclopedia of intercultural competence. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon, UK: Mul-
tilingual Matters.
2-35.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Planning to Teach Culture. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Planning to Teach Culture Presentation Slides

• Acquiring strategies for learning about culture
© 2017 by World Learning. Elements of a Good Lesson Plan: Planning to Teach Culture PPT for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/


Reis font by Marcelo Reis Melo via Free Goodies for Designers is licensed under CC0
• The self as a cultural being • The self as a cultural being

Helping learners understand themselves as The 3 Ps Model can help inform a lesson
cultural beings is an essential first step in about elements of culture.
developing intercultural competence.
Learners can explore surface elements of a culture

(products) and compare these to sub-surface & deep
“What symbols are prevalent in our culture?”
culture elements (practices and perspectives).
“Iceberg” by Improulx via Openclipart are licensed under CC0
• The self as a cultural being • The self as a cultural being
• Elements of culture • Elements of culture
• Intercultural phenomena (cultural-general learning) • Intercultural phenomena (cultural-general learning)
Lessons covering intercultural phenomena can be Studying particular cultures can be enhanced
rich opportunities for exploring intercultural when framed by some of the concepts covered
encounters. in Unit 1.
Lessons could involve online encounters or the Symbolic meaning, high- versus low-context
meeting of representatives from two different cultures, monochronic versus polychronic cultures,
(micro-)cultures within the same city. individualism versus collectivism

• Acquiring strategies for cultural learning
Look again at Frank’s characterization of

interculturally competent learners.
“An understanding of social practices and products

in both one’s own culture and the target culture.”
“Describe and compare wedding rituals in your
country and the United States.” “Untitled” by NgoHuuMoi via Pixabayis licensed under CC0 “Untitled” by andros1234 via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
Students will
Be realistic in Small group/
likely have a
your timing pair work
lot to say
“tea-pot” by donchico, “soap” by jarda, “Japanese edo coin” by yamachem, and “Belarus Folk Dancers” by j4p4n via Openclipart are licensed under CC0
“Student writing”, “homework”, “teacher”, “pencil”, and “Eye” by Improulx via Openclipartare licensed under CC0
Rubric
“Untitled” by Lily Lvnatikk via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
Bennett, M. (2015). The Sage encyclopedia of intercultural competence. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon,

UK: Multilingual Matters. © 2017 by World Learning. “Planning to Teach Culture” for the AE E-
Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and
Frank, J. (2013). Raising cultural awareness in the English language classroom. English Teaching
administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative
Forum, 2-35.
Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy


Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Culture – Follow-on Quiz
This quiz checks your comprehension of the text “Planning to Teach Culture.” Many
of the questions ask you take concepts from the text and apply them to elements
that come from real lesson plans. Choose your answers carefully; no partial credit is
given for answers.
You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that
you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
Gina Asalon is
4.0
Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking

In this round of discussing good lesson planning, we are going to focus on how we can teach critical
thinking. As before, after the video/reading, there will be a quiz to check your understanding and ability
to apply these concepts to examples.
Objectives
When we set learning objectives, we generally have in mind specific content and
information that students will be working with. Since critical thinking involves thinking
processes that could be applied to any subject area, critical thinking processes might at
first seem too abstract to describe as observable behavior. Instead of being a
restriction, however, the fact that critical thinking is not specific to any particular topic
can free us to include critical thinking exercises in almost every area that we teach.
So, first you choose the subject area that you will be examining with your students as
you also teach critical thinking skills. In our case, we will combine it with culture. We
want our students to be critical thinkers as they learn about other cultures. Let’s review
some of the descriptions of critical thinking that we saw in Unit 2 and consider the
kinds of activities that can support them.
“Statue from Palenque”
by Firkin via Openclipart
#1 Critical thinking examines assumptions. How can we get our students to examine assumptions? One
way to explicitly teach them about assumptions that exist in their culture and in cultures that are
different from theirs. A good opportunity for this is by explaining and exploring contrasts between high-
and low-context cultures, or between monochronic and polychronic cultures, or between individualist
and collectivist cultures.
#2 Critical thinking distinguishes fact from opinion. Activities that get learners to distinguish fact from
opinion, and observations from interpretations, are excellent exercises in the development of critical
thinking.
#3 Critical thinking is a process. It develops over time and cannot happen as the result of just one lesson.
As teachers, we should strive to include critical thinking objectives frequently in our lessons and build off
of previous learning moments.
Sequencing
Sequencing is particularly important in teaching critical thinking. Because critical thinking is thinking that
is more careful than normal, teachers really have to break activities down into small, achievable parts,
and slowly build up to more advanced thinking.
Timing
This is another extremely important element to teaching critical thinking. Critical thinking is careful and
deep thinking. Thinking carefully and deeply takes time. You cannot cover a topic quickly and
superficially and expect students to have deep insights. Make sure you give your students enough time
to “digest” the lesson. Generally speaking, you will have to have fewer activities in your critical thinking
lesson plans, in order to give sufficient time to every step.
Differentiation
As we saw in the text “What Is Critical
Thinking?”, some of the most effective
techniques for teaching critical thinking
are discussion, the use of small groups,
and problem-based tasks. Discussion and
small group activities allow each person
in the group to make a unique
contribution. As you prepare the
instructions and the forms of assessment
that you will use in your lesson, look for
ways of allowing different group
members to contribute in their own
unique way, while still holding everyone
accountable to the same assessment
standards. "Ryerson Classroom" by Quest Language Studies via Flickr is licensed under
Public Domain Mark 1.0
Problem-based tasks challenge students
to think in creative ways. A key to the success of a problem-based task is to make sure that the problems
are interesting and relevant to the students. Offering students a choice of topics is one way to make
sure that everyone is working on a problem that is interesting and relevant to them.
Assessment
Given the complexity of critical thinking tasks, you are likely to need a rubric for grading these tasks.
Giving students a copy of the rubric ahead of time will help them learn how you define critical thinking
and what you expect of your students. Critical thinking often requires creativity and responses that are
unique to each learner. Therefore, the way you describe successful completion of a task needs to be
written in a way that can apply to a variety of responses. To give you some ideas, here are some
items that you might consider including on your next rubric for assessing critical thinking:
• I explore a wide range of information, so as to consider multiple perspectives.

• When I read articles, I check their sources so that I can know how reliable they are.
• I can distinguish my interpretations from my observations.
• I listen to my partners’ ideas and show respect, even if we have different thoughts.
• I can connect and relate ideas clearly and in a concise manner.
Critical thinking is a process, and tasks and expectations should fit the students you are working with.
Your lesson objectives and expectations need to meet your students at their current level of
development.
Materials
To help our students improve their critical
thinking skills, we need to show them how
critical thinking connects to their lives and the
things that they care about. We need to show
them that critical thinking is not just an
abstract concept, but plays an important role
in our everyday lives. One way to do that is to
this is to engage multiple senses. That is, try
not to limit critical thinking lessons to reading
text only; try to include images, sounds, and
maybe even smells and tastes (remember the
soap and tea from the last reading). Get them
up and moving. For example, have them do "Untitled" by Akhil Chandran via Unsplash is licensed under
role plays and then discuss their reactions. CC0
Lessons that engage students’ senses can use
the simplest of materials, while going a far way in motivating students and helping them make
connections between what we are teaching them and their lived experiences.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking Presentation Slides
“World Map” and “Rosa Parks” by j4p4n, “Quadratic Formula” by jhnri4, “science” by minduka, “Statue from Palenque” by Firkin, “Brass Scales of Justice
CRITICAL THINKING COULD BE APPLIED TO
ANY SUBJECT AREA
MEDICINE
Silhouette” and “Caduceus Silhouette” by GDJ via Openclipart are licensed under CC0
PLANNING TO TEACH CRITICAL THINKING
CULTURE
LAW
© 2017 by World Learning. Elements of a Good Lesson Plan PPT for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This
work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning MATH

Reis font by Marcelo Reis Melo via Free Goodies for Designers is licensed under CC0 FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
“Untitled” by David Amsler via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0; “Untitled” by Greg Rakozy via Unsplash is licensed under CC0; all drawings by Gina Asalon and are
“Untitled” by David Amsler via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0; “Untitled” by Greg Rakozy via Unsplash is licensed under CC0; all drawings by Gina Asalon and are
CRITICAL THINKING EX AMINES ASSUMPTIONS CRITICAL THINKING EX AMINES ASSUMPTIONS
HOW CAN W E GET OUR STUDENTS TO

EXAMINE ASSUMPTIONS?
One way is to explicitly teach them about assumptions in their

culture and in cultures different from theirs.
licensed under CC BY 4.0
CRITICAL THINKING DISTINGUISHES FACT CRITICAL THINKING IS A PROCESS
FROM OPINION
ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY

“Mark Wahlberg 2011 Shankbone” by David Shankbone via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
FACT OPINION
He is the highest paid He is the best actor in
actor in Hollywood. Hollywood.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2017/
08/22/full-list-the-worlds-highest-paid-actors-and-
actresses-2017/#4405f4f93751
TIME
“Untitled” by Ben White and “Untitled” by GoaShape via Unsplash arelicensed under CC0; “Ryerson Classroom” by Quest Language Studies via Flicker is
“Presentation” by Improulx via Openclipart are licensed under CC0; Dialogue bubbles and Question mark by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0
EX AMPLE:
In a cultural studies course, the ultimate goal is to get students to
explore the concept “freedom of speech”.
Start simple: think about the Look at real world examples: find Start asking deeper questions:
concept “freedom of an example of a person or group what if those people or groups
licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0
speech”.What does that of people who express opinions are inciting violence with their
concept mean to you? very different from yours. Do words. Do they still have the
you believe they also have the right to freedom of speech?Is
right to freedom of speech? freedom of speech unconditional
or does (should) it have
boundaries? This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by
“College Student Leadership- Buffalo State College Executive Board (83)” by Michael Cardus and “15 Waverley Community Garden” by d-olwen-dee via
Flickr are licensed under CC BY 2.0; “Classroom activity” by Quest Language Studies via Flicker is licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0; “PELTA” by Kara
RUBRIC
I explore a wide When I read I can distinguish I listen to my I can connect
range of articles, I check my partners’ ideas and relate ideas
information, so their sources so interpretations and show clearly and in a
as to consider that I can know from my respect, even if concise manner.
multiple how observations. we have
perspectives. reliable they different
are. thoughts.
Very good
Good
Adequate
McBride is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Inadequate
RUBRIC
RUBRIC
I explore a wide range of When I read articles, I check
information, so as to consider their sources so that I can
multiple perspectives. know how reliable they are.
RUBRIC
RUBRIC
I can distinguish my I listen to my partners’ ideas
interpretations from my and show respect, even if we
observations. have different thoughts.
“Ukelele” by sutulo, “Maasai tribe” by 12019 via Pixabay and “Untitled” by Akhil Chandran via Unsplash are licensed under CC0; “israel kamakawiwo’ole-
alone in iz world” by CHRIS DRUMM, “Spirited Away – cover” by Amal FM via Flickr and “Ebru Calismasi” by Cesko Turecko via Wikipedia Commons are
RUBRIC
• How critical thinking connects to their lives

I can connect and relate ideas • Not just an abstract concept
clearly and in a concise • Plays an important role in our everyday lives
manner.
KINETIC
“Ukelele” by sutulo, “Maasai tribe” by 12019 via Pixabay and “Untitled” by Akhil Chandran via Unsplash are licensed under CC0; “israel kamakawiwo’ole-
Adumu (jumping dance)

alone in iz world” by CHRIS DRUMM, “Spirited Away – cover” by Amal FM via Flickr and “Ebru Calismasi” by Cesko Turecko via Wikipedia Commons are
(Tanzania)
VISUAL
Hayao Miyazaki film
TACTILE
Ebru (paper marbeling) (Japan)
(Turkey)
© 2017 by World Learning. “Planning to Teach Critical Thinking” for the

AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and
AUDITORY administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative
Ukelele,Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy
CD (Hawai’i)


OLFACTORY
FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning Spices (India)
Unit 5: Lesson Plans on Critical Thinking – Follow-on Quiz
This quiz tests your comprehension of the text “Planning to Teach Critical Thinking”
and your ability to apply those concepts to examples. You must score at least 70%
on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the module. For this quiz, that
means that you must score at least 4 out of the 5 points. You may take the quiz as
many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after each
attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
Gina Asalon is <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>
4.0
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1a

In this video, Andy Noonan tells us about a successful lesson that he did that explored culture and
engaged participants' critical thinking. As he tells his story, he makes reference to the "Cultural
Knowings" Framework (Moran, 2001), shown below.
[Video available online for viewing. Transcript provided below.]
Transcript
Dr. Kara McBride: Hello, everybody! You may remember me from the first video, the introductory video,
and also last unit both of us were talking about the depth of reflection rubric. Well, Andy Noonan here,
let me tell you more about him. He is one of the teacher trainers for World Learning and before he was
at World Learning, he worked in a number of different countries teaching English as a foreign language:
Japan for a really long time, Russia, Taiwan, he also taught English in the United States. He’s also an
expert on teaching culture. He’s given talks about it and all these things. So, I asked him to tell us today
about a really cool lesson on teaching culture in an EFL class. So, Andy, why don’t you tell us about that
class.
Andy Noonan: Thank you, Kara! What
I’m going to tell you about today is a
lesson I often do kind of to begin the
conversation on teaching culture, the
beginning conversation on culture with
any sort of students I’ve had probably
high school and above, intermediate and
above in level. This particular time was
one of the first times I did it and I was
doing it as a demonstration lesson for a
number of Russian teachers that I was
working with in Kazan. I think there were
about eight teachers in the room and
kind of a simple cultural element as a
“Untitled” by Danill Silantev via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
piece of culture that you can easily take
out of any culture and analyze and find a lot deep meaning in is the way people greet each other. You
know, young people greet each other differently than older people, or a young person and an old person
greeting each other is a different thing. And each culture, each country has its own way of greeting each
other and we can pull a lot of information out of that, which is kind of surprising because it seems like
kind of the most natural thing that we all do.
So how I set this up is I had two teachers - and I can just pick these at random, I can pick out any two
people, hopefully from the same culture. So what I did was I chose two teachers who were about 30
years old, women, married, mothers, and I had them give the greeting that they would do on a Monday
morning after not having seen each other since teaching on Friday. I have them stand up in front of the
class and then translate their Russian greeting word-for-word into English while the rest of the class sits
back and basically just takes notes on what they hear and what they see. So these two teachers got up
and the first one, Nadia, says to Alina, “Good morning, how are you?” And Alina says, “Ah, Nadia, I’m
not doing well. I was at home all weekend long grading papers and my husband didn’t do a thing. I still
had to do the cooking, I still had to do the cleaning, and my kids were just off-the-wall. I don’t know if
they had too much sugar. How about you?” And her friend says, “Oh, I understand completely. My
weekend was awful. I was having to prepare for this test today, so I spent all day at the kitchen table
writing this test. I didn’t even see my husband until Sunday night. He was off playing soccer all weekend
long. And my oldest daughter is sick, so I’m also having to take care of her.” And I’m sitting there – this is
truthful – I’m sitting there just kind of in shock because I feel that a lot of my stereotypes about the
Russian culture have just been confirmed. We’ll get to that in a second.
Now, what they do is, you’ll see on the box (shown on the next page), is in box number one I have the
two teachers that participated in this demonstration, then talk about what they did. They talk about
what did they say, where did they stand, how did they touch each other, what kind of eye contact, so we
can draw all those details out. And next, we turn it to the audience. What did the audience see? And I
maybe have them work in pairs, write down the dialogue that they heard, any key phrases that they
heard, and any initial reactions they might have had to this. Once we get those details out, we share
with the group what those details are as if it were a listening lesson. Then we move to box number
three, which is the interpretation. We talk about how you can explain this from the insider’s view, why
did you do the things that you did? From the outsider’s perspective, I was the only true outsider in the
room as a 40-year-old American. My reaction, what I saw was this really dark, negative, and full of
complaints greeting for a Monday morning. And like I said about the stereotypes, I mean, let’s be
truthful, that some of the stereotypes we have about Russia is that man, it’s cold, and it’s dark, and
there’s snow on the ground, and this has kind of shaped the Russian character.
So I’m sitting there kind of not saying much about this. I mean, I do describe this, I do describe that this
is how I saw it. But then we turn it over to the insiders...
(To be continued!)
Cultural Knowings Framework
1 2
Knowing How participation Knowing About description
What did you say? What happened?
What did you do? What did you see or hear?
How did you do it? What are the details?
Was it appropriate?
Knowing Oneself response Knowing Why interpretation

What do you think? What does it mean?
How do you feel? How can you explain it?
How does this affect you? What are the insider’s perspectives?
What do you do next? What are the outsider’s perspectives?
What more do you need to know? How does this compare with your
culture/other cultures?
4 3
Adapted from Moran, P. Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Heinle ELT, 2001
Also see: http://strewthyness.wordpress.com/
© 2017 by World Learning. Cultural Knowings Framework for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work
is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Reference
(This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public Domai n or Creative
Moran, P. (2001). Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle/Thomson Learning.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Sample Lesson Plan #1a. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1a – Follow-on Quiz
Answer the following questions about the first half of Andy’s story about his culture
lesson. You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue
in the module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at least 3 out of
4 points. Choose your answers carefully; no partial credit is given for answers. You
may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you
receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
Gina Asalon is
4.0
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1b

Ready to hear the rest of what happened during Andy's lesson on culture?
Transcript
Andy Noonan: But then we turn it over to the insiders and why did they do it, from their value system
and their beliefs. And the first woman says, “Well, I know my friend has a very hard life, and I know she’s
busy, and I know she’s got a heavy teaching load, so I don’t want to say ‘Oh, everything’s great with me’
because if I did, it’ll make her feel bad.” And her friend mirrored the same thing. She said the exact same
thing, that I know she’s got a hard life, and I know her husband doesn’t help a lot, and I know she’s got
all this stuff to do, so again, if I said “Oh, I’m fine”, it’s going to make her feel bad. So, it comes out that
it’s not just this empty complaint. What it is is they’re taking care of each other. And they’re making sure
that by expressing what they did on the weekend is helping that person to feel better. It’s showing
empathy, it’s showing sympathy that we’re in this hard life together. And I was just shocked by this.
Through teaching culture – I’ve been doing this for years – this is the one moment where really the
blinds were lifted on all all of my stereotypes just like that because here I see that this can probably be
extended to many other stereotypes that I have about this culture or other cultures. Here’s this thing
I’ve seen that I automatically judged as negative and dark is actually super caring and super deep and
warm, which was a big moment for me.
Cultural Knowings Framework
1 2
Knowing How participation Knowing About description
What did you say? What happened?
What did you do? What did you see or hear?
How did you do it? What are the details?
Was it appropriate?
Knowing Oneself response Knowing Why interpretation

What do you think? What does it mean?
How do you feel? How can you explain it?
How does this affect you? What are the insider’s perspectives?
What do you do next? What are the outsider’s perspectives?
What more do you need to know? How does this compare with your
culture/other cultures?
4 3
Adapted from Moran, P. Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Heinle ELT, 2001
Also see: http://strewthyness.wordpress.com/
© 2017 by World Learning. Cultural Knowings Framework for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work
is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
So this is what we get from box number three. We can then talk about other cultures. I mean, I could
talk about my time in Japan, my time in Taiwan and how they had reacted. The other students in the
room can share what they have seen, they have a lot of experience in European countries and in the
Caucasuses and things like that. So we can talk about other cultures, and maybe what this means for
those cultures. If they saw something strange in another culture’s greetings, maybe we can try to lift the
blinds on those just through these discussions we were having.
After box number three, we move to box number four. We talk about “how do I feel now that I’ve had
this realization?” I was very forthcoming that my mind was blown and I from that moment, I had a
different view of the people I was working with and the country I was living in. I’m glad this happened
very soon after coming to Russia!
Kara McBride: Yeah, good timing!
AN: It didn’t happen the last two weeks, it happened very early for me. And then also things like “what
more do you need to know?” So, what questions do I have?
KM: But a question for you, Andy, you had a big realization, but everyone else was from Russia, so did
any of them also have that?
AN: Great question. Absolutely, they did. A lot of them, as they were watching this, and then they heard
me explain how it looked like from the outside, they found themselves agreeing me. They hadn’t seen
that before because it’s their greeting, it’s something that’s natural to them. It’s just part of their
dialogue and they’ve never seen it judged from the outside. They could see, “Oh, wow. Maybe we do
sound a little dark. Maybe it does sound like we complain a lot.” But through the paired discussion and
through the discussions on the insider’s perspective, they all agreed that this is a thing they do to take
care of the other person. So, it reaffirmed that this is a sympathetic thing and it’s kind of a heartwarming
thing. And actually, I think it ended up – because they could articulate it for the first time, because
nobody’s talked about their greetings before – they’ve articulated it for the first time, but they end up
coming out with a deeper understanding of their own culture, but some sort of pride that what they’re
doing in their culture is an expression of warmth and caring and not what maybe the outsiders think of
them. So they came out, I think, in a better place and a better understanding, which hopefully we can
apply to other cultures moving forward.
KM: Yeah, that sounds really good. I have just one more question, I know we’ve been talking for a while.
In a lesson like this, where it’s just discussion, how do you assess if the lesson’s been successful?
AN: I think, for one, because this is critical thinking, because we’re asking people to really dig deep and
make their own interpretations, I’m not going to expect everyone to have reached kind of this goal line
and have this kind of epiphany that I had. I think because we started with paired discussions and they
were able to talk about the details, they were able to talk about the outsider’s perspectives together
before sharing, that they’d already done some deep thinking. And they’d already reached sort of a
certain point. When we came back together and shared – I mean, with teaching culture, I don’t think
there’s one direct, clear, yes/no answer. We talk about some of the metaphors, but I’ve gotten a little
information here, a little information here, and a little information here, and some from here, and
together that makes the answer. So, as a classroom, I could assess, well, everyone in the room has
jumped up a little bit. Maybe we are not all open-minded world citizens now, but I think we’ve started
the conversation and this is something that would need to happen in class kind of consistently for there
to be real progress. As a language lesson, I saw lots of great language output.
KM: Yeah, so you were doing lots of things all at the same time with that lesson.
AN: Yeah!
KM: Well, great, Andy! Thank you so much!
AN: Thank you!
KM: See you later!
Reference
Moran, P. (2001). Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle/Thomson Learning.
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Sample Lesson Plan #1b. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #1b – Follow-on Quiz
Answer these questions about the rest of the culture lesson that Andy described.
Choose your answers carefully; no partial credit is given for answers. You must score
at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC in order to continue in the module. For this
quiz, that means that you must score at least 4 out of 5 points. You may take the
quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback that you receive after
each attempt. Your grade will be your highest score.
Gina Asalon is
licensed under CC BY <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>
4.0
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #2

Let's now explore some lessons about culture and critical thinking in another context -- this time, India --
and at another grade level -- this time, 4th grade. Please watch the video (7:36) and/or read the
transcript as Aishwarya Khurana tells us about some lessons she did with her students. Some of the
lessons were pre-planned, while others emerged unplanned from other activities in class.
Transcript
Dr. Kara McBride: Hello! In this second video about lesson planning, we’re going to talk to Aishwarya
Khurana, who is an intern here at World Learning. And she was before an EFL teacher. So, can you tell
us, Aishwarya, what was the teaching context, who were your students, and what were you teaching?
Aishwarya Khurana: Back in India I was teaching at a private school and I was dealing with fourth
graders and I was teaching them English as a foreign language.
KM: Okay, and you told me a great story about a time when some issues of critical thinking and culture
came up in your class. Could you tell our MOOC participants your story, too?
AK: Yeah! So, there was this day when I was dealing with a story composition and I paired up the whole
class and I asked them to compose a story while working in those pairs. And something weird happened,
something surprising to me. There was this guy and he told me, “I don’t want to work with this girl
because she’s a Muslim, and Muslims are bad.” In India, there’s a huge Hindu-Muslim divide and that
was how it came up. I knew that I had to deal with it because if it’s happening in grade four, it’s going to
persistently come up in the future also. So I thought of dealing with it right then and right there. And I
told those two people to stop the work and sit in the corner and maybe talk to each other. Talk about
things that they like, things that they do, things they don’t like, then come to me after 15 minutes, or 10
or 15 minutes. After a few minutes, I called both of them and I asked them to share their experience
with the class and maybe tell them what they learned about each other. I knew that this was going to
happen, so this boy, he told me that there are a few things that are common between them, both of
them liked to play the same games, both of them liked to watch the same cartoons, both of them do
some similar things like going grocery shopping with their mothers. And there were a few things that
were different, too, like they celebrate different festivals in a different way, they like different subjects,
they have different preferences and food habits and other things. So, I asked them, “What did you learn
about each other and what do you think about the activity?” and that’s when he told me “I was thinking
that we both are different, but in a lot of aspects, we both are similar and there are just a few things
that are different, like religion, food habits, and certain preferences. But more or less we are similar.”
So, that’s when I realized that when we

are teaching, we sometimes don’t expect
certain things to happen, but they just
happen and in those moments, we have to
make sure that, as a teacher, we address
those issues right then and right there at
that very moment.
KM: That’s great! That’s great that you

noticed that. These were big classes, too,
right?
AK: Yeah, so most of the Indian classes

have teacher-pupil ratio of 1:40… so I had
around 40 kids in my class.
KM: Wow. And so that was something that "Untitled" by Chelsea Aaron via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
just came up.
AK: Yeah, it just came up and then I realized that maybe I didn’t prepare for it and next time when I’m
preparing my lesson plans, I should focus on these aspects, these certain things, too. And right after the
class was over, I went and discussed this matter with other teachers and we just focused on bringing
these issues up when we are planning our lessons. After that incident, there were a few chapters on
sports, and in those chapters, I raised issues like – I deliberately posed questions like “’I feel girls are
better players and maybe boys are better at cooking’, so what do you think about it?” I used to pose
these random questions so these could spark some discussion in the classroom. And without even me
answering those questions, the students, they come up with their experiences and their own thoughts
and perspectives and they form their own opinion about it.
KM: That sounds wonderful, but did you ever encounter students arguing when you did that kind of
thing?
AK: Yeah, I think they argued a lot and they are kids, so as an adult, you might understand somebody’s
perspective, but they are kids, so it’s a little tough for them to understand that people are different from
them. But when they’re bringing their own personal experiences, like a number of times a few kids were
like “My father also cooks and my mother also plays with me.” So that is when you can easily – instead
of me telling them those things, like my father cooks and my mother plays badminton with me – when
the kids bring those things during those discussions, it makes more sense that they are more inclined to
associate with it. That’s why I encourage discussions and bringing these issues up. They don’t fight,
essentially, they just discuss things from their own perspectives. At the end of the day, they just agree
with each other. Most of the time.
KM: Wow, that sounds like a great practice. But how did you manage to add in these extra discussions
when you had some other curriculum that you had to deal with?
AK: As a language teacher I am also aware of what’s happening in the class, what other subjects they are
dealing with and what are the topics going on in those classes – like social studies, when they are talking
about festivals, I can bring those discussions up; in math, if something is happening which is related to
me or maybe in Hindi language because in India I was dealing with English and there were teachers who
were dealing with Hindi. So, if there are certain chapters that they are dealing with and certain issues
that can be dealt with in those chapters, either I discuss with those teachers “If I am dealing with it in my
classroom, maybe you can deal with the same topic in your classroom” or maybe “If there’s something
in your chapter that’s important to me…” If we just share those things and I deliberately bring those
discussions up in the classroom.
KM: That’s a great idea to coordinate like that and I can see the connections between the topics. And
how about, you know, you’ve got these 40 students and they’re all different, and how do you address all
of the different students’ needs and where they are?
AK: I think it’s really important for us to begin from the primary classes and let children know that all of
them are not the same and there are a few differences: gender-based differences, religion-based
differences. So whenever I’m grouping children, I just focus on, even though it’s random, I just make
sure that a boy is working with a girl, so every time the groups won’t be same or the pairs won’t be
same. I just focus on if the last time this boy was working with this girl, next time he might work with
somebody else. While taking into consideration different levels of learning, gender, and all these
different things, I just group the kids.
KM: That sounds like a lot of really great practices. So, thank you very much, Aishwarya, for sharing your
story with us!
AK: Thank you. Thank you so much.
KM: Goodbye!
To cite this page:

World Learning. (2018). Sample Lesson Plan #2. In “Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the
Unit 5: Sample Lesson Plan #2 – Follow-on Quiz
Answer the following 9 questions about the culture and critical thinking lessons that
Aishwarya described in the interview. Choose your answers carefully; no partial
credit is given for answers. You must score at least 70% on each quiz in this MOOC
in order to continue in the module. For this quiz, that means that you must score at
least 7 out of 10 points. You may take the quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to
read the feedback that you receive after each attempt. Your grade will be your
highest score.
Gina Asalon is
4.0 <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>
Unit 5: End-of-Course Diagnostic

This is a questionnaire to find out about your experience in
this course. There are no right or wrong answers, and this
questionnaire is not graded. Just give the answer that
describes you and your experiences. There are 20 multiple-
choice questions, plus a space for additional comments if you
want. You can only submit your answers once. We
appreciate your help in answering this survey!

"Untitled" by Delaney Dawson via Unsplash
Unit 5: Next Steps and Farewells (optional discussion)
We've reached the end, fellow MOOC participants. It's been
a great journey. Before you go, please use this space to
address the following question:
What is the most important lesson that you learned

through this MOOC, and how are you going to implement
this in your classes?
When responding, please try to relate your response as

much as possible to the teaching of critical thinking and the
exploration of culture in an EFL setting.
Participants are encouraged to respond to other

participants' posts and continue the discussion.
Thank you all for your participation!
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licensed under CC0

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Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of

Culture in an EFL Setting

My name is Dr. Kara McBride, and I was

Now, let’s talk about the structure of this MOOC.

Overview of Unit 1: Orientation and Culture

This MOOC is flexible in terms of when and how often you

1. Take the background survey or “diagnostic” (25 minutes)

This questionnaire has 15 multiple-choice questions.

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Unit 1: Let's Introduce Ourselves (optional)

• Your name and what we can call you

<<This task can only be completed online.>>

Perspectives shape practices. Practices include the traditions

Food is often the first cultural product that people think of

Culture is strengthened through its expression. The more

Intercultural competence is not an all-or-nothing

Suggested Further Reading

To cite this page:

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Unit 1: Intercultural Encounters

[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]

This is why we spent some time in Module 3 looking at the difference

Gestures and actions take on symbolic meaning

The last major cultural difference that

Suggested Further Reading

Dalib, S. (2017). Probing intercultural competence in Malaysia: A Relational Framework. International

Galante, A. (2015). Intercultural communicative competence in English language teaching: towards

To cite this page:

Answer these 7 comprehension and application questions about “Intercultural

“Question mark” by <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Unit 1 Discussion: Intercultural Encounters (optional)

• Cultural meaning is symbolic

In your post, please address the following 2

1. How might you use one or more of these

<<This task can only be completed online.>>

“list / liste” by lmproulx is

Congratulations on making it to the end of Unit 1!

This discussion helps us see how culture touches every aspect of

collectivist----------------------------------------------individualist “Untitled” by Igor Ovsyannykov via Unsplash

These dimensions help us understand that

The unit ended with a self-assessment. The

1 Plural of the word “continuum”

<<This is the end of Unit 1.>>

Interculturality doesn’t come into play only on long trips

The activities are listed below, followed by approximate times

1. Watch a video or read about “What is Critical Thinking?” (30 minutes)

1. Critical thinking examines assumptions (Epstein,

2. Critical thinking is thinking that is free (as free as

To cite this page:

Unit 2: What is Critical Thinking? – Follow-on Quiz

B) Critical thinking is based on consistency.

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Let’s break this definition down so that we can understand it better.

…who possess a common… nonverbal

• the different aspects of our identities, and

Suggested Further Reading

To cite this page:

Module 2: Identities Wheel

To cite this page:

Unit 2: Identities Activity

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

[Video available online for viewing. Script below.]

• Counseling and training

2. Reflect before responding.