Issue 120: Jan 17, 2011 Connections Newsletter

Extending Thinking in all Content Areas

Denise Burson
Jan 17, 2011

Why Use Extending Thinking Strategies?

The need to have students use Extending Thinking strategies is not a recent one. Education pundits have called for renewed interest in problem solving for years. As far back as 1967, Raths, Jonas, Rothstein and Wassermann (1967) decried the lack of emphasis on thinking in the schools. They noted that "...memorization, drill, homework, the three Rs and the quiet classroom" were rewarded, while "...inquiry, reflection and the consideration of alternatives were frowned upon."

Extending Thinking strategies are thinking strategies on a higher level than memorizing facts or telling something back to someone exactly the way that it was told to you. (Thorne) 

The underlying idea is that some types of learning require more cognitive processing than others. Extending Thinking is an assignment, activity or lesson that involves the learning of complex judgmental skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Through use of these strategies, students deepen their understanding of the content and generate new insights. This type of thinking is valuable because such strategies are more likely to be useable in everyday situations.

In our increasingly complex and specialized society, it is becoming even more imperative that individuals are capable of thinking divergently and creatively. It is also important that individuals see the relationships between seemingly diverse concepts.

Extending Thinking strategies can be used in all classrooms. Students are Extending Thinking when they:

• Categorize and classify information

• Explain the importance of information

• Look at information from multiple perspectives

• Draw conclusions from the information

• Compare and contrast the information to other content

• Find patterns in the information

• Use the information to make predictions

• Analyze errors in information

The need to have students use Extending Thinking strategies at all levels of education continues. But we should not rely on special courses and texts to do the job. Instead, every teacher should create questions, tasks and an atmosphere where students are encouraged to think deeply, question, engage in divergent thinking, look for relationships among ideas, and grapple with real life issues.

Extending Thinking to Deepen Understanding

Brenda Hill
Jan 17, 2011

In recent years there has been much educational research published on the importance of deepening students’ understanding of new knowledge, concepts, or skills through the implementation of Extending Thinking strategies or other higher level thinking skills. State assessments now include test items that require students to think beyond what is right there in order to accurately answer questions. As state assessment results are more closely monitored, analyzed, and test item data disaggregated, it is imperative to incorporate Extending Thinking strategies into classroom lessons, activities, tasks, and assignments. The consistent, pervasive use of Extending Thinking strategies throughout the year in every subject area not only improves student performance and increases academic achievement, but enables students to employ thought processes needed throughout life. Research shows the importance of teaching and using Extending Thinking strategies with students. As you consider doing so, ask…

How do you use Extending Thinking strategies to deepen your students’ understanding of standards-driven content? 

First, analyze the standards and identify the essential content for your grade level or subject area. Instructional time is valuable and you cannot possibly “extend” everything you need to teach. The focus must be on the consistent, pervasive use of Extending Thinking strategies for the essential content.

Second, develop lesson and unit plans that incorporate Extending Thinking strategies through Assessment Prompts, activities, or assignments. Typically, an essential learning unit will include 2-3 Extending Thinking activities or lessons.

Next, select Extending Thinking strategies that require students to think about the newly acquired knowledge and skills in a specific way at a higher level to deepen understanding of content. The top eight Extending Thinking strategies are:

• abstracting

• analyzing perspectives

• comparing/contrasting

• classifying/categorizing

• constructing support

• deductive reasoning

• inductive reasoning

• error analysis 

A graphic organizer is used for the assigned Extending Thinking activity/task to support and aid students in their thought process as their understanding of content is deepened. Additionally, consider developing a rubric for the task or activity and provid it to students outlining expectations, criteria, and scoring scale. 

Finally, the Extending Thinking strategy must be explicitly taught before students are asked to apply the strategy to content. Graphic organizers for the thinking strategy and the steps in the process for using the strategy should be specifically addressed. Once the Extending Thinking strategy has been taught, students can then be provided multiple opportunities to apply and use it correctly across the curriculum.

As you plan for, and develop, Extending Thinking activities and tasks for lessons or units, there are many times that more than one strategy could be used for a particular content area or for the determined topic. Purposefully and meaningfully choose the strategy that is the best fit to support retention of newly acquired knowledge and skills.  Below is an example of the process for choosing an Extending Thinking strategy and the thought processes involved.  

Lesson Essential Question:  How and why are animals classified? (Florida SC.3.L.15.1)

As I reflect on the Lesson Essential Question, "How and why are animals classified?", I begin to thoughtfully and purposefully plan a quality Acquisition Lesson based upon the question and the Assessments Prompts. I know that I want to deepen my students’ understanding of this concept as a result of my teaching. I will need to plan an Extending Thinking lesson to use after this Acquisition Lesson. So…which Extending Thinking strategy will best fit how I want students thinking about this content? I really want to stay focused on the physical characteristics and behaviors of each major animal group and how those determine classification. The table shows an example of an activity or task for each of the eight extending thinking strategies. I will not have time for students to complete an activity/task for each strategy, so I must choose the one most appropriate. I think I want to use error analysis because we have used this strategy frequently in math, but I have not had students apply the strategy to another content area. I want my students to apply the newly acquired knowledge about animal classification, and I want to deepen their understanding of this concept by having them determine errors in animal classification from the examples provided. The focus stays on behaviors and physical characteristics of animal groups. The next step will be to complete an Extending Thinking lesson plan for error analysis. I will not need to explicitly teach this strategy in an Acquisition Lesson because I have already taught it with my students before they began applying it in mathematics.

The implementation and selection process is now complete.

Extending Thinking Strategies	Examples:  Activities or Tasks
Abstracting	Present specific characteristics of one animal from one major group.  Students are then asked to use the abstracting graphic organizer to identify another animal with the same characteristics.
Analyzing Perspectives	Each student selects an animal they dislike.  After completing the analyzing perspectives graphic organizer the student develops an argument from the animal’s perspective or point of view about why it is likeable.
Classify/Categorize	Students are given several pictures of different animals from each major group and asked to sort and classify them by physical characteristics and behaviors. (Examples:  mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates, and invertebrates)
Compare/Contrast	Two animals are chosen – each with different physical characteristics, behaviors, animal group, etc.  Students compare and contrast the two animals on a graphic organizer then create a cartoon with a dialogue between the two explaining how they are alike and different.
Constructing Support	Assign each student or pair an animal group and gives the statement prompt:  The most important animal group is ____________.  Then the student or pair works to complete the graphic organizer to construct support for the animal group (reasons/facts).  Organizer is used as writing prompt for a persuasive essay.
Deductive Reasoning	Ask students to use deductive reasoning about why squids are invertebrates.
Error Analysis	Three examples of animals are given to students with physical characteristics, behaviors, etc.  Based upon the information received students must work to identify classification errors.
Inductive Reasoning	After studying the different major animal groups, pairs of students are presented with a particular animal and must use characteristics (clues, facts) of the animal to reach a generalization/conclusion about its animal group.

The beneficial reasons and positive implications for using Extending Thinking strategies across the curriculum answers:  How do you use Extending Thinking strategies to deepen your students’ understanding of standards-driven content?  Extending Thinking ranks as the number one strategy that positively impacts student achievement. Educational research and data proves the significance and importance of consistently and pervasively using Extending Thinking strategies to increase student performance and achievement.  State assessments now focus on students applying Extending Thinking thought processes to correctly answer and accurately respond to test questions. As you plan for and use Extending Thinking strategies with students, academic achievement across all disciplines will increase, and students will be equipped with thought processes required and needed for success throughout life.