Think Tank Questions: Using Critical Thinking Skills

Think Tank Questions may be used to make constructive use of short instructional minutes. They also are an excellent journal activity. Not only do the questions provide a short practice or a quick drill, but they motivate students since they are enjoyable, offer variety, and increase interest. Think Tank Questions encourage students to use critical thinking skills such as inquiry and reasoning while urging them to gather information and assess answers based on their experience and/or prior knowledge.

This 16 page handout contains 46 sample questions. Answers are provided for those questions which have a specific answer. For most of the questions, the answers will vary based on a student's experience or prior knowledge. Most subject areas are included in the various questions, and they are appropriate for grades 3-6. These are excellent writing prompts and can be easily used for writing across the curriculum.

You may copy the whole page of questions; then cut them apart to distribute to your students. Depending on the grade level you teach, you might give the students just one question or as many as two or three at a time.