Critical thinking is important for lessons in classes for gifted and talented students. Since definitions of critical thinking are plentiful and varied, teachers must decide what behaviors are most productive in the classroom. One viable method to promote critical thinking through productive discussion is the Dixon-Hegelian method. This paper discusses the merits of this method and describes a classroom that used it. The teacher is introduced and her growth in allowing critical thinking to take place is described. This descriptive study was conducted in a combined 4th- and 5th-grade class of identified gifted students. The students were taught an integrated language arts and social studies unit using two major texts: The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Speare, 1986) and A Girl of the Limberlost (Porter, 1986).
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