Abstract
One of the central purposes of education is not only to provide students with the information they need to face and understand the world around them, but also to provide the skills they need in order to analyze that world and manage the various types of issues and problems they will encounter. Considerable debate exists in education as to whether and how critical thinking should be taught and encouraged in schools. Among the many existing models of thinking, Paul's (1992) elements of reasoning stand out as a strong foundation for careful consideration of issues in and out of the classroom. The model represents a strong core of higher level thinking that can be embedded within content areas, especially language arts and social studies, so that students have the opportunity to recognize and assess their thinking processes as part of their central content, rather than as a disconnected piece unto itself. Applications of the model to specific learning activities in existing language arts curricula include questioning strategies, persuasive writing, and research.
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