Critical Thinking Course for Juniors

The objective of this course is to equip students with the right thought processes, tools, and challenges to develop a problem-solving mentality. The course provides a discourse on problem-solving tools such as heuristic thinking, boundary testing, imitation, symmetry, working backwards, and induction while doing puzzles that involve different types of reasoning (visual, lingual, and mathematical).

The course also provides the intuition behind popular mathematical concepts without technically jargonising them. Mathematical Reasoning quietly runs our world from GPS and telecommunications to weather forecasting and design . It sits behind AI systems, financial markets, architecture, rhythm of music, and even visual art. For example, Calculus helps explain motion and change. Algebra turns real life choices into models. Geometry shapes the cities we live in. Probability helps us understand uncertainty and risk. 

Critical Reasoning goes far beyond numbers. It is a blend of structure, logic, and creativity. Patterns like the Fibonacci sequence appear in nature, sea shells, fractals map coastlines, and prime numbers keep your data secure. The more deeply and laterally you understand reasoning, the clearer the world starts to make sense. This course is a genuine attempt to help children gain critical thinking and intuition as tools for problem-solving.

Problem 1:

There are three kitchen items A, B, and C. They need to be connected to the respective plugs a, ,b, and c. The wires or cables shouldn’t cross each other.

For example, if you connect the item C with the plug c directly as shown, then you cannot connect A or B with the respective plugs without having the cables crossed. So, think about it!

Problem 2:

Theos watch runs 10 minutes slow but he thinks it runs 5 minutes fast. Leo’s watch runs 5 minutes fast but he thinks it runs 10 minutes slow. Both check their own watch at the same time. Theo thinks it is 12:00 o’clock. What time does Leo think it is?

(A) 11:30     (B) 11:45     (C) 12:00     (D) 12:30     (E) 12:45

Problem 3:

There are six eggs in a basket. Six people each take one of the eggs. How can it be that one egg is left in the basket? 

Curriculum Approach:

The first step is to understand the problem. What is the unknown? What is known? And, how do we get a connection from the given data to the unknown.

Could we restate the problem differently? What are the tools that can be used such as derivation, generalization and heuristic thinking? What are the series of steps and how can those steps be followed simply?

Derived from the ideas of Bolzano, Polya, De Bono, and Sawyer, we put together a simple but comprehensive collection of works that challenge and inspire children into critical thinking and problem solving.

Often, every student needs to move away from what he or she is doing regularly, and do something that still involves the thinking faculties but to solve something completely different in different ways. This connects the dots of their learning in unexpected ways that help the child.

What does the child do on a class-class basis?

The child is introduced to different tools of applied thinking. And, the child uses those tools to his or her solutioning to plenty of problems. While doing so, the child comes to learn the nature and categories of problems, getting more and more acquainted with his or her thinking being challenged.

There is no guarantee that the child will learn this at the level desired but the student will connect the dots at their own level of application and understanding as it evolves in them. So, the benefits of such a course are more in the path than in the immediate results.

Just not a puzzle book!

The course is not just a book of puzzles. The course is designed to inculcate and bring about applied critical thinking from kids in not only mathematical terms but also spatial, visual, and lingual reasoning.

Why this course?

The pace of everything today doesn’t give too much scope for students to move out of the set path. While the set path is really important, it is also important to move away from it and occasionally apply your thinking on completely different challenges in a non-traditional non-academic way that can help in unique ways, almost like a Rorschach test of applied problem-solving skills.

Thank you for reading! 

You can book a free trial class at: https://unicminds.com/book-free-trial/

You may like to read: C Programming for Kids, The Mathematics of Sea Shells, & PSLE Math Questions for Practice