Thinking Skills Strategies

1. Activating Higher Order Thinking Skills using
Means of Transportation
Nathan Hillery
American College of Education

2. Introduction
• The following Power Point presentation focuses on the theme of means of
transportation. The illustrations prompt focus on students ability to use prior
knowledge and to gain comprehension of new subject matters around this
theme.
• According to the article, Activating Children’s Thinking Skills, promotes the
idea on infusing vocabulary and comprehension for enhancing students ways
of thinking (Dewey, & Bento, 2009).
• In the article, Reflections on Classroom Thinking Strategies, it is important to
use purposeful and relevant strategies to engage students interest and
stimulate comprehension skills (Frangenheim, 2018).
• With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences
between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or
procedures). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.9

3. Cars
• Explain why a car can move? [Comprehension]
• What makes a car unique from other vehicles?
[Analysis]
• What is the most important part of a car?
[Evaluation]
• Which brand of car is the best? [Synthesis]
Sarnowski, D. (2008). Car. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=cars

4. Helicopter
• How does a helicopter stay in the air?
[Knowledge]
• How is an airplane not an example of a
helicopter? [Application]
• What are some ways that a helicopter is used
to do? [Application]
Beattie, A. (2011). Helicopter. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=helicopter

5. Vans
• How would you design the paint job of a van?
[Synthesis]
• What makes a van more useful than a car?
[Evaluation]
• How would you describe a van to someone
who has never seen one before? [Knowledge]
Hamilton, W. (2012). Surf Van. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=van

6. Bus
• Why are there no seat belts on a school bus?
[Comprehension]
• Why are school buses usually yellow?
[Knowledge]
• Explain why you believe school buses were
invented? [Evaluation]
Donnelly, G. (2013). School Bus. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=school%20bus

7. Taxi
• Why does it cost less to ride in a taxi than it
does to own a vehicle? [Analysis]
• Would it be better to take an Uber or a taxi?
[Evaluation]
• What is an example of when someone may
need to a taxi? [Application]
Chao, J. (2006). Taxi. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=taxi

8. Planes
• Can you list types of planes? [Knowledge]
• Why would it be safer to fly than to drive?
[Evaluation]
• How is a vehicle and a plane similar? [Analysis]
• When would someone fly, rather than drive?
[Synthesis]
Solabre, F. (2010). Plane. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=planes

9. Train
• What makes a train move? [Comprehension]
• How does a train stay on the tracks?
[Knowledge]
• What questions would you ask a conductor of
a train? [Application]
Koch, B. (2008). Trains. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=train

10. Fire Engine
• What is the main purpose of a fire engine?
[Knowledge]
• Can you list three items on the fire engine?
[Knowledge]
• What questions would you ask a fire fighter?
[Application]
Reutzel, F. (2010). San Antonio Engine 23. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=fire%20engine

11. Boat
• What are some ways boats move in the water?
[Knowledge]
• How are boats and cars alike?
[Comprehension]
• What is the function of a sail on a boat?
[Analysis]
• Why would it be more helpful to use a boat,
than to use a vehicle? [Evaluation]
Lincoln, A. (2013). Boat. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=boat

12. Submarine
• What is the purpose of a submarine?
[Knowledge]
• How would you use a submarine for yourself?
[Synthesis]
• Would it be better to use a boat or a
submarine? [Evaluation]
• How does people breathe in a submarine?
[Analysis]
Smith, N. (2016). Sub Leaving Portsmouth. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=submarine

13. Bicycle
• What is a bicycles job? [Knowledge]
• What makes the bike different from other ways to travel?
[Evaluation]
• What is the relationship between a bicycle and a
motorcycle? [Analysis]
• What are the parts that make the bicycle move? [Analysis]
Informational Text- Explain how bicycles revolutionized
travel.
Procedural Text- How a bicycle is built and what makes it
move.
Narrative Text- The story of who designed this bike and why.
Sequential/Chronological Order- Create a timeline of the
modifications to present day bicycle.
Compare and Contrast- The ways the bicycle is used.
Description- Describe the importance of the pedals.
Corden, R. (2007). Developing reading-writing connections: The impact of explicit instruction of literary
devices on the quality of children's narrative writing. Journal of Research in Childhood Education,
21(3), 269-289.
Schmidt, T. (2016). Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History.
Bowler, R. (2014). Bicycles. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=bicycle

14. Motorcycle
• What is the connection between a motorcycle
and a bicycle? [Analysis]
• How would you rate the appearance of the
motorcycle? [Evaluation]
• How does a motorcycle stay upright with only
two wheels? [Knowledge]
Uchytil, R. (2015). Motorcycle. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=motorcycle

15. Ambulance
• When is it important to call for an ambulance?
[Knowledge]
• If you were going to design a siren for an
ambulance, what would it sound like?
[Application]
• What is the most important part of the
ambulance? [Evaluation]
Berliner, S. (2014). Lutheran Medical Center Ambulance 3843. [Photograph].
Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=ambulance

16. Spaceship
• What makes a spaceship travel into outer
space? [Knowledge]
• Predict what would happen if a the spaceship
ran out of fuel? [Application]
• How long would it take to travel to the moon
on a spaceship? [Knowledge]
Gutier, F. (2012). Spaceship. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Spaceship

17. Tractor
• What is the purpose of a tractor?
[Comprehension]
• Can you list three different types of
tractors?[Knowledge]
• How is a tractor related to a truck? [Analysis]
Bray, B. (2012). Tractor. [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Tractor

18. Reflection
In order to activate a higher order of thinking students must be
guided through vocabulary and comprehension skills. Effective teachers
use a combination of utilizing levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and literary
devices to foster higher level thinking skills. Research defines effective
teaching as a result of “higher order thinking questions” (Hayes, 2017).
Therefore, it is essential for teachers to integrate literacy comprehension
and vocabulary through students’ answers to deepen illustration prompts
that can be used in argument and informational writing.

19. References
Beattie, A. (2011). Helicopter. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=helicopter
Berliner, S. (2014). Lutheran Medical Center Ambulance 3843. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=ambulance
Bowler, R. (2014). Bicycles. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=bicycle
Bray, B. (2012). Tractor. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Tractor
Corden, R. (2007). Developing reading-writing connections: The impact of explicit instruction of literary devices on the quality of children's narrative writing. Journal of
Research in Childhood Education, 21(3), 269-289.
Chao, J. (2006). Taxi. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=taxi
Dewey, J., & Bento, J. (2009). Activating children's thinking skills (ACTS): The effects of an infusion approach to teaching thinking in primary schools. British Journal of
Educational Psychology, 79(2), 329-351.

20. References
Dewey, J., & Bento, J. (2009). Activating children's thinking skills (ACTS): The effects of an infusion approach to teaching thinking in primary schools. British Journal of
Educational Psychology, 79(2), 329-351.
Donnelly, G. (2013). School Bus. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=school%20bus
English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Informational Text » Kindergarten. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2018 from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-
Literacy/RI/K/9/
Frangenheim, E. (2018). Reflections on Classroom Thinking Strategies: How to Create Your Thinking Classroom with 42 Practical and Engaging Thinking Tools. Rodin
Educational Consultancy.
Gutier, F. (2012). Spaceship. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Spaceship
Hamilton, W. (2012). Surf Van. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=van
Hayes, T. K. (2017). Increasing Teacher Proficiency in Effective Questioning Techniques for the Elementary Classroom (Doctoral dissertation, Trevecca Nazarene
University).

21. References
Koch, B. (2008). Trains. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=train
Lincoln, A. (2013). Boat. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=boat
Reutzel, F. (2010). San Antonio Engine 23. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=fire%20engine
Sarnowski, D. (2008). Car. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=cars
Schmidt, T. (2016). Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History.
Smith, N. (2016). Sub Leaving Portsmouth. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=submarine
Solabre, F. (2010). Plane. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=planes
Uchytil, R. (2015). Motorcycle. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=motorcycle