Evaluative Thinking: Making Choices Based on Criteria

 The students in my 2nd grade Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) group have been working on developing their evaluative thinking over the last several weeks. We have discussed that decisions are based on valid, factual observable or measurable criteria rather than opinions. They have learned that when making choices, criteria can help guide them to the best solution when there is not one "right" answer. 

The students recently worked through a lesson where the purpose was to combine evaluative thinking and visual thinking. They used factual criteria to judge multiple solutions. 

The 2nd graders were given quintessential card sets. They were to look at the sets and determine which card would best fit into each set. The most important part of the lesson was when they had to explain their criteria. The students used factual observable criteria to form their explanation, and it was interesting how students visualized the sets. 

In the set above it was interesting to listen to the students' criteria. This students explained why each of the pictures may belong in the set.  "The cheese may belong because it is also a healthy food when eaten in moderation. The cake could include fruit, and/or it could be fruit cake. The calendar could belong because the rainbow in the calendar includes all the colors of the fruit that are in the set."

In the set above the students debated over whether it was the pumpkin or the milk that belonged in the set. The students said the pumpkin could belong because it contains something inside and it is not covered. The milk could also be a solution because it includes a liquid inside the container just like the others in the set. 

The students said picture one would be included in the set, because each card is including one more shaded section within the pictures. Some other students chose picture three since it also includes the three shaded sections, but the circle area is unshaded.