Creativity and critical thinking are fundamental to students becoming successful learners. The ability to think critically is an essential life skill; as the world changes at an ever-faster pace and economies become global, young adults are entering an expanding, diverse job market. To remain relevant in the highly competitive world that we are today, it is necessary now more than ever before to ensure that you possess the thinking power to flexibly and creatively solve problems on a daily basis.

1. LIFE SKILLS:
CREATIVITY & CRITICAL THINKING
FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
(SUMMER COACHING, AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2015)

2. Creativity and Critical Thinking
Day One:
Introduction
The goal of having secondary education is to prepare you for the future—to equip you with
skills for professional and personal success while at the same time developing your awareness
of diverse human conditions. Creativity and critical thinking are fundamental to students
becoming successful learners. The ability to think critically is an essential life skill; as the
world changes at an ever-faster pace and economies become global, young adults are entering
an expanding, diverse job market. To remain relevant in the highly competitive world that we are
today, it is necessary now more than ever before to ensure that you possess the thinking power to flexibly
and creatively solve problems on a daily basis.
Responding to the challenges of the twenty-first century – with its complex environmental,
social and economic pressures – requires young people to be creative, innovative, enterprising
and adaptable, with the motivation, confidence and skills to use critical and creative thinking
purposefully.
Thinking that is productive, purposeful and intentional is at the centre of effective learning.
By applying a sequence of thinking skills, students develop an increasingly sophisticated
understanding of the processes they can employ whenever they encounter problems, unfamiliar
information and new ideas. In addition, the progressive development of knowledge about
thinking and the practice of using thinking strategies can increase your motivation for, and
management of, your own learning. You become more confident and autonomous problem-
solvers and thinkers.
You develop capability in CREATIVITY and CRITICAL THINKING as you learn to generate
and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and
solve problems. Critical and creative thinking are integral to activities that require you to think
broadly and deeply using skills, behaviours and dispositions such as reason, logic,
resourcefulness, imagination and innovation in all learning areas (whether at school and/or in
your lives beyond school).
What is Creativity?
Creativity is the process of making something of value that hasn't been made before - be it a
painting, an idea, a solution, a relationship or a new dance move. It is a set of beliefs and attitudes
as much as it is a toolbox of skills and knowledge.
 Creativity is often associated with certain human performance such as dance, modeling,
poetry, drama however; creativity is not limited to a particular activity but can be found
in all facets of human lives.
 Creativity is built on positive thinking / attitude.
Creativity exists beyond the arts. It's a set of beliefs, attitudes and abilities that manifest in all
areas of life and in the minds of all people.

3. BELIEFS ATTITUDES ABILITIES
creative potential is inside
everyone and can be
found everywhere
it is positivity towards
surprising and unexpected
events
you actively seek out new
ideas and experiences
creativity can change
things and improve things
it is openness to new ideas
and experiences when
they appear
you see familiar things in
new and different ways
mistakes are to be
celebrated, learned from
and used
it is ‘smart risk-taking’ you use both analytic and
holistic thinking
creativity can be a natural
response to pain, suffering
and boredom
it is non-judgment you make, think or do
things that haven’t been
made, thought or done
before
Creative Thinking
Every human being is endowed with the power to THINK. Just as we can all SEE, HEAR,
TALK, etc., we all have the capability to THINK. However, we think differently – how we think,
what we think about and what we do with our thinking are very important.
Qualities of Creative Thinking
 Curiosity – the desire to know more about a thing
 Unconventional thinking – thinking out of the box
 Mental flexibility – willingness to change opinion
 Open mindedness – thoughtful and insightful
 Intensely goal focused – ready to go the whole hog
 Clear foresight – ability to see ahead
 Make mistakes – accepting mistakes but learning from them
 Continuous improvement – willingness to get better
 Generating new ideas – never rest on your oars
 Create or add value – expanding possibilities
 Persevere - persist and wait for success
EXERCISE ONE
‘The Roots’ Brainstorming Exercise
Divide the class into small groups (4-6 students) for some problem analysis. First have the
groups compile lists of problems their members face, such as poor grades or neighborhood
vandalism. By way of analysis, have the group ask (and answer) the following questions:
Where does the problem happen?
When does it happen?
How does it happen?
To whom does it happen, and who causes it?
Have the groups finish by using the Toyota Suggestion System and asking Why? four times.

4. For example, using the problem of poor grades:
Why did I receive a poor grade on the history test?
(The teacher is a hard grader.)
Why is the teacher a hard grader?
(She expects a lot of her students.)
Why does the teacher expect a lot of her students?
(She knows we can do it if we study hard.)
Why does she know we can do it if we study hard?
(She has seen students like us do it in the past.)
OR
The ‘What If?’ Brainstorming Exercise
Divide the class into brainstorming groups of about ten students each. Ask the students to come
up with the most unique "what if" question and answer they can think of. (In other words, start
with "what if" and finish with some unusual situation.) Here are some examples: What if people
didn't need to sleep? What if we "elected" presidents by lottery? After the groups have settled
on their particular questions and answers, have the class compare them and vote on the most
creative.
Thank participants and encourage them by making them understand that they have just created
new, valuable learning.
Creative thinking involves you in learning to generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts,
seeing existing situations in a new way, identifying alternative explanations, and seeing or
making new links that generate a positive outcome. This includes combining parts to form
something original, sifting and refining ideas to discover possibilities, constructing theories and
objects, and acting on intuition. The products of creative endeavour can involve complex
representations and images, investigations and performances, digital and computer-generated
output, or occur as virtual reality.
As a man thinks…
Proverbs 23:7 tells us about the importance of thinking. Everything starts with our thoughts.
Human thought is the foundation of every invention i.e. product and service – the phone,
computer or the Facebook platform you use for communication. That product started as a
thought when it was first conceived as an idea. Pay special attention to what you think about.
The leaning of your perception: is it positive or negative.
Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motors said ―whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are
right. The mental picture you create in your mind will go a long way to determine what you
will get.

5. Day Two:
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical Thinking is a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly
statements or propositions that are offered as true Critical thinking can be described as a
―gradual progression from the shallow to the increasingly complex.
Critical thinking is at the core of most intellectual activity that involves you in learning to
recognize or develop an argument, use evidence in support of that argument, draw reasoned
conclusions, and use information to solve problems. Examples of thinking skills are
interpreting, analyzing, evaluating, explaining, sequencing, reasoning, comparing, questioning,
inferring, hypothesizing, appraising, testing and generalizing.
Why Critical Thinking?
 Critical Thinking is a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly
statements or propositions that are offered as true. Critical thinking can be described as
a ―gradual progression from the superficial to the increasingly complex.
 Critical thinking is that mode of thinking—about any subject, content, or problem—in
which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing,
assessing, and reconstructing it
 Critical thinking does not come naturally and it does not develop in conjunction with
maturation or mere aging, it is essential for you to learn and practice critical thinking
just like you learn and practice any other skill.
Benefits of Critical Thinking
 It helps you to improve your classroom performance
 It gives you the ability to analyze and creatively adapt to new situations
 It helps you know how to think: clearly, accurately, precisely, relevantly, deeply, broadly,
logically, significantly, fairly
 It helps you to inquisitively examine a concept and attempting to fuse it into your lives
 It helps you to identify and analyze a problem while thoughtfully evaluating potential
solutions
 It helps you to select the most appropriate strategy for learning a task
 It helps you to better understand self and the society
 It helps you to know little about everything.

6. EXERCISE TWO
A. How Old Are They Now?
Eight years ago, Mary was half as old as Jane will be when Jane is one year older than Tim will
be at the time when Mary will be five times as old as Tim will be two years from now. Ten
years from now Tim will be twice as old as Jane was when Mary was nine times as old as Tim.
When Tim was one year old, Mary was three years older than Tim will be when Jane is three
times as old as Mary was six years before the time when Jane was half as old as Tim will be
when Mary will be ten years older than Mary was when Jane was one-third as old as Tim will
be when Mary will be three times as old as she was when Jane was born. How Old Are They
Now?
Answer:
B. The Farmer
A farmer buys a horse for $60. He sells it to his neighbor for $70. Then he discovers he could
have made a better deal. He borrows $10 from his wife, and buys the horse back for $80. He
then sells it to another neighbor for $90. How much money did he make?
Answer:

7. Day Three
Human Thought Process
We need to pay attention to some activities that affect, influence and improve our thinking
What you SEE – we are strongly affected by what we see, so aspiring Entrepreneurs should
engage in activities that can expose them to entrepreneurial engagements.
What you PERCEIVE – though we see physically with our eyes, the mind interprets and
establish the point of view which ultimately influence the thought and final opinion reached by
the individuals.
What you READ – textbooks, journals, online materials etc. will go a long way to affect your
thinking. So pay special attention to the books you read.
What you SAY – Your utterances especially when you meet challenges of life and business.
Aspiring Entrepreneurs must be strong willed, persistent and never daring. Take note of words
like, I WON’T, I CAN’T, I WILL NEVER, etc.
What you HEAR – In our day-to-day activities we hear both positive and negative or relevant
and irrelevant information. We need to control what we hear.
The five basic human senses have strong influence of human thinking. The thought of an
idea/action can come from what we see, what we hear, what we touch or feel, what we say and
what we smell. All these ultimately have ways of shaping our thoughts and actions.
Do You Think?
If you think, then how do you think?
What do you think about?
What are the decisions you make from your thinking?
The critical and creative thinking learning set is organized into four interrelated elements, each
detailing differing aspects of thinking. The elements are not a classification of thinking. Rather,
each makes its own contribution to learning and needs to be explicitly and simultaneously
developed.
 Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organizing information and ideas
 Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
 Reflecting on thinking and processes
 Analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating reasoning and procedures
Inquiring primarily consists of pose questions, identify and clarify information and ideas,
organize and process information.
Generating primarily consists of imagine possibilities and connect ideas, consider alternatives,
seek solutions and put ideas into action.

8. Reflecting primarily consists of think about thinking, reflect on processes, transfer knowledge
into new contexts.
Analyzing primarily consists of apply logic and reasoning, draw conclusions and design a
course of action, evaluate procedures and outcomes.
EXERCISE 3: BRAIN TEASERS
S/N QUESTION ANSWER
Brain Teaser 1: This brain teaser focuses on the use of dates and common numbers. The questions are
presented as riddles.
1 Does England have a 4th of July? Yes. It comes after the 3rd of
July.
2 7 months have 31 days in them. 11 months have 30 days
in them. How many months have 28 days in them?
12
3 How many birthdays does the average person have? One
4 A woman gives a hobo 50 cents; the woman is the
hobo's sister, but the hobo is not the woman's brother.
How can this be?
The beggar is her sister.
Brain Teaser 2: This brain teaser uses a great deal of logic mixed with basic street smarts. It seems like
you either know the answers or you don't.
1 What do you bring to the table and cut, but never eat? A deck of cards.
2 Is it legal for a man from New Jersey to marry his
widow's sister? Why or why not?
No - because he is dead. There
is an actual law that says you
can't marry dead people.
3 What is not inside or outside a house, yet no house
would be complete without it?
A window
4 Divide 30 by 1/2 and add 10. What answer do you get? 70
Brain Teaser 3: This brain teaser worksheet comes across like a fun series riddles. These all require deep
thought.
1 See if you can explain this one...
Two men play five games of chess. Each man wins the
same number of games. There are no ties.
They aren't playing each other.
2 What is pronounced like a single letter, written with 3
letters, and most animals have two of them?
Eye
3 A man builds a rectangular house. All sides of the house
are exposed to the south. A huge bear walks by. What
color is the bear? Why?
White. The house is at the
North Pole so it is a polar bear.
4 What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and
space; the beginning of every end, and the end of every
race?
The letter E
5 What is lighter than a feather, but cannot be lifted? A bubble
Brain Teaser 4: This set brain teasers hit you with everyday common scenarios.
1 If there are eighty-five marbles and you take away 2,
how many do you have?
2 (you took 2)
2 What can overpower you completely, but not hurt you? Sleep

9. 3 What is the one question you can never say "Yes!" to?
If you were able to the answer would be "No!"
Hint: This one is related to question #2.
"Are you asleep?"
4 When is longhand quicker than shorthand? On a clock
Brain Teaser 5: This set puts students in situations that may actually find themselves in one day. The
questions are slightly longer than past sheets.
1 You have only one match. You walked into a room
where there was an oil burner, a kerosene lamp, and a
coal burning stove. Which one would you light first?
The match
2 There are two letters of the alphabet that mean zilch,
zero, nothing? Which two are they?
MT (empty)
3 Your doctor gives you three pills. She tells you to take
one every half hour. How long would the pills last?
One hour
4 Why do you always find something in the last place you
look?
Because when you find it, you
stop looking
Brain Teaser 6: You are going to have to think fast with this series of teasers. This set looks for one word
responses
1 Guess the vegetable that you treat like this:
A. You throw away the outside.
B. Cook the inside.
C. Eat the outside.
D. Throw away the inside.
Corn on the cob
2 A man and a dog were walking down the street. The
man rode, yet walked. What was the dog's name?
Yet
3 How do you make "seven" even? Take away the letter S
Conclusion
Critical and creative thinking can be encouraged simultaneously through activities that
integrate reason, logic, imagination and innovation; for example, focusing on a topic in a logical,
analytical way for some time, sorting out conflicting claims, weighing evidence, thinking
through possible solutions, and then, following reflection and perhaps a burst of creative
energy, coming up with innovative and considered responses. Critical and creative thinking are
communicative processes that develop both flexibility and precision. Communication is
essential to each of the thinking processes. By sharing thinking, visualization and innovation,
and by giving and receiving effective feedback you learn to value the diversity of learning and
communication styles.

10. THANK YOU!
Material Put Together & Classes Taken By:
Yetunde Macaulay
Centre Manager, MyDreamConnect Learning Centre
https://ng.linkedin.com/in/myetunde
www.facebook.com/yyetunde.macaulay
@myetunde
+2348025852568
ymacaulay@mcvconnect.com
yymacaulay@gmail.com
Materials sourced online from various websites.