| Life Skills |
| | Thinking and Reasoning |
| | | Standard 1. Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
|
| | | | Level I [Grade: K-2] |
| | | | | 1. | Understands that people are more likely to believe a person’s ideas if that person can give good reasons for them |
| | | | | 2. | Provides coherent (though not necessarily valid or convincing) answers when asked why one believes something to be true or how one knows something |
| | | | | 3. | Asks "how do you know" in appropriate situations (e.g., questioning evidence presented in problems or texts) |
| | | | Level II [Grade: 3-5] |
| | | | | 1. | Uses facts from books, articles, and databases to support an argument |
| | | | | 2. | Identifies basic informal fallacies, including appeals to authority and pity, personal attacks, the use of statements such as "everybody knows," and vague references such as "leading doctors say" |
| | | | | 3. | Understands that reasoning can be distorted by strong feelings |
| | | | | 4. | Analyzes arguments to determine if they are supported by facts from books, articles, and databases |
| | | | | 5. | Asks questions about and seeks better reasons for believing arguments than the assertion that "everybody knows" or "I just know" |
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Evaluates arguments that are based on quantitative data and mathematical concepts |
| | | | | 2. | Questions claims that use vague references such as "leading experts say..." or are based on the statements of people speaking outside of their expertise (e.g., celebrities) |
| | | | | 3. | Questions conclusions based on very small samples of data, biased samples, or samples for which there is no central sample |
| | | | | 4. | Makes basic distinctions between information that is based on fact and information that is based on opinion |
| | | | | 5. | Identifies and questions false analogies |
| | | | | 6. | Identifies and questions arguments in which all members of a group are implied to possess nearly identical characteristics that are considered to be different from those of another group |
| | | | | 7. | Compares and contrasts the credibility of differing accounts of the same event |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies techniques used to slant information in subtle ways (e.g., selecting only information that supports a point; ignoring information that contradicts a point) |
| | | | | 2. | Develops logical arguments that are based on quantitative data |
| | | | | 3. | Identifies or seeks out the critical assumptions behind a line of reasoning and uses that to judge the validity of an argument |
| | | | | 4. | Understands that to be convincing, an argument must have both true statements and valid connections among them |
| | | | | 5. | Uses a variety of strategies to construct an argument (e.g., facts, anecdotes, case studies, quotations, logical reasoning, tables, charts, graphs) |
| | | | | 6. | Evaluates the overall effectiveness of complex arguments |
| | | | | 7. | Evaluates an argument objectively by considering all sides of an issue (e.g., using past experience, data, logical analysis |
| | | | | 8. | Knows that a good argument anticipates and attempts to answer objections before they are posed |
| | | | | 9. | Develops a clear and coherent thesis and conclusion for an argument |
| | | Standard 2. Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning
|
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Uses formal deductive connectors ("if...then," "not," "and," "or") in the construction of deductive arguments |
| | | | | 2. | Understands that some aspects of reasoning have very rigid rules but other aspects do not |
| | | | | 3. | Understands that when people have rules that always hold for a given situation and good information about the situation, then logic can help them figure out what is true about the situation |
| | | | | 4. | Understands that reasoning by similarities can suggest ideas but cannot be used to prove things |
| | | | | 5. | Understands that people are using incorrect logic when they make a statement such as "if x is true, then y is true; but x isn't true, therefore y isn't true" |
| | | | | 6. | Understands that a single example can never prove that something is true, but a single example can prove that something is not true |
| | | | | 7. | Understands that some people invent a general rule to explain how something works by summarizing observations |
| | | | | 8. | Understands that people overgeneralize by making up rules on the basis of only a few observations |
| | | | | 9. | Understands that personal values influence the types of conclusions people make |
| | | | | 10. | Recognizes situations in which a variety of conclusions can be drawn from the same information |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Understands the differences between the formal and informal uses (e.g., in everyday situations) of the logical connectors: "if...then," "not," "and," "or" |
| | | | | 2. | Analyzes the deductive validity of arguments based on implicit or explicit assumptions |
| | | | | 3. | Understands the difference between formal and informal uses (e.g., in everyday situations) of the terms "sufficient" and "necessary" |
| | | | | 4. | Understands the formal meaning of the logical quantifiers: "some," "none," and "all" |
| | | | | 5. | Understands that formal logic is mostly about connections between statements and that these connections can be considered without attention to whether the statements themselves are true or not |
| | | | | 6. | Understands that people sometimes reach false conclusions either by applying faulty logic to true statements or by applying valid logic to false statements |
| | | | | 7. | Understands that a reason may be sufficient to get a result but may not be the only way to get the result (i.e., may not be necessary), or a reason may be necessary to obtain a result but not sufficient (i.e., other things are also required; some reasons may be both necessary and sufficient) |
| | | | | 8. | Understands that logic can be used to test how well any general rule works |
| | | | | 9. | Understands that proving a general rule to be false can be done by finding just one exception; this is much easier than proving a general rule to be true for all possible cases |
| | | | | 10. | Understands that logic may be of limited help in finding solutions to problems if the general rules upon which conclusions are based do not always hold true; most often, we have to deal with probabilities rather than certainties |
| | | | | 11. | Understands that once a person believes a general rule, he or she may be more likely to notice things that agree with that rule and not notice things that do not; to avoid this "confirmatory bias," scientific studies sometimes use observers who do not know what the results are supposed to be |
| | | | | 12. | Understands that very complex logical arguments can be formulated from a number of simpler logical arguments |
| | | | | 13. | Identifies counter examples to conclusions that have been developed |
| | | | | 14. | Understands the distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning |
| | | Standard 3. Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences
|
| | | | Level I [Grade: K-2] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies the similarities and differences between persons, places, things, and events using concrete criteria |
| | | | | 2. | Classifies things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, motion, sound, and behavior |
| | | | | 3. | Finds simple patterns in the surrounding events and objects |
| | | | Level II [Grade: 3-5] |
| | | | | 1. | Understands that one way to make sense of something is to think how it is like something more familiar |
| | | | | 2. | Knows when comparisons might not be fair because some characteristics are not the same |
| | | | | 3. | Uses concrete (e.g., population, exports, ethnicity) and abstract characteristics (e.g., art) to compare people and places |
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Compares consumer products on the basis of features, performance, durability, and cost, and considers personal tradeoffs |
| | | | | 2. | Understands that an analogy not only contains some likenesses but also some differences |
| | | | | 3. | Selects criteria or rules for category membership that are relevant and important |
| | | | | 4. | Orders information and events chronologically, based on frequency of occurrence, or based on importance to a given criterion |
| | | | | 5. | Articulates abstract relationships between existing categories of information |
| | | | | 6. | Creates a table to compare specific abstract and concrete features of two items |
| | | | | 7. | Compares different sources of information for the same topic in terms of basic similarities and differences |
| | | | | 8. | Knows how relationships among ideas form the basis for valid analogies |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Uses a comparison table to compare multiple items on multiple abstract characteristics |
| | | | | 2. | Identifies abstract patterns of similarities and differences between information on the same topic but from different sources |
| | | | | 3. | Identifies abstract relationships between seemingly unrelated items |
| | | | | 4. | Identifies the qualitative and quantitative traits (other than frequency and obvious importance) that can be used to order and classify items |
| | | Standard 4. Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis testing and scientific inquiry
|
| | | | Level I [Grade: K-2] |
| | | | | 1. | Understands that changing one thing sometimes causes changes in something else and that changing the same thing in the same way usually has the same result |
| | | | Level II [Grade: 3-5] |
| | | | | 1. | Keeps a notebook that describes observations |
| | | | | 2. | Verifies the results of experiments
|
| | | | | 3. | Distinguishes between actual observations and inferences (i.e., ideas or conclusions about what was observed) |
| | | | | 4. | Keeps systematic records of observations (e.g., temperature, precipitation, cloud cover) to formulate hypotheses |
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Understands that there are a variety of ways people can form hypotheses, including basing them on many observations, basing them on very few observations, and constructing them on only one or two observations |
| | | | | 2. | Understands the importance of verifying the results of experiments |
| | | | | 3. | Understands that there may be more than one valid way to interpret a set of findings |
| | | | | 4. | Questions findings in which no mention is made of whether the control group is very similar to the experimental group |
| | | | | 5. | Formulates a new hypothesis for study after an old hypothesis has been eliminated |
| | | | | 6. | Makes and validates conjectures about outcomes of an experiment |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies and critiques studies in which data, explanations, or conclusions are presented as the only ones worth considering |
| | | | | 2. | Presents alternative explanations and conclusions to one’s own experiments and those of others |
| | | | | 3. | Critiques procedures, explanations, and conclusions in one’s own experiments and those of others |
| | | Standard 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
|
| | | | Level I [Grade: K-2] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies simple problems and possible solutions (e.g., ways to make something work better) |
| | | | Level II [Grade: 3-5] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies issues and problems in the school or community that one might help solve |
| | | | | 2. | Analyzes the problems that have confronted people in the past in terms of the major goals and obstacles to those goals |
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Generates alternative courses of action and compares the possible consequences of each alternative |
| | | | | 2. | Selects the most appropriate strategy or alternative for solving a problem |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Applies trouble shooting strategies to complex real world situations (e.g., workplace situations, family concerns) |
| | | | | 2. | Understands that trouble-shooting almost anything may require many-step branching logic |
| | | | | 3. | Trouble-shoots common mechanical and electrical systems, checking for possible causes of malfunction, and decides on that basis whether to make a change or get advice from an expert before proceeding |
| | | | | 4. | Isolates a problem component in a schematic diagram and traces it to the cause of the problem |
| | | | | 5. | Engages in problem finding and framing for personal situations and situations in the community |
| | | | | 6. | Represents a problem accurately in terms of resources, constraints, and objectives |
| | | | | 7. | Evaluates the effectiveness of problem-solving techniques |
| | | | | 8. | Reframes problems when alternative solutions are exhausted |
| | | | | 9. | Examines different options for solving problems of historical importance and determines why specific courses of action were taken |
| | | | | 10. | Evaluates the feasibility of various solutions to problems; recommends and defends a solution |
| | | | | 11. | Understands causes and critical issues of problems (e.g., personal, social, ethical considerations) |
| | | Standard 6. Applies decision-making techniques
|
| | | | Level I [Grade: K-2] |
| | | | | 1. | Makes and defends decisions about daily activities (e.g., what books to read) |
| | | | Level II [Grade: 3-5] |
| | | | | 1. | Studies past and present decisions that were made in the community in terms of the alternatives that were considered |
| | | | Level III [Grade: 6-8] |
| | | | | 1. | Identifies situations in the community and in one’s personal life in which a decision is required |
| | | | | 2. | Secures factual information needed to evaluate alternatives and uses it to predict the consequences of selecting each alternative |
| | | | | 3. | Identifies the values underlying the alternatives that are considered and the criteria that will be used to make a selection among the alternatives |
| | | | | 4. | Makes decisions based on the data obtained and the criteria identified (e.g., selects appropriate locations for service industries in the community) |
| | | | | 5. | Takes action to implement a decision, monitors progress, and adjusts when needed |
| | | | | 6. | Makes effective decisions about consumer products based on important criteria, including external features, performance, durability, cost, and personal tradeoffs |
| | | | | 7. | Analyzes personal decisions in terms of the options that were considered |
| | | | | 8. | Uses a decision-making grid or matrix to make or study decisions involving a relatively limited number of alternatives and criteria |
| | | | Level IV [Grade: 9-12] |
| | | | | 1. | Analyzes decisions that were major turning points in history and describes how things would have been different if other alternatives had been selected |
| | | | | 2. | Analyzes current or pending decisions that can affect national or international policy and identifies the consequences of each alternative |
| | | | | 3. | Uses a decision-making grid or matrix to make or study decisions involving a relatively large number of alternatives and criteria |
| | | | | 4. | Uses a balance sheet to evaluate the costs and benefits of various alternatives within a decision |
| | | | | 5. | Evaluates major factors (e.g., personal priorities, environmental conditions, peer groups) that influence personal decisions |
| | | | | 6. | Analyzes the impact of decisions on self and others and takes responsibility for consequences and outcomes of decisions |
