The Oxford dictionary defines “critical thinking” as “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.”
Fostering the ability to think critically is necessary in all subject areas because it gives students the tools to make good decisions in and out of the classroom. A person’s decision making skills impacts their school performance, individual life choices, and their ability to contribute to a society that will inevitably face challenges. While critical thinking is undoubtably important, it is too often overlooked in the music classroom.
Here are some specific examples of critical thinking skills that music teachers can help students develop through engaging music education activities.
1. Skills: Informational Analysis and Synthesis
Analyzing is examining the structure and elements of something.
Synthesis is combining parts to create a logical whole.
A research project can be a wonderful way to encourage both of these skills because it requires students to analyze an assortment of information and data, then synthesize their findings into a meaningful project.
In the music room: consider having students complete a research project that answers the question: “what impact has technology had on the music industry?”
Students should first research examples of technological advancements that have influenced the production, distribution, and consumption of music. They should then consider the original purpose of each advancement, as well as how each advancement has impacted the music industry. Finally, they should condense their findings into a well-supported, short essay that answers the original question.
As always, you are welcome to borrow this idea for your own classroom- but if you are looking for a pre-made, editable google slides presentation that guides your students through the research process, it is available on my TPT store!
2. Skill: Creating Inferences
Inferencing is the ability to make conclusions based on evidence and reasoning.
In the music room: Have students inference how non-musical events could have influenced the musical trends of the era.
A specific project to encourage this skill is called “The Year I Was Born-Music Research Project for Google Slides.” In this activity, students examine the music and historical events of the year they were born and compare it to the current year – inferencing how historical events could have caused the changes in musical trends.
As always, you are welcome to borrow this idea for your own classroom- but if you are looking for a pre-made, editable google slides presentation that guides your students through the research process, it is available on my TPT store!
3. Skill: Forming and Supporting An Opinion
Creating a unique opinion requires critical thinking skills because students must learn to evaluate concrete examples against personal tastes, expectations, and related works.
In the music room: Have students form an opinion about music of their choosing, but make sure they are able to thoroughly support their opinions.
In “become a music critic”, your students will take on the important role of “music critic,” while learning to evaluate content to create a meaningful opinion and support their opinions with concrete examples.
In this project, students will be guided through a full musical analysis of a music album of their choosing. This involved researching the artist, listening to the entire album, creating song preferences within the album, creating a “pros” and “cons” list about the album, identifying unique elements about the music, and making predictions for future music.
After completing a full analysis, students will craft a meaningful “critique” that utilizes all of their prior thinking and opinions. Through this process of evaluating and supporting with evidence, students gain a critical thinking skill that can be applied beyond the music classroom.
As always, you are welcome to borrow this idea for your own classroom- but if you are looking for a pre-made, editable google slides presentation that guides your students through the research process, it is available on my TPT store!
Thanks for Reading!
Please check out my TPT BUNDLE of projects to encourage critical thinking in the music classroom!
Here is the link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Critical-Thinking-in-the-Music-Classroom-Middle-School-Bundle-for-Google-Slides-12590033
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