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      • Define: Rubrics
      • Teach: Thinking Routines
      • Assess: Performance Tasks
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  • Home
  • Outcomes
    • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving >
      • Effective Reasoning
      • Decision Making
      • Problem Solving
    • Character
    • Collaboration & Communication
  • Instructional Practices
    • Arts Integration
    • Critique
    • Learning Expeditions
    • Problem-Based Tasks in Math
    • Student-Led Conferences
    • Student-Led IEPs
    • Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving >
      • Define: Rubrics
      • Teach: Thinking Routines
      • Assess: Performance Tasks
  • Two Rivers Learning Institute
    • Two Rivers Learning Institute Faculty
    • Professional Development Offerings
  • Blog
  • CAREERS
  • Contact

Effective REasoning

Effective reasoning is the ability to create claims             
and ​support them with logical evidence.             
Two Rivers teachers and leaders define and share their practice around effective reasoning.
DEFINING
EFFECTIVE
​REASONING
We have developed a number of rubrics that define effective reasoning.  For more information about how we DEFINE critical thinking and problem solving skills, click here.
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PS-PK Effective Reasoning Rubric
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4-5 Effective Reasoning Rubric

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K-1 Effective Reasoning Rubric
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6-8 Effective Reasoning Rubric
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2-3 Effective Reasoning Rubric
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Effective Reasoning Progression
(PS-8th Grade)
TEACHING
EFFECTIVE
​REASONING
Claim-Support-Question (CSQ) is a routine from Harvard’s Visible Thinking Project aligned with effective reasoning.  This routine requires the user to reason with evidence by stating a claim, identifying relevant support, and asking questions of the claim.  At Two Rivers, we have extended two parts of this routine.  First, beyond just asking students to identify their support for a claim, we ask them to connect explicitly their supporting evidence to their claim.  Second, in pushing older students to move beyond just questioning their claim, we ask them to identify counterclaims they need to refute in their argument.  For more information about how we TEACH critical thinking skills, click here.
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This anchor chart from a 5th grade classroom helps students remember the CSQ thinking routine.

ASSESSING
EFFECTIVE
​REASONING
Performance tasks assess students' ability to reason effectively, not their ability to learn content quickly nor complete grade-level academic work.  For more information about how we ASSESS critical thinking, click here.
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PS-PK Effective Reasoning Task
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4-5 Effective Reasoning Task
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K-1 Effective Reasoning Task
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4-5 Student Work Sample
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2-3 Effective Reasoning Task
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6-8 Effective Reasoning Task
Two Rivers Public Charter School's mission is to nurture a diverse group of students to become lifelong, active participants in their own education, develop a sense of self and community, and become responsible and compassionate members of society.
Learn With Two Rivers is supported by a generous grant from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to support the dissemination of best practices with DC-area educators. 
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