Children must be taught how to think, not what to think."    - Margaret Mead
The following resources and thinking routines are from the Visible Thinking research of Ron Ritchhart and Harvard Project Zero 
and are available at www.visiblethinkingpz.org. 
8 CULTURAL FORCES
Did you know that ROUTINES is only one aspect of a Cultures of Thinking classroom? Click here to find out more about the other forces!
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Stories From Oakland County Classrooms about how thinking routines are being used. 
"I'm planning on carrying the thinking routines with me to high school.  They help me understand what I read or learn."  
               - 8th Grade Reuther Student 
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Routines for Introducing & Exploring Ideas
Used to uncover students' prior knowledge and make connections to new understanding with the use of a metaphor
Silent discussion on paper that invites all students to be active members of the learning process
A routine to explore the hidden messages in artwork
Encourages learners to consider ideas from four different angles to identify areas of further exploration
A routine for noticing truth occasions
Close examination of a portion of an image to build a deeper understanding
Designed for detailed exploration of parts to develop a deeper understanding of the object as a whole
Ideal for inquiry-based, close observations of photos, text, artwork, or other stimuli 
 Identifies current understanding, promotes curiosity, and  allows for exploration of unknown questions
Routines for Synthesizing & Organizing Ideas
Identifying key ideas and committing them to memory
Highlights one's understanding of a topic in a nonlinear way
Text-based discussion that identifies key concepts in the text
Used to summarize the theme of a lesson, text, image, or topic 
Connects new ideas with prior knowledge and raises awarness of  puzzles or questions
A self-reflection tool to examine how one's thinking has changed or shifted over time
Capture the core of an idea with the use of visual connections
Equal participation in a conversation that ensure everyone contributes
"I think the visual thinking routines are more helpful in expanding students' knowledge rather than worksheets. I know they made me have a deeper understanding of the subject." 
                                    - 8th Grade Reuther Student
Routines for Digging Deeper Into Ideas
Thoughtful interpretations with evidence and reasoning
A routine to explore complex components of an incident, text, or photograph.
Text-based routine to identify what was important or meaningful
A routine for exploring tensions of truth
Identification of perspectives around an issue or problem 
Used to develop understanding of a complex topic
Used to explore different viewpoints and perspectives 

Identifying and building both sides of an argument or tension/dilemma
A routine for structuring analysis of creative works 
 A routine for creating thought-provoking questions
A routine for clarifying claims and seeking sources

A question that teachers can weave into discussion to push students to give evidence for their assertions
A routine to engage learners to construct meaning 
Used to identify possible errors in reasoning, over-reaching by authors, or areas that need to be questioned
A routine for considering viewpoints of truth