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Cranium Crackers: Critical Thinking Activities for Mathematics, Books 1,2,3, and 4

Publisher: The Critical Thinking Co. Review last updated: 2009

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Book 1 in this series is suggested for grades 3-4, Book 2 for grades 5-6, Book 3 for grades 7 and 8, and Book 4 for grades 9 and up. However, all can be used by students above and below level because they are not age-graded.

Critical thinking is truly the most important goal of these books with mathematics being the vehicle. The purpose is to stretch children beyond rote levels of learning into a wide range of ways of thinking about and applying math skills. There are problems dealing with logic and numbers and even some that deal with organizational and analytical skills that do not include any numbers.

Book 1 requires students to know basic arithmetic operations but at a fairly low level. No long division or complex multiplication is required. Children should have had an introduction to the concept of fractions.

"Book 2 works with integer addition and subtraction, simple long multiplication and division, addition and subtraction of simple mixed numbers, and multiplication and division of simple fractions. Aside from an occasional elementary money problem, no decimals, complicated fractions, three-digit divisors, percents, or areas are included."

Book 3 adds decimals plus more challenging work with fractions and integers. In addition students need to know how to work with percentage and simple area computations

According to the publisher, Book 4 targets the high school general-mathematics student. "The arithmetic here expects general facility with the four basic operations on integers, fractions, and decimals, along with the ability to work reasonably well with percents and areas. No college preparatory mathematics knowledge is expected, but some problems demand fairly complex reasoning about arithmetic."

There is a great deal of variety from lesson to lesson in each book. So much so, that few lessons bear resemblance to each other. The student workbooks are reproducible and the teacher's manual/answer key is included at the back of each book.

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