How do we know when something is actually true? Explore the story of Copernicus and the once widely accepted belief that the Sun revolved around Earth in this engaging critical thinking writing warm-up for middle school students.

Help students understand “to what extent” essay questions with this quick, engaging writing warm-up. Designed for middle school and high school students, this activity introduces nuanced thinking, moves students beyond simple yes-or-no answers, and gives teachers an easy way to practice argumentative writing and critical thinking in the classroom.

A quick critical thinking warm-up where students analyze a primary source from the Industrial Revolution and reflect on how people react when new technologies change the world. Then they connect those reactions to today’s rapidly evolving technologies like artificial intelligence.