Logic and Reasoning

The powerful process strands of reasoning and proof enable students to better develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs.

As students approach high school Geometry, they will need the critical thinking skills that will enable them to clearly articulate their reasoning as they write formal and informal proofs. As they navigate through middle school Geometry, they also should recognize reasoning and proof as a fundamental aspect of Geometry and other disciplines.

In this module, you will explore a number of instructional strategies to use with your students that will promote use of higher-level thinking and logical reasoning in Geometry. As you review these strategies, keep note of the ones you plan to use in your classroom. You can use your blog to keep notes and observations on the course material. This blog will be available to you after the course is over.

Module Three Objectives

At the completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning
• Apply principles of logic to promote critical thinking.
• Investigate "lateral" thinking as a strategy to deepen thinking skills
• Apply Bloom's Taxonomy to develop higher-level thinking questions
• Analyze the van Hiele model