Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

One of Grant’s key arguments is that education should be more concerned with teaching students to think critically and helping them to develop “unlearning” and “rethinking” skills. What does Grant mean by this, and why does he think it is important? What are his specific suggestions about the ways in which schools might contribute to students learning these ways of thinking? Do you think that your own education is promoting these skills? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: Students will need to gather evidence from chapters that deal specifically with education; you may wish to point out that they will also need to revisit earlier chapters in order to thoroughly explain how Grant is using the terms “unlearning” and “rethinking” and why he finds these skills so important. Although this prompt can be answered in writing, students may also benefit from discussing reactions aloud. If you choose to have students respond in writing, you might make time afterward for a brief discussion so that students can hear about and consider a wider variety of experiences with education.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from strategies for reading fluency or who possess attentional learning differences might find the support of a partner or small group helpful before they begin their written responses or a class discussion.