10

Use Critical Thinking to Make Decisions

Take notes and answer questions here.

Review

Think about all the decisions you make every day. Why is it important to take time and think deeply about important decisions that will affect your life and future?

Learn

Although you will not make the perfect choice every time, it is important to think about each decision carefully. You can use critical thinking skills to help you make good decisions. Critical thinking is thinking carefully and deeply. Use these four critical thinking skills asyou read, study, or think about decisions in your life:

Observe and Gather Details

Read or watch closely. Gather details about what you learn.

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For example, you can learn at church by listening to people’s voices as you hear their testimonies. Pay attention to how you feel and the thoughts that come to you through the Spirit.

Question

Do you agree with what you hear, read, or learn? Why or why not? Ask questions to learn more.

The best thinkers ask questions to gain a deeper understanding. The Restoration of the Church began with Joseph Smith’s question about what church to join. He thought carefully, studied, and asked questions all his life.

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Discuss

Talk about what you learn with someone. Share your ideas and listen to their ideas.

Listen to others’ ideas and learn from them. Think about what you know and how you know it. Share your ideas to help others learn. Someone else may need to hear your ideas and thoughts to help them understand what they are learning.

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Solve Problems

Decide how what you learn can help you solve problems or help others.

Look for different ways to solve a problem. Ask the Lord for help and carefully think through each possible solution. Use this critical thinking skill in all areas of your life to solve problems and to help others.

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Think of some of the choices you make at school and in your life. How can these critical thinking skills help you decide what to do?

Activity

This activity will help you practice the critical thinking skills you have learned.

Sarah, Hannah, Daniel, and Jeremiah are two sisters and two elders serving as full-time missionaries in four different countries: Ghana, Spain, Brazil, and Japan. Their surnames are Gonzalez, Egebe, Johnson, and Chen. The four missionaries like to write each other letters. Can you figure out which missionary has which surname? Can you figure out in which country each missionary is serving? Use the chart and the hints below to help you. Work with your group as you gather details, ask questions, discuss, and solve problems.

1. Hannah is not serving in Europe. (Hint: We can draw an X in the box for Hannah and Spain. This clue tells us that she is not in Spain.)

2. Sarah is writing a sister missionary in South America.

3. Jeremiah’s surname begins with the same letter as his first name.

4. Sister Chen is serving in Asia.

5. Daniel is serving in a country in Africa.

6. Sister Egebe speaks Portuguese as a missionary.

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After completing this activity, review the answers found on the last page of this workbook together.

Talk with Your Family

Talk with your family about a problem that you are having and ask them to help you solve it. How can thinking critically help you solve your problem?