Critical Thinking EAP Worksheets, Games & Activities

EAP Critical Thinking Worksheet - Reading and Writing Exercises: Identifying, Answering Questions - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this free critical thinking worksheet, students learn the differences between facts and opinions and practice distinguishing between the two. First, students read a text explaining the differences between facts and opinions and answer questions in their own words. Students then read four statements and discuss them with a partner to decide if each one is a fact or an opinion. Next, students complete statements using words and phrases from a box. After that, students categorise the words and phrases according to whether they signal a fact or an opinion. Following that, students read a text about opinions that are disguised as facts. Students then choose a statement and analyse it by answering questions. Finally, students read a rewritten statement to a partner and ask them if it is a fact or an opinion, and why they think so. show less

EAP Logical Fallacies Worksheet - Reading and Writing Exercises: Matching, Identifying, Rewriting a Speech, Peer Review - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this useful logical fallacies worksheet, students learn about common logical fallacies and practice identifying them. First, in pairs, students discuss three questions that introduce the topic. Students then read a text about logical fallacies and match the words in bold from the text to their definitions. Next, students read about common logical fallacies and match statements to the correct fallacy. After that, students read two opening speeches of a debate and underline the logical fallacies. Students then answer questions about the opening speeches. Following that, students choose an opening speech and rewrite it, removing the logical fallacies and improving the strength of the argument. Finally, students swap opening speeches with a partner, who provides feedback. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Activity - Speaking Activity: Guided Discussion, Communicative Practice - Pair and Group Work In this comprehensive critical thinking activity, students discuss realistic academic scenarios to practice key critical thinking skills, such as evaluating sources, identifying bias, and explaining logical fallacies. In pairs, students take turns picking up a scenario card and reading it aloud. The scenarios focus on key critical thinking competencies: evaluating source reliability, identifying logical fallacies, questioning research claims, recognising bias, and strengthening arguments. Next, the two students discuss the scenario for three minutes using the questions on the card. Then, the other student turns over the next card, and so on. The activity continues until students have discussed all eight cards. Next, pairs choose one scenario that they found interesting or challenging and discuss three questions from the board. After a few minutes, pairs join together to make groups of four. In their groups, each pair discusses their chosen scenario with the other pair. Groups then give a summary of their discussion to the class. Finally, students tell the class how they can apply the critical thinking skills they practiced in the activity to their academic work and everyday life. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Worksheet- Reading Exercises: Identifying, Making Inferences, Form Completion - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Presenting, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this identifying bias worksheet, students practice identifying bias through text analysis. First, students read a short introduction to bias. In pairs, students then discuss two questions related to bias. Students then compare two news excerpts describing the same event and analyze how bias is presented in each one. Next, students read an extract from an academic article and answer bias-related questions. Students then select a topic, conduct an online search to find two articles from different sources and use a checklist to assess bias in each, recording their findings in a Bias Analysis Table. After that, each pair prepares a short presentation summarizing their analysis and presents it to the class. Finally, pairs discuss questions about their two articles and then give feedback to the class. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Worksheet- Reading and Writing Exercises: Comprehension Questions, Paragraph Writing - Speaking Activity: Discussion, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this critical thinking worksheet, students learn about critical thinking and examine a case study of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, analysing how he uses critical thinking skills, and applying those skills to solve a mystery of their own. First, students identify five adjectives they think describe a critical thinker and discuss them with a partner. Students then read a text about critical thinking and match words from the text to their definitions. Next, students answer comprehension questions based on the text. After that, students read a text about Sherlock Holmes and answer true or false questions. In pairs, students then imagine they are detectives using critical thinking to solve a case. Students then discuss notes they took at the crime scene and write a paragraph about what they think happened. Finally, pairs share their deductions with the class and explain their reasoning. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Game - Reading and Speaking: Identifying, Discussion, Giving Reasons, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this entertaining logical fallacy game, students bid on arguments presented in an academic context and earn points by correctly identifying and explaining the logical fallacies they contain. Each team receives $100 in play money and a reference sheet explaining common fallacies like Appeal to Emotion, Ad Hominem, and Straw Man arguments. The teacher acts as an auctioneer, presenting each argument for bidding starting at $5, with teams strategically deciding which arguments to purchase based on their confidence in identifying the underlying fallacy. After all arguments have been sold, teams take turns identifying and explaining the fallacy in each argument they purchased, earning one point for each correct answer. If a team incorrectly identifies their fallacy, other teams can challenge and steal the point by providing the correct answer. The team that scores the most points by correctly identifying fallacies wins the game. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Game - Listening and Speaking Game: Bingo, Identifying, Explaining, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this intriguing critical thinking game, students play bingo by identifying and explaining common logical fallacies in arguments. In groups, the bingo caller reads a scenario that contains a logical fallacy from the caller's sheet. The players listen and look at the logical fallacies on their bingo cards to see if they have a fallacy that matches the scenario. If they do, they cross it off. When a player has crossed off three fallacies in a row, they shout 'Bingo!' and read the logical fallacies they crossed off. If the logical fallacies match the scenarios ticked on the caller's sheet, the caller reads each scenario again, and the player explains the logical fallacy. If the player is unable to explain the fallacies, the game continues. If the player can, they win the round. Players then continue to see who can cross off all nine logical fallacies. Groups play several rounds, with students taking turns being the bingo caller and players using a different bingo card each time. show less

EAP Critical Thinking Game - Reading and Speaking: Identifying, Discussion, Giving Reasons, Communicative Practice - Group Work This engaging critical thinking game helps students practice identifying and explaining logical fallacies in arguments. In groups, students read a logical fallacy cheat sheet and then turn over one card at a time, read the scenario aloud and discuss if it contains a logical fallacy, focusing on how the scenario demonstrates or fails to demonstrate a logical fallacy. If a fallacy is present, students underline the text that contains the fallacy and write the type of fallacy on the card. If not, students write 'no fallacy'. Afterwards, go through the scenarios with the class and elicit answers and reasons from each group. When all the groups have given their responses, reveal the correct answer. For each correct answer, groups score one point. The group with the most points at the end of the game wins. Finally, lead a brief class discussion on how identifying logical fallacies strengthens critical thinking, emphasising its impact on analytical reasoning, decision-making, and argument formation. show less