Critical thinking is defined as analyzing and thinking objectively about an issue to form a judgment. Critical thinking skills are important for high school students because they encourage decision-making based on logic and reason, which will serve them well in adulthood.
In fact, it has been proven that having critical thinking skills leads to success in interpersonal, financial, and business endeavors and serves to protect against negative outcomes.
Critical thinking questions are those that encourage the development of the following skills:
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Analytical
- Creativity
- Open-mindedness
Let’s review some of the best questions that encourage critical thinking in high school students.
47 Critical Thinking Questions for High School Students
Question 1
If you could make your own country, what would it look like? What rules would your citizens follow?
Question 2
If you could go back in time two years and give your younger self advice, what advice would you give?
Question 3
If you found out you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you decide to do with your last day on earth?
Question 4
If you were offered the opportunity to get on a spaceship bound for a distant planet, and you would be one of the first colonizers, would you do it?
Question 5
If a train was heading down a track without brakes and you had the switch that would turn it to either one of two tracks, and there was a baby on one track and an old woman on the other, who would you choose to let live? Why?
Question 6
If everyone in the world stopped using social media, would it be a good thing or a bad thing? Defend your answer.
Question 7
If your best friend was doing something dangerous that could kill them or put them in jail, would you tell someone even if it meant never speaking to them again?
Question 8
Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Why or why not?
Question 9
Should euthanasia be legal? Why or why not?
Question 10
Is it better to take one life in order to save 5 lives? What about 10? 20?
Question 11
If you had the power to solve one major problem on earth, what problem would you solve?
Question 12
If you could transport yourself instantly anywhere in the world, what place would you choose?
Question 13
If you were stranded on a desert island, what item would you choose to bring with you, provided you would have an endless supply of food and water?
Question 14
Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? Why or why not?
Question 15
If you could spend one day with any person on earth, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Question 16
Is it more important to have a strong military or universal healthcare? Why or why not?
Question 17
What defines adulthood? When does adulthood begin?
Question 18
Which is more important – solving climate change or solving world hunger?
Question 19
Would you rather be blind or deaf? Why?
Question 20
How would you describe a tree without using the words green, branches, or leaves?
Question 21
If you could describe the color red to a blind person, how would you describe it? What about the color blue?
Question 22
If you had the ability to transform into any animal at any time you wanted, what animal would you choose and why?
Question 23
If you could live in any historical time period, which time period would you choose and why?
Question 24
Would you rather die by falling off a skyscraper or being buried in a landslide? Why?
Question 25
How does someone become a good person? Can a bad person change into a good person? How?
Question 26
Would you rather to never have to eat or never have to sleep? Why?
Question 27
Is it better to have 1 million dollars in the bank or donate 10 million dollars to charity? Why or why not?
Question 28
How would you describe an airplane to someone who had never seen or heard of one?
Question 29
Is it better to be ignored or gossiped about? Why?
Question 30
What makes humans more important than animals?
Question 31
Is murder every justifiable? Why or why not?
Question 32
Is the death penalty immoral? Why or not?
Question 33
What characteristics make a good leader?
Question 34
If ignorance ever an excuse for breaking the law? Why or why not?
Question 35
What is more important in life: love, health, or money?
Question 36
Is it better to be feared or loved? Why?
Question 37
If you had the chance to travel through time and change one historical event, what event would you change and why? How would you change it?
Question 38
If you suddenly had a life expectancy of 500 years, would you change the way you live your life? What about if your life expectancy dropped 10 years?
Question 39
Think about the birth order with you and your siblings, if you have any. Would you rather change your birth order or remain where you are?
Question 40
If you had five minutes to defend the human race against an alien civilization who were going to destroy humanity, what would you say?
Question 41
Would you want to live forever? Why or why not?
Question 42
Is it the responsibility of wealthy countries to help impoverished countries? Why or why not?
Question 43
If you could change one rule in your family, what rule would it be and why?
Question 44
Do someone’s actions impact their value as a person, such as serial killers?
Question 45
How do you define evil?
Question 46
Is it the government’s job to ban harmful substances like drugs or alcohol, or is it the citizens’ responsibility to look after their own health?
Question 47
Should people be required to take a test before having a baby? Why or why not?
References
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is-critical-thinking-important/
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/how-to-develop-critical-thinking-skills/0/steps/335512#:~:text=We%20develop%20specific%20techniques%20that,%2C%20independently%2C%20and%20effectively.%E2%80%9D
