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GarethManning
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discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer

Designs discipline-specific critical thinking tasks grounded in domain knowledge and disciplinary reasoning standards.

725|103|Updated Mar 1, 2026
Search Tags:#assessment#pedagogy#lesson planning#curriculum#Critical Thinking#task design#disciplinary thinking
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/GarethManning/claude-education-skills --skill discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer
Source: https://github.com/GarethManning/claude-education-skills/tree/main/skills/curriculum-assessment/discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/GarethManning/claude-education-skills --skill discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Generic critical thinking tasks fail because critical thinking is domain-contingent: students cannot reason critically about content they do not know, and good thinking in history differs from good thinking in science. This Skill designs critical thinking tasks embedded in specific subject content, with knowledge prerequisites checked and disciplinary thinking standards made explicit.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Knowledge Prerequisite Check: Assesses whether students have sufficient domain knowledge before the task is designed, flagging gaps that must be addressed first.
  • Disciplinary Thinking Standards: Defines what good reasoning looks like in the specific subject (e.g., source corroboration in history, controlled variables in science) rather than generic thinking skills.
  • Intellectual Resources Scaffolding: Addresses all five of Bailin et al.'s intellectual resources — background knowledge, operational knowledge, critical concepts, heuristics, and habits of mind.
  • Use Case: A Year 9 history teacher inputs "causes of World War One" and receives a structured task evaluating competing historical interpretations (Fischer vs. revisionist positions), complete with primary sources, assessment criteria focused on reasoning quality, and teacher development notes.

Quick Start

Ask the AI to design a critical thinking task for your curriculum topic, learner stage, and subject discipline.

Frequently Asked Questions about discipline-specific-critical-thinking-task-designer

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I design a critical thinking task for a specific subject?▼

Provide the curriculum topic, learner stage, and discipline. The skill checks whether students have sufficient domain knowledge, defines discipline-specific thinking standards, selects one primary thinking demand, and scaffolds the intellectual resources students need to execute the task.

Why are generic critical thinking tasks ineffective?▼

Research by Willingham (2007) shows critical thinking is domain-contingent: students cannot think critically about content they know too little about, and thinking standards differ across disciplines. Generic tasks produce students who can name thinking moves but cannot execute them meaningfully.

What inputs does this critical thinking task designer require?▼

Three inputs are required: the curriculum topic being studied, the learner stage (age or year group), and the discipline or subject. Optional inputs include students' knowledge baseline, existing learning targets, and a preferred thinking focus such as evaluating evidence.

Can this skill assess student work or only design tasks?▼

It designs tasks and provides assessment guidance with criteria for quality reasoning, but it does not grade student responses. The criteria assess the reasoning process rather than conclusion correctness and can feed into a separate rubric-building skill.

What are the limitations of critical thinking task design without domain knowledge?▼

Without sufficient background knowledge, students produce opinion dressed as reasoning rather than genuine analysis. The skill explicitly flags insufficient knowledge baselines and recommends what must be established before the task can work.

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