Year 4 Critical thinking: Spring 2 worksheet

“Is That Really What They Said?” is free to print, with no account. It is the first sheet in the Year 4 critical thinking unit “Critical thinking: Spring 2”, for children aged 8 to 9, and takes about 20 minutes.

Print it on A4. The child's pages come first; the answers, and what each wrong answer tells you, are on the grown-up page that follows. Weeks 19 to 24 of the year, 6 sheets in the unit.

Free sample · answers on the last page

Is That Really What They Said?

Name: ____________ · Date: ____________
Year 4 · Critical thinking · about 20 minutes
Answers are on the grown-up page

Today I can spot when someone twists another person's idea into a weaker or more extreme version.

A Look back3 min

1.
Someone says one late night means failing every test. Is that certain? Circle your answer.
Yes, it is certainNo, it is only a guess
2.
Ice creams sold rise each week. Sunburn cases rise too. Does one always cause the other? Circle your answer.
Yes, one always causes the otherNo, both may rise because of a third thing
3.
Mia says “I’m fine, honest.” Her face looks stormy. What might she really mean? Circle your answer.
She is definitely fineShe may not be fine

B Watch me, then you4 min

Ali says: “We should bring a water bottle.” Jo replies: “So you want to ban all drinks!” Did Ali say that?

A water bottle on a school desk next to a lunch box

Watch me

Ali said: bring a water bottle.

Jo said: ban all drinks.

Jo added something Ali never said, so it is a straw man.

Now you

1.
Sam: “Let’s walk to school once a week.” Pip: “So you want us never to ride in a car!” Straw man?
Yes, Pip stretched Sam's idea into something he never saidNo, Pip is just disagreeing with Sam

C Your turn7 min

Read each pair. Decide if the reply twists the first idea or repeats it fairly.

1.
Kit: “We should have a fruit day on Fridays.” Lee: “So you want to ban all sweets forever!” Straw man?
Yes, the reply stretches the ideaNo, the reply repeats the idea fairly
2.
Bea: “Let’s read for ten minutes after lunch.” Max: “So you want no lessons at all!” Straw man?
Yes, the reply stretches the ideaNo, the reply repeats the idea fairly
3.
Ruby: “Let’s read for ten minutes after lunch.” Max: “So you want reading time after lunch?” Straw man?
Yes, the reply stretches the ideaNo, the reply repeats the idea fairly
4.
Ali: “Pets need a clean bowl every day.” Mia: “So you think pets matter more than people!” Straw man?
Yes, the reply stretches the ideaNo, the reply repeats the idea fairly

Say it out loud: What did the reply add, remove or make bigger? Say it out loud.

D Spot the mistake3 min

Ben says: “Ruby said we could have a quiet corner. So Ruby wants no talking at all.”

1.
Is Ben’s summary fair? Write why.

E Think deeper3 min

1.
Write your own real, reasonable idea. Then write a twisted version. Then write one sentence saying what changed.

How did it feel?

I can do it Nearly Not yet

For the grown-up

Is That Really What They Said? · 2 minutes to read

Answers, and what a wrong one tells you

A

1. No, it is only a guess If they say it is certain, ask: which link in the chain is only a guess? Talk about how one step does not always lead to the next.

2. No, both may rise because of a third thing

3. She may not be fine

B

1. Yes, Pip stretched Sam's idea into something he never said If they pick the second card, ask: did Sam say never ride in a car? Make them point to the exact words he used.

C

1. Yes, the reply stretches the idea If they pick the fair reply, ask what Lee added. Nobody said sweets were banned forever.

2. Yes, the reply stretches the idea If they pick the fair reply, ask whether Bea ever asked for no lessons. Go back to her exact words.

3. No, the reply repeats the idea fairly If they pick the stretch card, ask: did Max add anything Ruby did not say? A fair reply sounds like the original.

4. Yes, the reply stretches the idea If they pick the fair reply, ask whether Ali compared pets with people at all. He only talked about a bowl.

D

1. Look for: Says Ruby only asked for a quiet corner, so Ben added no talking at all. If they say it is fair, ask: what exactly did Ruby ask for? Point to the word corner and compare it with the word all.

E

1. Look for: A real idea, a twisted version that is more extreme, and one sentence naming what was added or exaggerated.

Words to use

Say“Go back to the exact words. What did they really say?”

Instead of“Tell them they are being silly for twisting it.”

After the sheet

Play Exact Words at tea: one person says a short idea, the other repeats it back, and the first person checks the exact words.

Tick what your child got right in StudyDen. Anything missed comes back in a later Look back box, so there's no need to redo the sheet.

The rest of this unit

5 more sheets come with a StudyDen plan, in teaching order:

Straw man detective(with a plan)
Is Popular Always Right?(with a plan)
Trust the Famous Face?(with a plan)
Is Everyone Right?(with a plan)
Mapping an Argument(with a plan)

Every Year 4 critical thinking worksheet

The worksheets plan opens a printable sheet for every lesson in Years 1 to 6, each with its answers on a separate page for you. It costs £6.99 a month or £59 a year for the whole family, with no free trial.

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