CROSSSENSE AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING IN LESSONS OF THE INTEGRATED COURSE “I EXPLORE THE WORLD” IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The article is devoted to the methodology of creating and using crosssense in the educational process of primary school learners. Crosssense is an associative visualized puzzle that can serve as a tool for developing critical thinking. The author emphasizes that among the priority tasks of modern education are the formation of learners’ stable motivation to acquire new knowledge, the development of cognitive interest as a driving force of the learning process, and the formation of a system of competencies. All this is possible when learning is engaging, motivating, and developmental. Primary school age is the most suitable period for achieving these goals. This position is justified not only by the age-related characteristics of primary school learners. It has been proven that personal self-development and self-improvement depend on the level of development of soft skills, in particular critical thinking, which enables individuals from an early age to consciously and actively master new social experience, learn to analyze, compare, and correlate phenomena, and accumulate their own sociocultural capital. Among the specific pedagogical advantages of crosssense, the author highlights its universality, as it can be used when teaching any topic and at any stage of a lesson; its creativity, since its application involves the development of critical and/or creative thinking; and its humanistic nature, which is manifested in simplifying the learning process and improving the quality of education. The article presents practical cases of how crosssense can be used in lessons of the integrated course «I Explore the World». Taking into account the integration of educational strands, during topic discussions learners learn to identify connections between concepts and phenomena, develop the ability to argue and explain their own opinions, and are encouraged to be creative and independent. The author concludes that the use of crosssense in the educational activities of primary school learners helps them develop the ability to learn, that is, a set of universal learning actions is formed, the nature and type of which determine the quality of mastering knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and values. Importantly, at the same time, the critical thinking of each learner is developed. Moreover, crosssense is a combination of play, thinking, and learning that makes lessons engaging and effective.