--- to use their knowledge to solve problems, to deal with issues, to explore possibilities and work with ideas. Philosophical Inquiry emphasizes the use of collaborative learning, through class discussion, working with a partner, and small group work. This approach teaches students to think in socially responsible ways. It means that students become not only thinking individuals but also good team-players, with benefits that extend beyond the classroom and the school to community life and the world of work.

Contending that the ability to "earn" understanding will equip students to thrive in school, at work, and in life, the authors highlight seven higher-order thinking skills that facilitate students' acquisition of information for greater retention, retrieval, and transfer. These skills, which cut across content areas and grade levels and are deeply embedded in current academic standards, separate high achievers from their low-performing peers.

Drawing on their deep well of research and experience, the authors

• Explore what kind of content is worth having students make meaning about.

• Provide practical tools and strategies to help teachers target each of the seven thinking skills in the classroom.

• Explain how teachers can incorporate the thinking skills and tools into lesson and unit design.

• Show how teachers can build students' capacity to use the strategies independently.

If our goal is to prepare students to meet the rigorous demands of school, college, and career, then we must foster their ability to respond to such challenges. This comprehensive, practical guide will enable teachers to engage students in the kind of learning that yields enduring understanding and valuable skills that they can use throughout their lives.

The "thunks" in the book cover a broad range of topics including truth, justice, reality, beliefs, the natural world, the human condition, art, beauty, existence, difference between right and wrong, good and bad, life and death, war, religion, love, friendship and a whole lot more. Some examples of "thunks" are:

• What makes something ugly? (Here is a supporting image)

• If I borrow a million dollars am I a millionaire?

• Could a fly cause a plane to crash?

• Are you man-made or natural?

• When you comb your hair is it art?

Not only are "thunks" a fun way to develop thinking skills, but they also hit all the right buttons to encourage children to generate imaginative ideas to stimulate thinking and inquiry; look at and think about things differently and from other points of view; provide examples of what good provocations look like; and ask why, how, what if, or other unusual questions.

Remember, because there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, they are a great resource for teachers to use in the classroom in a myriad of situations or for conversation starters.