Introducing “Criteria” To Students

When we ask students to “judge with criteria“, we’re pushing them past fluffy “opinion” questions and demanding some real thinking. By changing our criteria, we can completely change the final evaluation. Teaching our students to identify the criteria behind a decision will make them better decision-makers and help them understand others’ points of view.

The Big Idea

Ask your students to consider a situation in which an unpopular decision might actually be correct.

For example, at Disneyland, rides must be shut down periodically for maintenance. Obviously, shutting down rides is very unpopular, but, if the criteria is “safety,” then the decision makes sense.

The final decision depends heavily on the criteria being used to make it.

Introduce Criteria

Introduce the definition of criteria. Feel free to include the fun fact that “criteria” is actually plural and one criteria is called a “criterion.”

Criteria (n): standards by which something is judged.

Clarify this meaning by explaining that a person who believes rides should be kept open is using “entertainment” as their criteria, but someone who thinks that rides should be closed down is thinking about “safety.”

Topic	Criteria	Judgement
Shutting down rides	Entertainment	Rides should remain open
	Safety	Rides should be closed regularly.

The Burger

Practice with a topic that students understand on their own. You might use a hamburger.

Let’s identify two possible (and opposite) evaluations:

• “the burger is worth eating”
• “the burger is not worth eating.”

What possible criteria would lead a person to believe that we should eat burgers? What would lead one to the opposite belief?

Challenge students to come up with several criteria that would explain both decisions. Possibilities are below:

Topic	Criteria	Judgement
Hamburgers	Taste, Hunger, Socializing	The burger is worth eating.
	Health, Allergies, Vegetarianism	The burger is not worth eating.

You could reinforce this with other simple topics such as “exercising” or “going to bed early.” Kids would come up with examples of criteria that would lead to either a positive or negative judgment.

Move to Groups

Once students understand the basics, challenge them to identify the criteria of some less obvious decisions. You might want to make this a group activity so students get to talk with peers.

You might use the idea of increasing or decreasing recess time.

Topic	Criteria	Judgement
Recess Time	???	Recess time should be increased.
	???	Recess time should be decreased.

Apply To Curriculum

Once students have a handle on identifying criteria, start bringing this idea into your grade-level content.

Many topics within your curriculum have two opposing points of view. You can use criteria to help students understand why, at different times, both points of view might be correct.

Topic	Criteria	Judgement
American Revolution		The revolution was justified.
		The revolution was unjustified.
Building The Great Pyramid		The pyramid was not worth it.
		The pyramid was worth it.
Paying taxes		Taxes are a waste of money.
		Taxes are a vital part of our government.
The Giving Tree‘s endless giving		Giving was the proper action.
		Giving was an improper action.
Picasso’s The Old Guitarist		This is a poor painting.
		This is a great painting.