📖 Key Readings/Resources

This section has the most important materials connected to the course. 

Here you’ll find: 

• 📖 Key readings 

• 🎥 Helpful videos 

• 🔗 Useful links and tools 

Use these resources to go deeper, understand the topics better, and level up your knowledge. 

If you want to explore more — this is the place to start.   

The core lesson materials are connected directly to particular lessons. The optional resources provide additional explanations and examples for participants who would like to strengthen their critical-thinking skills. 

Course-Created Presentations 

The following presentations were developed specifically for this course and are available in their corresponding lessons: 

• Lesson 1 presentation: Introduction to critical thinking_understanding social problems 
• Lesson 2 presentation: Narratives, Stereotypes, and Media Framing 
• Lesson 4 presentation: From Local to Global Understanding the Bigger Picture 

These presentations introduce and explain the main concepts, examples, and practical frameworks used in the lessons. 

Lesson-Specific Materials

Lesson 3 – Understanding Root Causes

Enhance Community Problem-Solving With Root Cause Analysis – Part 1

This video introduces root-cause analysis and explains why effective community problem-solving requires us to look beyond the visible symptoms of a problem. 

Enhance Community Problem-Solving With Root Cause Analysis – Part 2

The second part continues the root-cause analysis process and explores how it can be applied when examining complex community problems. 

Lesson 5 – Inequality, Opportunity and Structural Barriers

The Unequal Opportunity Race

This animated video illustrates how structural inequalities, discrimination, and unequal starting conditions can affect people’s opportunities and life outcomes. 

Lesson 6 – Why Ethics Matter

Ethics in Innovation: A Key Pillar for the Future

This article explores ethical dilemmas connected to innovation and introduces principles that can help innovators consider responsibility, fairness, transparency, privacy, inclusion, and possible long-term consequences. 

Read Ethics in Innovation: A Key Pillar for the Future

Why You Should Care About Ethical Social Innovation and How It Can Be Tackled

This article examines why social innovators must consider vulnerable people, community participation, informed consent, communication, risk, and unintended consequences when developing solutions. 

Read Why You Should Care About Ethical Social Innovation

Lesson 7 – From Critical Thinking to Action

From Critical Thinking to Action

This video connects critical reflection with responsible action. It encourages participants to use questioning, analysis, evidence, and awareness of different perspectives when deciding how to respond to a problem. 

Use the video to reflect on how critical thinking can support decisions and actions that are informed, inclusive, ethical, and responsive to the needs of affected communities. 

Optional Videos to Strengthen Critical Thinking

These introductory videos provide additional explanations of critical thinking. They are recommended but are not compulsory unless your facilitator indicates otherwise. 

5 Tips to Improve Your Critical Thinking – Samantha Agoos

This TED-Ed video presents a practical process for approaching questions, gathering relevant information, examining consequences, and considering different perspectives. 

What Is Critical Thinking?

A short introduction to critical thinking and the skills involved, including analysis, evaluation, interpretation, reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving. 

This Tool Will Help Improve Your Critical Thinking – Erick Wilberding

This TED-Ed video introduces the Socratic Method and demonstrates how careful questioning can help us examine assumptions, beliefs, arguments, and possible contradictions. 

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Process – Community Tool Box

A comprehensive guide to defining social problems, examining evidence, identifying causes, generating solutions, and moving toward action. 

Explore Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Use the 17 SDGs to connect local social problems with wider national and global challenges. 
Explore the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Analyzing Root Causes: The “But Why?” Technique – Community Tool Box

A practical guide for moving beyond visible symptoms and investigating the conditions that allow a problem to continue. 
Learn the “But Why?” Technique

Stakeholder Mapping and Analysis – BetterEvaluation

A guide for identifying relevant people, communities, organizations, and institutions, including their interests and relationships. 
Explore Stakeholder Mapping