The hexagon method and the development of critical thinking at history lessons

The rapid development of society requires changes in the methods and techniques of teaching the next generation. Today, the following cross-cutting skills have been declared for graduates in Ukraine: reading with understanding, the ability to express one's opinion verbally and in writing, critical and systemic thinking, the ability to logically substantiate a position, creativity, initiative, the ability to constructively manage emotions, assess risks, make decisions, develop to connect problems, the ability to collaborate with other people. The technologies of critical thinking and their use in didactics for teachers are not new. Here it is worth highlighting the following names A. Crawford, V. Saul, S. Matthew, D. Mackinster, S. Terno, A. Pometun etc. One of the methods of developing critical thinking is hexagonal learning or the “hexagon” method. The author of this method is a British history teacher Russell Tarr. In Ukraine, this method is still not widespread among teachers. But in our opinion, this phenomenon is temporary and after some time teachers of all industries will use it. The purpose of the article: to reveal the possibilities of using hexagonal learning in history lessons in secondary and high school. Among the advantages of hexagonal learning can be distinguished: effective systematization of the material; visual representation of theoretical material; interactivity; organization of work in groups, pairs, individually; implementation of an active and differentiated approaches to learning; activization of students, achieving the inclusion of each child in the lesson; adaptability to various age groups; development of spatial and abstract thinking; effective implementation of the developmental potential of a particular lesson; for the implementation, desks and paper patterns of hexagons are enough. Using this method attracts students of different ages, promotes the development of creative and critical thinking, and also provides answers to questions: how to summarize and systematize educational material in a short period of time? how to establish connections between concepts and events, look for evidence and build certain algorithms? how to activate students in the lesson? how to manage a group process?