The school seeks to enable its students to understand and cope with the maladies of the times, to define and clarify the values and principles that should guide action, and to develop personal behavior consistent with these values and principles. These goals can best be attained through systematic instruction in critical thinking, for these skills are as basic to the total functioning of individuals as are reading and writing skills. Very few concrete strategies have been devised which provide opportunities for development of critical thinking skills; there are many classroom situations which could involve more analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of problems and ideas. Critical reading is an important component of this inquiry process. (DS)