Welcome to Think Critically to Anticipate Needs! You already know how to think carefully and look at problems from different angles. Now, you’ll learn how to look ahead and spot what might happen next—so you can be ready, not just surprised.

In this lesson, you’ll learn to:

• Notice patterns and signals that show up again and again
• Use clues to guess what might happen next
• Make a simple guess (a hypothesis) about what’s going on

Once you master these skills, you'll shift from simply reacting to situations to actively shaping them.

Critical thinking isn’t just about what’s happening right now—it’s about noticing what keeps happening. A pattern is something that repeats over time. A signal is a clue that something might be about to happen.

Think of it like this: If you see dark clouds in the sky, you might guess it’s going to rain soon. The dark clouds are a signal. If you notice that your friend always gets quiet before they’re upset, that’s a pattern. These patterns and signals help you guess what might come next.

To spot patterns and signals, ask yourself:

• “Have I seen this happen before?”
• “What usually happens right before this?”

For example, if you notice that you always feel rushed before a big deadline, that’s a pattern. If you start to feel rushed again, it’s a signal that a deadline is coming up.

Here’s a simple conversation:

• Victoria: I noticed that every time I have to give a speech, I start tapping my foot without realizing it.
• Chris: Yeah, and you also get really quiet right before it’s your turn to speak.
• Victoria: So when I catch myself tapping my foot, it might mean I’m starting to feel nervous.
• Chris: Good point. Maybe you could try taking a few deep breaths when you notice that happening.

Victoria and Chris noticed a pattern (Victoria gets quiet before speaking) and a signal (foot tapping means nervousness is starting). By paying attention, Victoria can do something to calm her nerves before she has to speak.

The key is to look beyond the immediate situation. Instead of only addressing what's happening now, train yourself to notice what's been happening repeatedly. When you see the same dynamics play out over and over, you have valuable information for anticipating what comes next.

Once you spot a pattern or signal, you can use the Observe–Anticipate–Hypothesize framework to help you think ahead and make sense of what’s happening.

1. Observe:
Start by looking for clues. Notice what’s happening around you, what happened the last time this pattern showed up, or whether there are signs that something is about to happen again. For instance, you might notice your friend is quiet and not texting back during exam week.

2. Anticipate:
Next, use those clues to think about what might happen next. This doesn’t mean you’re predicting the future with certainty. Instead, you’re making an educated guess based on what you’ve observed. In this case, you might wonder if your friend is feeling stressed because of exams. A helpful question to ask yourself is, “Based on what I’m seeing, what might happen next?” This helps you stay curious and ready, instead of just reacting.

3. Hypothesize:
Finally, make a simple guess, or hypothesis, about what’s going on. You might say, “I think my friend is feeling stressed because of all the exams this week.” This guess connects the pattern (quietness and not texting back) with a possible reason (exam stress). Your guess doesn’t have to be perfect. If you get new information, you can always change your mind. The important thing is to stay curious and keep looking for clues.

Using the Observe–Anticipate–Hypothesize framework helps you think ahead, understand situations better, and respond in a thoughtful way.

Now that you understand how to recognize patterns, anticipate outcomes, and form hypotheses, it's time to put these skills into practice. In the next activities, you’ll spot patterns, look for signals, and make your own guesses about what might happen next. This will help you get better at thinking ahead and solving problems before they get big.