Which of the following questions promotes critical and creative thinking in…

Questions that build critical and creative thinking ask a learner to weigh more than one possible response, choose one, and justify that choice — this pushes the learner into the higher-order thinking levels of Bloom's taxonomy (analysing, evaluating, creating). A question with a single fixed factual answer only exercises memory and recall, which are lower-order thinking skills.

Applying this to the four questions offered here: "Which can be the best way to save water and why?" asks the child to consider several possible ways of saving water, judge which one is best, and give a reason for that judgement — exactly the evaluate-and-justify process that builds critical and creative thinking.

• "Where does water come from in your city?" has one fixed factual answer and needs no comparison of options or justification.

• "How many states and how many capitals are there in your country?" asks for a specific count that is simply recalled or looked up, with nothing to weigh or justify.

• "What is the name of your country and its geographical location on the map?" asks for a name and a location — again a single correct fact, with no scope for reasoning or weighing alternatives.

Because it is the only question that requires evaluation and justification rather than a single recalled fact, "Which can be the best way to save water and why?" is the question that best promotes critical and creative thinking in children.