The Thinking Routines below are from Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, which offers free information on their website, www.pz.harvard.edu/who-we-are 

5 of my favorite Visible Thinking Routines: 

1. http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/think-pair-share

Ask a question, allow students time to think, then stuidents share thoughts with a peer.  This activity supports active listening skills. It gives students a chance to articulate and think 'out loud.' Students can also share in small groups or summarize for the class. I would use this in the classic 2-student groupings first, where students have the highest degree of emotional safety. Speaking with a peer about text or ideas is powerful and doesn't have to take a lot of time. In my lesson plans, I use think-pair-share in the middle of lessons as a way to 'check in' and listen for understanding as I circulate around the room. This can help guide my own teaching in the next portion of class and gives students an engaging activity. 

2. http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/i-used-to-think-now-i-think

This routine helps students synthesize new content into exisiting knowledge. Prompt students to write or talk about what they used to think about a topic... then reflect a bit and write or talk about what they think now about the same topic. This puts students in touch with they way learnin can shift thinking. This thinking routine works well when reading or listening to challenging texts. Make sure you have built a solid foundation of community respect for all students in your classroom before engaging in group discussion of this routine. 

3. http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/peel-the-fruit

I use this thinking routine for longer term explorations: there is an acutal learing map to post on the classroom wall as a tool to show steps and progress while the class is engaging in learning about a complex topic. For example, in a unit on wellness, the outer areas may be basics liek get enough sleep, or exercise, or eat healthy food. Inner layers may be uncovered over time: why? what happens in the brain when we don't get enough sleep? How does that affect interpersonal relations? There are layers and levels to learning, and this thinking routine illustrates the concept well. Students can interact with the routine over time. 

4. http://www.pz.harvard.edu/node/773277 +1 Routine

The +1 Routine is a routine teachers can use early on in any classroom. After any reading, video, lexcure, or other form of input, students write lists of ideas they want to remember from their memory only (not notes) on good old fashioned pieces of paper. They then pass the papers to the right, and the new student adds on one new thing. Repeat this several times, then return the paper to it's original author. This routine works well for learning important recall, note taking, and working memory skills. I use this as an alternative to classic note taking, and I find it helps students listen more closely and build better recall over time. 

5. http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/circle-of-viewpoints 

A fun way to engage in this thinking routine is with 'costumes' such as glasses, a coat, or other prop which feels safe and effective to designate that the student is stepping into another character's metaphorical shoes. First, brainstorm perspectives. Choose one perspective to explore and use the sentence starters found in the Project Zero document, linked above. I like using this with artwork, poetry, or photography that may be challenging or include complex issues. It allows students to explre different angles and viewpoints. Like "I Used to Think ... Now I Think," this routine works better partway into the school year, when community and safe discussion routines have been established.