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Vrijeme u kojem živimo i radimo traži od pojedinca različite kompetencije koje će mu omogućiti kvalitetnije djelovanje u svim aspektima života. Jedna je od tih kompetencija i kritičko mišljenje koje uključuje niz različitih vještina, poput rješavanja problema, donošenja odluka, argumentiranog zaključivanja i vrednovanja na temelju kriterija. Budući da se kritičko mišljenje često smatra jednom od ključnih kompetencija za život i rad u 21. stoljeću, ne čudi činjenica da se važnost razvijanja kritičkog mišljenja naglašava kada je u pitanju odgojno-obrazovno djelovanje. Iako se kod nas vrlo malo pisalo o kritičkom mišljenju u okviru odgojno-obrazovnog procesa, važnost razvoja kritičkog mišljenja u procesu poučavanja i učenja naglašava se u kurikularnim dokumentima. S obzirom na to, cilj ovoga rada je utvrditi, na temelju analize ishoda učenja, koje se vještine kritičkoga mišljenja i u kojoj mjeri potiču međupredmetnim temama. Dobiveni rezultati pokazat će ostvaruju li međupremetne teme jednu od svojih uloga, a to je prihvaćanje i uvažavanje važnosti razvoja kompetencije kritičkog mišljenja u procesu poučavanja i učenja., The time we live and work in requires different competencies that will enable an individual to act better in all aspects of life. One of these competencies is critical thinking, which includes a number of different skills such as problem solving, decision making, reasoning and evaluation based on criteria. Since critical thinking is often considered to be one of the key competencies for living and working in the 21st century, it is not surprising that the importance of developing critical thinking is emphasized when it comes to education. Although very little has been written about critical thinking in Croatia and within the educational process, the importance of developing critical thinking through the process of teaching and learning is emphasized by curricular documents. Thus, the aim of this paper is, based on the analysis of learning outcomes, detecting whether and to what extent cross-curricular subjects encourage the development of critical thinking. The results obtained will, in one hand, indicate the recognition of the importance of developing the competence of critical thinking in the process of education and, in the other, give some insight into the question of cross-curricular subjects successfully accomplishing their purpose which is, among other things, to encourage the development of competencies for the 21st century. Given the complexity of this topic, further research is mandatory in pursuit of conclusion whether and to what extent cross-curricular topics contribute to the development of critical thinking.

This bachelor thesis aims to explore ways in which environmental topics might be integrated into the ESL classroom to improve students' communication skills. The theoretical part is concerned with teaching methods that combine content and language instruction, introduce relevant topics and create an authentic environment for language learning. It further analyses the content and main objectives of Environmental Education as a cross-curricular subject and identifies communication skills as an essential element of soft skills. The thesis examines their possible development through engaging students in discussions about environmental issues. The practical part consists of planning individual lessons whose content derives from topics of Environmental Education and emphasis is placed on communication activities. The lessons were thereafter implemented in an Elementary School ZŠ Drtinova and reflected on using Korthagen's ALACT model. Based on the teaching experience, the practical part contains recommendations for similar lessons. The thesis suggests that English language teachers are in a unique position to promote environmental awareness and improve students' language skills simultaneously.