In developing critical thinking skills, students often need a vehicle of sorts to enter the conversation. Literary criticism and critical theory can serve as an entry point into a deeper understanding of the text. Additionally, literary criticism can be a way to extend learning beyond the classroom into the larger realms of consumer, political, and popular culture. This six-hour virtual session, divided into two parts, will provide teachers with a general understanding of literary criticism and critical theory as well as offer tools to help students utilize literary criticism when reading any type of text. While applicable to all levels of learners, this session will focus on preparing students for advanced learning environments such as the Advanced Placement classroom. Teachers will leave this session with several strategies and will create a lesson that they can implement immediately.