Critical Thinking 12 (Course Description)
This course is designed to help students make sense of their world by thinking critically. It will also help them make important decisions and analyze the decisions that others make by helping them to recognize when information is based on evidence and when conclusions are drawn from logical reasoning. The course will not only help students improve their own thinking skills and therefore the enjoyment of their lives, it will also enable them to be informed citizens of an ever increasingly complicated world. The course will introduce basic critical thinking concepts and skills and will take advantage of a wide variety of sources to explore topics such as logic, arguments, the internet and other media, magic, science and pseudoscience.
When signing up for this course, current grade 10 and 11 students should recognize that effective critical thinking requires a certain degree of emotional and intellectual maturity.
Critical Thinking 12: Course Outline
1 Introduction to Critical Thinking
2 Recognizing Arguments
3 Basic Logical Concepts
4 Language, Emotions and Critical Thinking
5 Logical Fallacies
6 Analyzing and Evaluating Arguments
7 Finding, Evaluating and Using Sources
8 Thinking Critically About the Media
9 Science and Pseudoscience
Here is what students were saying about CT 12 in a December, 2011 survey:
“This is probably the only course I would tell someone to go into regardless of what they want to do in terms of higher education or work.”
“This course has made me a lot more interested in subjects I would never thought I would have liked before.”
“I really like this class, it is one of my favorite’s… The course is very interesting so far, and extremely helpful. I find myself evaluating people’s arguments more, and not being as naive.”
“… I really do find this course interesting and it has turned out to be my favorite course this year.”
“I enjoy the class discussion very much! I can’t wait to discuss more and more, both for the purposes of finding answers to big questions and honing argument skills.”
“A very useful course for other subjects and life!”