CRTW 201H-001 (MW 9:30 p.m. 10:45 p.m.)

Spring 2015 Class Schedule

Note: All assignments are due in class on the days next to which they appear in the schedule. Thinking Journal

Assignments must be completed and submitted to Turnitin by midnight on the assigned due date.

Date In-Class Discussion Topics Assignments, Homework, Due Dates

M Jan. 12 Introduction to the Course and Course

Policies

Note: Read all assigned texts carefully, annotating

your texts. Complete all assigned exercises in your

Thinking Journal and submit entries on time to

Turnitin.com. Please note that there will be some

unannounced quizzes on the assigned readings.

W Jan. 14 What is Critical Thinking? Critical

Reading Strategies

Read LTTT, To the Student, pp. xxiv xxvi, and

Chp. 1, pp. 1 16. Read The Thinkers Guide to

Analytic Reasoning (TGAR) pp. 4 6 and 10 11.

Homework: Print, read, and annotate How to Read

Critically, website.

F Jan. 16 Last Day to Add/Drop Classes.

M. Jan. 19 MLK Holiday No Classes.

W Jan. 21 Impediments to Critical Thinking

Read LTTT, pp. 16 25. Print, read, and annotate

This is Water, website.

M Jan. 26 Some Critical Thinking Strategies: SEE-I Read LTTT, pp. 26 40. Watch and discuss Metro

video in class. Read TJ 2 assignment and begin

planning.

In-Class Group Activity: Writing a SEE-I

TJ 1 Due Critical Reading

W Jan. 28 The Elements of Reasoning Read LTTT, pp. 47 64. Read and discuss Prisoners

of the Wired World, website.

M Feb. 2 The Elements of Reasoning

Read LTTT, pp. 64 78. Read The Thinkers Guide

to Analytic Reasoning (TGAR) pp. 14 21. Bring

your Thinkers Guide booklet to class with you every

day for the remainder of the semester.

In-class analysis: The Logic of an Article.

W Feb. 4 The Elements of Reasoning Continue to Discuss the Elements of Reasoning. In-

Class PowerPoint Activity Analyzing Elements.

Bring Nosich and TGAR to class.

TJ 2 Due Impediments

M Feb. 9 The Standards of Critical Thinking Read LTTT, pp. 133 155.

W Feb. 11 The Standards of Critical Thinking; Logical

Fallacies

Read LTTT, pp. 155 162. Logical Fallacy Handouts

provided in class.

In-Class Group Activity: Analysis of Logical

Fallacies.

Essay One Due: Self-Analysis Incorporating

Filters/Barriers/Impediments

M Feb. 16 Fundamental and Powerful Concepts Read LTTT, Chp. 3, pp. 101 125.

W Feb. 18 The Core Process of Critical Thinking;

Character Traits of the Critical Thinker

Read LTTT, Chp. 5, pgs. 168 175.

Exploring Concepts: Strong and Weak Sense Critical

Thinkers Sophistic Verses Socratic Thinking; But

They Did Not Give Up

Exploring Concepts: J. K. Rowling on Failure

Sunday,

Feb. 25

TJ 3 Due: SEE-I of F and P Concepts in Tavris.

Note Sunday midnight due date. TJ 3 should be

completed before class discussion on Monday, Feb.

23rd.

M Feb. 23 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, MWM, Introduction. Read A Note to

the Reader and Why Wont They Admit Theyre

Wrong? And Other Skeptics Mysteries from

Psychobabble and Biobunk, website and listserv.

(Bring TGAR to class each class day we discuss

Tavris.)

W Feb. 25 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, Chapter One, Cognitive Dissonance:

The Engine of Self-Justification.

Homework: Look for copies of cognitive dissonance

in a current news stories. Bring one example in to

share and discuss (electronic copy okay).

R Feb. 26 Interim Grades Due

M Mar. 2 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, Chapter Two, Pride and Prejudice . . .

and Other Blind Spots.

Review for In-Class Midterm Essay

TJ 4 Due: Assumptions

W Mar. 4 In-Class Analytical Essay Using Elements (Essay

Two)

M Mar. 9 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, Chapter Three, Memory, the Self-

justifying Historian.

Chapter Three Group Presentation and Discussion

W Mar. 11 Mistakes Were Made

Course Withdrawal Deadline

Read Tavris, Chapter Four, Good Intentions, Bad

Science: The Closed Loop of Clinical Judgment.

Chapter Four Group Presentation and Discussion

Last day to withdraw from courses (automatic

N) without documentation of extenuating

circumstances.

Mar. 16-18 Spring Break No Classes.

M Mar. 23 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, Chapter Five, Law and Disorder.

Chapter Five Group Presentation and Discussion

W Mar. 25 Advising begins. In-Class Discussion of Research Paper Topic.

Essay Three Due in Class: Analysis and

Assessment Using the Standards.

M Mar. 30 Mistakes Were Made Read Tavris, Chapter Six, Loves Assassin: Self-

justification in Marriage.

Chapter Six Group Presentation and Discussion

TJ 5 Due: Analyzing a Position With Which You

Disagree

W Apr. 1 Mistakes Were Made

Read Tavris, Chapter Seven, Wounds, Rifts, and

Wars.

Chapter Seven Group Presentation and Discussion

Due in Class: Tentative Narrowed Topic for

Research Paper.

M Apr. 6 Mistakes Were Made

Read Tavris, Chapter Eight, Letting Go and Owning

Up, and Afterword. Bring TGAR with you to

class.

W Apr. 8 Critical Thinking Within a Field or

Discipline

Read LTTT, Chp. 3, pp. 86 100. Read The

Thinkers Guide to Analytic Reasoning (TGAR) pp.

34 42.

Early Registration Begins.

M. Apr. 13 Generating Critical Thinking Questions;

Multiple-System Questions

Read LTTT, Chp. 5, pgs. 176 190.

You should be researching your research paper

topic right now. Remember that the Annotated

Bibliography is due in one week.

W Apr. 15 Constructing a Classical Argument

In-Class Instruction on Constructing and Writing

a Classical Argument. Discussion of Dacus

Database Sources.

M Apr. 20 Critical Writing Read LTTT, Chp. 5, pgs. 190 197. In-Class

Instruction on Writing and Supporting Arguments.

They Say, I Say Techniques for Articulation of

Complex Arguments.

Due in Class: Annotated Bibliography

W Apr. 22 MLA Documentation

In-Class Discussion of MLA Documentation Format.

Print, read, and annotate The Correct Use of

Borrowed Information, website.

Toolbox Activity in Class.

TJ 6 Due: Generating and Asking Multiple

System Questions.

M Apr. 27 Last Day of Classes. Course Evaluations, a.k.a. Gadget Day! Bring with

you a laptop, smart phone, I-Pad, tablet, etc. to

complete online course evaluations.

Review for Final Essay Exam. Information

presented on final examination.

T Apr. 28 Study Day Essay Four Due: Research Paper and Self-

Analysis. No late papers will be accepted. Submit

papers in a folder to Bancroft 241.

T May 5 11:30 a.m. Final Exam (In-Class Essay)

Optional Revision Due