SRJC Course Outlines

12/8/2024 2:48:26 PMPHIL 5 Course Outline as of Spring 2003

Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION

Discipline and Nbr:  PHIL 5Title:  CRITIC THINK/WRITE  
Full Title:  Critical Thinking/Writing
Last Reviewed:1/23/2023

UnitsCourse Hours per Week Nbr of WeeksCourse Hours Total
Maximum3.00Lecture Scheduled3.0017.5 max.Lecture Scheduled52.50
Minimum3.00Lab Scheduled06 min.Lab Scheduled0
 Contact DHR0 Contact DHR0
 Contact Total3.00 Contact Total52.50
 
 Non-contact DHR0 Non-contact DHR Total0

 Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50 

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:
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The application of the principles of critical thinking to the writing of argumentative essays. Critical reasoning skills are presented and practiced in the context of the construction and the critique of numerous written, extended arguments.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion of ENGL C1000 ( or ENGL 1A)


Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description: Untitled document
The application of the principles of critical thinking to the writing and analysis of extended, argumentative essays.
(Grade or P/NP)

Prerequisites:Course Completion of ENGL C1000 ( or ENGL 1A)
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:Effective:Spring 1991
Inactive: 
 Area:B
Communication and Analytical Thinking
 
CSU GE:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 A3Critical ThinkingFall 1991
 
IGETC:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 1BCritical Thinking - English CompositionFall 1981
 
CSU Transfer:TransferableEffective:Spring 1991Inactive:
 
UC Transfer:TransferableEffective:Spring 1991Inactive:
 
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course



COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
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1.  The students will read extended arguments (diversity of perspective
   and culture will be reflected in the selection of these arguments) and
   write clear, coherent and well organized critical essays analyzing
   and evaluating those arguments. In those critical essays, successful
   students will:
     A. Identify and describe the main conclusion or thesis of the
        argument being critiqued, and demonstrate an understanding
        of its significance.
     B. Identify and paraphrase the main supporting premises for the
        conclusion and the arguments in support of those premises.
     C. Identify vagueness, ambiguity, emotive language and other
        rhetorical elements of the argument, as appropriate.
     D. Make explicit any unstated premises and/or conclusions in the
        argument, as appropriate.
     E. Employ the correct techniques for evaluating the deductive
        and/or inductive structures of the component arguments within
        the larger argument.
     F. Determine and discuss the relevance of premises to conclusions,
        as appropriate.
     G. Detect and describe logical fallacies that may occur in the
        argument.
     H. Evaluate the acceptability of any unsupported statements of
        fact or opinion in the argument, as appropriate.
     I. Perform a summary evaluation of the overall argument.
2.  Students will also construct several essays in which they formulate
   and defend their own positions on topics of controversy. In these
   essays, successful students will:
     A. Select an appropriate topic.
     B. Formulate a clear and defendable conclusion.
     C. Conduct library research on the topic, as appropriate.
     D. Develop strong arguments which are based upon sound
        inferences from clear and acceptable premises. Arguments
        should be free from invalidity, inductive errors, irrelevance
        and logical fallacies.
     E. Anticipate and critique the strongest counter-arguments.
     F. Express their ideas clearly, precisely and unambiguously.
     G. Organize their essays, paragraphs and sentences logically
        and coherently.
     H. Provide the appropriate documentation, as necessary.

Topics and Scope
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Topics and sequences vary but a typical course involves the following:
1.  Presentation of the concept of "argument" and its various
   components (e.g. issue, conclusion, premise, assumption), and
   discussion of methods of identifying these components; practice
   in paraphrasing arguments.
2.  Discussion of clarity in language use; how to recognize unclear
   language and how to improve the clarity of one's own writing.
3.  Description of rhetorical features of argument evaluation (e.g.
   ambiguity, connotation, denotation, euphemism, slanting) and
   practice identifying these features in essays.
4.  Description of the various types of argument (e.g. deductive,
   inductive, syllogism, generalization, analogy, causal argument)
   and practice identifying them in essays.
5.  Presentation and written application of methods for evaluating
   arguments (e.g. validity, soundness, cogency, relevance, logical
   fallacy).
6.  Description and written application of methods for evaluating each
   of the various types of argument.
7.  Description and written application of methods for determining the
   acceptability of claims of fact, value, opinion, etc.
8.  Discussion and written application of methods for selecting
   argumentative essay topics and conclusions.
9.  Discussion and written application of methods for developing and
   presenting relevant support for a conclusion.
10. Practice identifying and responding to the strongest objections to
   one's position.
11. Development of skills in organizing an argumentative essay clearly,
   logically, and coherently by the appropriate use of essay components
   (e.g. introduction, transitions, conclusions, summaries, logical
   relationships between sentences in a paragraph, logical relationships
   between paragraphs in the overall essay).
12. Development of appropriate library research and documentation skills.
13. Practice revising the essay to improve its clarity, coherence,
   accuracy, cogency and logical progression.

Assignments:
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Assignments vary, but students will write a minimum of 5000 words divided
into at least five essays.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.
Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.Writing
70 - 90%
Term papers
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.Problem Solving
5 - 20%
Homework problems
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.Skill Demonstrations
0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.Exams
5 - 25%
Multiple choice
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.Other Category
0 - 0%
None


Representative Textbooks and Materials:
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THE POWER TO PERSUADE:  A RHETORIC AND READER FOR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING,
by Sally DeWitt Spurgin, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
N.J., 1994.
CURRENT ISSUES AND ENDURING QUESTIONS: A GUIDE TO CRITICAL THINKING AND
ARGUMENT WITH READINGS, 4th edition, St. Martins Press, Boston, 1996.
CURRENT ISSUES AND ENDURING QUESTIONS by Sylvan Barnett and Hugo Bedau,
  6th ed., Bedford/St. Martins 2002.

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