12/26/2024 7:16:07 AM	ENGL C1001 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ENGL C1001	Title:  CRIT THINKING AND WRITI
Full Title:  Critical Thinking and Writing
Last Reviewed:10/28/2024

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

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

Catalog Description:

In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 College Reading and Writing (C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course.

 

Additionally at SRJC, students will further develop logical reasoning skills, inquiry-driven research strategies, as well as analytical and argumentative writing skills. Students will critically analyze texts that reflect an awareness of cultural diversity, inclusivity, and representation.

 

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Prerequisites (Identical): College-level composition (ENGL C1000/C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 College Reading and Writing (C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course.

 

Additionally at SRJC, students will further develop logical reasoning skills, inquiry-driven research strategies, as well as analytical and argumentative writing skills. Students will critically analyze texts that reflect an awareness of cultural diversity, inclusivity, and representation.

 

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:Prerequisites (Identical): College-level composition (ENGL C1000/C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Spring 1992	Inactive:
Area:	B	Communication and Analytical Thinking
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	A3	Critical Thinking		Fall 1992
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	1B	Critical Thinking - English Composition		Fall 1993
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 1992	Inactive:
C-ID:
CID Descriptor: ENGL 105	Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking	SRJC Equivalent Course(s): ENGLC1001

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of principles of critical thinking.

2. Critically analyze texts, media, and everyday experiences.

3. Compose inquiry-driven, researched argumentative, critical analysis, and response texts.

 

Objectives:

Statewide Required Objectives/Outcomes:

 

1. Define, recognize, and utilize forms of critical reasoning, including deductive and inductive reasoning, in a variety of rhetorical contexts.

2. Reflect critically on one's own thought processes to identify and avoid cognitive biases and common fallacies of language and thought.

3. Employ critical reading and research strategies to locate and evaluate complex texts representative of diverse experiences, perspectives, and forms of authority.

4. Evaluate and document evidence to construct arguments in a variety of rhetorical situations, distinguishing knowledge from belief and fact from judgment.

5. Draft written arguments to respond appropriately to texts, with attention to intended audience, purpose, and social context, and revise for clarity, cogency, persuasiveness, and soundness.

 

Expanded and Additional Local Objectives/Outcomes:

 

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Critical Thinking Objectives

    A. Evaluate the efficacy and soundness of arguments and criticize complex ideas in the readings and in their own compositions.

    B. Identify common logical errors or fallacies of language and thought.

    C. Distinguish between and use denotative and connotative aspects of language for appropriate rhetorical ends.

    D. Draw inferences from a variety of sources (e.g. print, media, Internet and electronic databases).

    E. Identify manipulations of rhetoric, such as propaganda, charged language, and slanted facts, in the readings and in their own compositions.

2. Composition Objectives

    A. Write thesis-driven essays of varying lengths.

     B. Employ writing strategies including analysis, synthesis, and summary.

    C. Employ writing strategies including causal analysis, advocacy of ideas, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, interpretation, and definition.

    D. Utilize rhetorical appeals, such as, ethos, logos, kairos, and pathos.

    E. Employ effective writing techniques including organization for logic and coherence; genre expectations; revision for focus, clarity, precision, and diction; intentional use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

    F. Compile library research and evaluate sources with respect to their relevance, reliability, and appropriateness to the rhetorical context for application in compositions.

    G. Engage in reflective writing processes, including drafting, revising, receiving feedback on drafts, and critically evaluating one's own thought processes.

Topics and Scope

Statewide Required Topics:

 

Develop writing and reading skills for logical reasoning and argumentation using primarily nonfiction texts. Minimum 5,000 words of writing which may include a combination of drafts, written peer response, and other forms of writing that inform students' inquiry-driven research and writing process. Students should revise and receive feedback from their instructor on at least one extended argument.

 

Expanded and Additional Local Topics:

 

I. Motives for Writing

II. Assumptions, Bias, and Value Judgments

III. The Power of Language

    1. Denotative/Connotative

    2. Charged vs. neutral language

    3. Propaganda

    4. Gender bias in language

IV. Audience, Purpose, Genre, Social Context, and Point of View

V. The Claim

    1. Developing a research question

    2. Framing a claim in response to research

    3. Classifying the claim

VI. Supporting the Argument

    1. Varieties of support

    2. Arranging an argument's support

    3. Definitions

    4. Evaluating statistics

    5. Evaluating academic sources

    6. Evaluating online sources

    7. Evaluating popular and anecdotal sources

    8. Application of Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format

VII. Making Reasonable Arguments

    1. Formal logic

    2. Avoiding fallacies

VIII. Writing Essays Using Arguments

    1. Arguing facts

    2. Arguing cause

    3. Arguing evaluations

    4. Arguing recommendations

IX. Evaluating Media Sources

Assignments:

As indicated by CalGETC guidelines, instructors' curricular design and assessment methods attend to fairness, equity, and access.

1. Reading assignments by authors from various cultures, disciplines, and periods

2. Writing multiple essays of varying lengths including at least one essay that incorporates analysis of primary and secondary sources and uses MLA documentation.  Per CALGETC standards, students will compose a minimum of 5000 words of writing. Students should revise and receive feedback on at least one extended argument from their instructors.

3. Informal writing or other kinds of short assignments to inform students' inquiry-driven research, to reflect on their learning, knowledge, and writing process, and to reinforce course concepts, such as:

         a. assumption, bias, value judgments

        b. charged language

        c. identification of logical fallacies and generalization

        d. evaluations of research sources

        e. practice of MLA system for documentation

Additional assignments as determined by instructor may include:

1. Exams and/or quizzes

2. Group project and/or presentation

 

Statewide Required Methods of Evaluation:

 

Methods of Evaluation: used to observe or measure students' achievement of course outcomes are at the discretion of local faculty but must include at least one extended argument through draft and revision. Additional assessments could include, but are not limited to, peer evaluations, discussions, metacognitive reflections, presentations, quizzes, exams, projects, etc.

 

Expanded and Additional Local Methods of Evaluation: See table below.

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 50 - 80%
Essays of varying lengths, including one extended argument: short assignments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
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 0 - 30%
Exams and/or quizzes (if assigned)
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 20%
Attendance; participation in class discussion; group presentations

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Statewide Representative Textbooks:

 

Materials shall be primarily non-fiction, are expected to represent culturally diverse perspectives, and will vary by individual institutions and sections. A writing handbook must be included. Open Educational Resources (OER) materials are encouraged.

 

Additional Local Representative Textbooks:

 

Bullock, Richard,et al. The Little Seagull Handbook, 5th edition. W.W. Norton & Company. 2024.

 

Mills, Anna. How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College. OER Libretexts.

2022. How Arguments Work - A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College (Mills) - Humanities LibreTexts.

Rottenberg, Annette. The Elements of Argument. Bedford/St, Martins. 2021.

Paul, Richard, and Linda Elder. Critical Thinking. The Foundation of Critical Thinking. 2022.

Barnet, Sylvan. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Bedford/St. Martins. 2022.

Booth, Wayne C. et al. The Craft of Research. U of Chicago P. 2024.

Foresman, Galen A., and Peter S. Fosl. The Critical Thinking Toolkit. Wiley-Blackwell. 2016.

 

Everything's an Argument. 9th ed. Lunsford, Andrea and Ruszkiewicz, John. Bedford/St. Martin. 2021.

Elements of Argument. 13th ed. Rottenberg, Annette and Winchell, Donna. Bedford/St. Martin. 2020.

The Thinker's Guide to Fallacies. Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda. The Foundation for Critical Thinking. 2014 (classic).

The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking. 8th ed. Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda. The Foundation for Critical Thinking. 2019.

Thinking for Yourself. 9th ed. Mayfield, Marlys. Wadsworth. 2013 (classic).

The Routledge Handbook of Comparative World Rhetorics. Lloyd, Keith. Routledge. 2020.

Other standard English handbooks

Work/s of fiction and non-fiction used as vehicle for critical thinking.

Instructor prepared materials.

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