11/23/2024 12:15:40 PM	PHIL 5 Course Outline as of Summer 2020	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PHIL 5	Title:  CRITICAL THINK/WRITE
Full Title:  Critical Thinking/Writing
Last Reviewed:1/23/2023

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 or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

This course covers the application of principles of critical thinking to the writing and analysis of extended, argumentative essays.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Completion of ENGL 1A (OR ESL 10) or higher (V8) or appropriate placement based on AB705

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course covers the application of principles of critical thinking to the writing and analysis of extended, argumentative essays.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:Completion of ENGL 1A (OR ESL 10) or higher (V8) or appropriate placement based on AB705
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:
	A3	Critical Thinking		Fall 1991
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	1B	Critical Thinking - English Composition		Fall 1981
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 1991	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 1991	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

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

1.  Analyze extended arguments to identify and explain their claims and premises.

2.  Evaluate extended arguments to determine whether their claims are adequately supported.

3.  Compose cogent written argumentative essays.

 

Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the main conclusion or thesis of an argument and demonstrate an understanding of its significance.

2. Identify and paraphrase the main supporting premises for a conclusion and the arguments in support of those premises.

3. Identify vagueness, ambiguity, emotive language and other rhetorical elements of an argument.

4. Make explicit any unstated premises and/or conclusions in an argument.

5. Employ the correct techniques for evaluating the deductive and/or inductive structures of a component argument within the larger argument.

6. Determine and discuss the relevance of premises to conclusions.

7. Detect and describe logical fallacies that may occur in an argument.

8. Evaluate the acceptability of any unsupported statements of fact or opinion in an argument.

9. Perform a summary evaluation of an overall argument.

10. Select an appropriate topic for an argumentative essay and formulate a clear and defensible conclusion.

11. Conduct library research to support an argument and provide the appropriate documentation.

12. Develop strong arguments that are based upon sound inferences from clear and acceptable premises.

13. Anticipate and critique the strongest counter-arguments.

14. Express ideas clearly, precisely and unambiguously.

15. Organize essays, paragraphs and sentences logically and coherently.

Topics and Scope

Topics and sequences vary but a typical course involves the following:

I.  The concept of "argument" and its various components (e.g. issue, conclusion, premise, assumption)

II.  Clarity in language use

    A. how to recognize unclear language

    B. how to improve the clarity of one's own writing

III.  Rhetorical features of argument evaluation

    A. ambiguity, connotation, denotation, euphemism, slanting, etc.

    B. identifying rhetorical features in critical essays

IV.  Types of argument

    A. deductive, inductive, syllogism, generalization, analogy, causal argument, etc.

    B. identifying types in critical essays

V.  Methods for evaluating arguments (e.g. validity, soundness, cogency, relevance, logical fallacy)

VI.  Determining the acceptability of claims of fact, value, opinion, etc.

VII.  Selecting argumentative essay topics and conclusions

VIII.  Developing and presenting relevant support for a conclusion

IX.  Identifying and responding to the strongest objections to a position

X. Organizing an argumentative essay clearly, logically, and coherently by the appropriate use of essay components

    A. introduction

    B. transitions

    C. conclusions

    D. summaries

    E. logical relationships between sentences in a paragraph and between paragraphs in an essay

XI. Library research and documentation, as pertaining to argument essays

XII. Revision techniques to improve clarity, coherence, accuracy, cogency and logical progression

Assignments:

1.  Regular reading assignments from course text and supplementary materials (25-50 pages/week). Diversity of perspective and culture will be reflected in the selection of these arguments.

2.  Description and written application of methods for evaluating different types of arguments.

3.  Discussion and written application of methods for selecting argumentative essay topics and conclusions and developing and presenting relevant support for a conclusion.

4.  Writing assignments of at least 6000 words total, divided into at least five essays.

5.  Library research and documentation.

6.  Practice in revising essays to improve its clarity, coherence, accuracy, cogency and logical progression.

7.  1-2 exams.

8.  Participation in class discussions.

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%
Argument essays; written applications
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 5 - 20%
Written applications of methods
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%
1-2 exams: multiple choice, essay
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 0%
None

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Critical Thinking, 5th edition.   Bassham, Gregory.  McGraw Hill:   2012  

Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing, 8th edition. Barnett, Sylvan and Bedau, Hugo. St. Martins:  2013

Elements of Style.  White, E. B. and Strunk, William.  WLC Books:  2009 (Classic)

Instructor prepared materials

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