Course Schedule

September 14th
Introduction to class; Critical Thinking Intro

September 21st
Understanding Arguments; Evaluating Arguments
-read pages 166-187
(informal group work)

September 28th
Evaluating Arguments wrap-up; Constructing Your Own Arguments; Deductive Args: Valid & Sound
-read pages 188-194, 238-247

October 5th
Deductive Args: Evaluating Validity; Inductive Args
-read pages 249-261, 202-219

October 12th
QUIZ #1; Inductive Args: Analogies; Evaluating Inductive Args: Causal; Scientific Reasoning (Abductive Args)
-read pages 221-229, 371-387
-Homework #1 due

October 19th
Scientific Arguments: Evaluation; Scientific Reasoning wrap-up; Fallacies: Equivocation & Amphiboly
-read pages 387-399, 133-137
-Group Project #1 (in class)

October 26th
Fallacies: Accent & Division; Ad Hominem & Force; Pity & Popular Appeal
-read pages 137-144
-Group Presentations #1, #2, and #3

November 2nd
Fallacies: Ignorance & Hasty; Straw Man & Red Herring; Review for Midterm Exam
-read pages 144-150
-Homework #2 due
-Group Presentations #4 and #5

November 9th
MIDTERM; Fallacies: Question Beg & Loaded; Authority & Dilemma
-read pages 151-156
-Group Presentations #6 and #7

November 16th
Fallacies: Slippery & Naturalistic; Cognitive Biases: Our Mental Limits; Perceptual Errors
-read pages 156-161, 97-119
-Group Presentation #8

November 23rd
Cognitive Biases: Mental Biases; Social Biases
-read pages 120-125
-Group Project #2 (in class)

November 26th—29th
Thanksgiving Break (no class) (woo?)


November 30th
QUIZ #2; Intellectual Honesty: Charity; Owning Our Ignorance
-read pages 1-29

December 7th
Intellectual Honesty wrap-up; Marketing & Advertising
-read pages 311-333
-Homework #3 due

December 14th
Mass Media: News; Critical Consumers; review for Final Exam
-read pages 342-362
-Paper due
-Group Project #3 (in class)

December 15th-19th (Finals Week)
FINAL EXAM: Time, Date, and Location to be announced