Argumentation and Critical Thinking

Why do we think? We can’t help it? We want to? We have to? We enjoy it? We need to?

What is critical thinking? Different Definitions Perspective Interpretation Evaluating

Thinking Skills Analyze Apply Associate Synthesize Experiment Make Decisions Predict Prioritize Problem Solve

To Be a Good Thinker… Have a thinking attitude Be patient, curious, and able to concentrate Be skeptical Be open to others Be open to change Ask questions

Questioning Hierarchy – Simple to Most Complex Recall – Most simple What happened? Who? Where? How Many? Sequence? You can look it up.

2) Comparison / Contrast What is the same? What is different? Cause and Effect What would happen if? Guess Predict Result Consequence

Inductive and Deductive Reasoning 4) Idea to Example 5) Example to Idea Deductive Reasoning General to Specific (Introductory Paragraph) Categorize Classify Inductive Reasoning Specific to General (Concluding Paragraph) Summary Main Idea

6) Evaluation – Most Complex Opinion Rating Value

The Process of Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing… Analysis – Separate into parts, look for main idea, support, strategies Inference – Draw conclusions based on prior knowledge and initial analysis. Discover writer’s assumptions, opinions, or beliefs. Synthesis – Linking elements into a whole. Includes your sense of the work. Evaluating – Determine adequacy, significance, value, involves judging