1. Argumentation and
Critical Thinking

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

3. What is critical thinking?
Different Definitions
Perspective
Interpretation
Evaluating

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

5. 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

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

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

8. 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

9. 6) Evaluation – Most Complex
Opinion
Rating
Value

10. 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