Course Materials |
Course Objectives |
Course Policies
Printer-Friendly Policy Statement |
Printer Friendly
Schedule
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. . . [B]ecoming a rigorous and
reflective thinker means adopting a certain ethical stance: habitual
skepticism with respect to one's own views, a charitable attitude
toward the views of others, and a recognition that getting to the
bottom of things together always matters more than winning a
dispute. Critical thinking is responsible thinking.
(Turner 5) |
Course Materials
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The Structure of Argument
(7th
ed., Rottenberg and Winchell, ISBN 978-0-312-35069-8)
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A comprehensive grammar handbook with current MLA
documentation guidelines
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A
semester-long (free) subscription to Wordsmith's
A Word a Day online service
Course
Objectives English 101
is a lower-division general education course that fulfills the Area A
critical thinking requirement. Executive Order 595 from the
California State University's Office of the Chancellor requires that:
[i]nstruction
in critical thinking . . . be designed to achieve an understanding
of the relationship of language to logic, which should lead to the
ability to analyze, criticize, and advocate ideas; to reason
inductively and deductively; and to reach factual or judgmental
conclusions based on sound inferences drawn from unambiguous
statements of knowledge or belief.
Therefore, by
semester's end—again from E.O. 595—you should be able to "demonstrat[e]
. . . skills in elementary inductive and deductive processes,
including an understanding of the formal and informal fallacies of
language and thought, and the ability to distinguish matters of fact
from issues of judgment or opinion."
That’s the official language, but here’s why I love
teaching this course: English 101 insists that we
internalize the skills required to differentiate between the logical
and the ludicrous. And that’s both important and fun.
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Acknowledgements |
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Turner, Derek. "Teaching Rigorous and
Reflective Thinking." Advocate 22.5
(2005): 6-7. |
Updated:
02.03.13 |
