10 Critical Thinking The Importance of Becoming a Critical Thinker Having computer skills and being able to access information quickly is a prerequisite for many jobs today. Information on almost every subject imaginable is quickly available online to those who know how to find it. However, it is having the abilities to think critically, to be creative, and to problem solve that are in the highest demand today. Teachers today must not get caught up in focusing on a body of information that students will be required to just memorize and then give back to them. Teachers must lead students to be not only informed in various subjects, but they must also teach them to be thoughtful, reflective, and questioning human beings. Chapter 10 presents a wide range of activities that will help students learn to identify issues and weigh the evidence given for positions on both sides of the issues, so that they can learn to make independent and enlightened decisions. Learning Objectives: From this chapter, you will learn to: 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Distinguish analytical thinking and critical thinking Recognize arguments Analyze and evaluate arguments Define inductive and deductive reasoning Practice thinking critically Define creative thinking Projection/Handout Masters: 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 The Processes Involved in Critical Thinking Reader’s Tip: Four Habits of Effective Critical Thinkers Barriers to Critical Thinking The Four Steps of Critical Thinking Examining the Four Steps of Critical Thinking Reader’s Tip: Types of Support for Arguments Suggested Teaching Activities: Learning Objective 10.1: Distinguish analytical thinking and critical thinking 1. College students often do not see the connection between “real life” thinking and what they learn in college. Many students, unfortunately, come to college with the idea that college consists of taking notes from lectures and textbooks and then taking tests where they will be expected to answer questions based mainly on what they have “memorized.” Exercise 10.1, pages 518-519, will set the stage for what this chapter is really about. Critical thinking skills are essential in today’s world, and there are steps you can follow to improve your ability to think critically. 2. Display Projection/Handout 10.1: The Processes Involved in Critical Thinking and discuss each process. Stress to students that these processes, perhaps along with others, are necessary to arrive at the best possible conclusions or choices. Provide students with clear examples they can relate to. You can begin with something as simple as shopping for a new cell phone to a more complicated decision such as deciding if the time is right to purchase a home. Similar thinking is involved in a parent deciding if his/her teenager can attend a party or a jury member deciding the guilt or innocence of an accused person. Stress that the point is that difficult decisions or problems take carefully considered responses for the best possible outcomes. Critical thinking has no room for impulsive decision making. 3. Review with students Projection/Handout Master 10.2: Reader’s Tip Four Habits of Effective Critical Thinkers or refer them to page 521 in their textbook. Encourage students to develop these habits in every aspect of their lives. 4. Display Projection/Handout Master 10.3: Barriers to Critical Thinking and review the five barriers discussed also found on page 522. Have groups of students brainstorm some examples of these barriers beyond what is in the textbook. Challenge them to bring in examples in the news or media. Learning Objective 10.2: Recognize arguments Learning Objective 10.3: Analyze and evaluate arguments 5. Take a few minutes and discuss with students the differences between assertions and arguments so that students will be clear on the distinctions. Then, before covering pages 522– 533, display Projection/Handout Master 10.4, The Four Steps of Critical Thinking, so students will have an overview of the whole process of critical thinking. Then use Projection/Handout Master 10.5, Examining the Four Steps of Critical Thinking, as you cover each individual step on pages 522–533, uncovering information one step at a time as you cover it. 6. Students should be familiar with editorials from their inclusion and coverage in Chapter 8. Ask students to bring in a current editorial, or supply students with copies of recent editorials from your college newspaper, a local community newspaper, a major newspaper or magazine, or the Internet. Instruct students to follow the Four Steps of Critical Thinking as they critically analyze the editorial: 1. 2. 3. 4. What is the author’s position on the issue? What support is given? Is the support given valid? Evaluate the argument: Are the reasons given strong, relevant, believable, and consistent? Display Projection/Handout Master 10.6: Reader’s Tip: Types of Support for Arguments when students get to the support piece to remind them of the types of support used in effective arguments. 7. A popular game on a local radio station is Dead Guy in the Envelope in which contestants use deductive reasoning to determine whose name is in the envelope and win the prize. The game is played much the same way as the game, Twenty Questions, many of us played in our youth. Play versions of these games with your students to get them familiar with how deductive reasoning works. There are even online versions of Twenty Questions that miraculously show students how deducing is effective. Learning Objective 10.5: Practice critical thinking 8. As a class, work through arguments 1 and 2 in Exercise 10.8 beginning on page 534. Next, give groups of students an opportunity to discuss and work thought the three remaining arguments in exercise 10.8. Groups can then compare their findings. Learning Objective 10.6: Define creative thinking 9. Share with students some real-life examples of how creative thinking has been used. Two examples might be the successful attempts at bringing the crew members of Apollo 12 home after system failure. Another more recent example may be the eventual capping of the BP oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Several different attempts were made to cap the well before the engineers were successful. You might have students research the various plans that were attempted. Be certain to pose the question to students, “What would have happened if there had been no creative thinking in solving these problems?” Projection/Handout Master 10.1 The Processes Involved in Critical Thinking Conclude Evaluate Clarify Search Compare Analyze Transparency Master 10.2 Reader’s Tip Four Habits of Effective Critical Thinkers Be willing to plan. Think first and write later. Don’t be impulsive. Develop a habit of planning. Be flexible. Be open to new ideas. Consider new solutions for old problems. Be persistent. Continue to work even when you are tired and discouraged. Good thinking is hard work. Be willing to self-correct. Don’t be defensive about errors. Figure out what went wrong and learn from your mistakes. Projection/Handout Master 9.3 Barriers to Critical Thinking Frame of Reference Wishful Thinking Hasty Moral Judgments Reliance on authority Labels Projection/Handout Master 10.4 The Four Steps of Critical Thinking 1. Identify the Position on the Issue: What is the author’s point about the issue? 2. Identify the Support in the Argument: What reasons are given by the author? 3. Evaluate the Support: Is the support given valid? 4. Evaluate the Argument: Are the reasons given strong, relevant, believable, and consistent? Transparency Master 10.5 Examining the Four Steps of Critical Thinking 1. Identify the Position on the Issue: What is the author’s point about the issue? Look for signal words such as: 2. as a result finally in summary therefore consequently for these reasons it follows that thus, should Identify the Support in the Argument: What reasons are given by the author? Look for signal words such as: 3. because if assuming that since first, second, finally given that Evaluate the Support: Is the support given valid? Look for these types of support and evaluate them: 4. facts causal relationship analogies authority examples common knowledge claim statistics personal experiences Evaluate the Argument Look for strong, relevant, believable, and consistent reasons: a. Unrelated reasons give no support b. A few weak reasons do not adequately support c. Many weak reasons can support d. Strong related reasons provide support Projection/Handout Master 10.6 Reader’s Tip Types of Support for Arguments Facts: objective truths Ask: How were the facts gathered? Are they true? Examples: anecdotes to demonstrate the truth Ask: Are the examples true and relevant? Analogies: comparisons to similar cases Ask: Are the analogies accurate and relevant? Expert Opinions: words from a recognized expert Ask: What are the credentials and biases of the expert? Causal Relationship: saying one thing caused another Ask: Is it an actual cause or merely an association? Common Knowledge Claim: assertion of wide acceptance Ask: Is it relevant? Does everyone really believe it? Statistics: numerical data Ask: Do the numbers accurately describe the phenomenon? Personal Experiences: personal anecdotes Ask: Is the experience applicable to other situations?