Course Objective: To help you to identify, understand, and evaluate arguments– as well as more dubious techniques of persuasion.

Required Text: Critical Thinking, 6th ed., by Moore and Parker (available in the AS bookstore). Please bring the book to each class. An excellent student study guide is available for the course, and I recommend (but don’t require) you get a copy of it, too. An online set of exercises may be found at mayfieldpub.com . Feel free to use them if you like. If you do, let me know how useful they are.

Course Organization: This is a workshop course, not a lecture course. I’ll ask you to read a chapter before you come to class, and we’ll spend most of the time in class doing exercises. When I think most everyone is ready, we’ll take a test on the material. You won’t be taking many notes, but bring paper and pencil.

Tests, Quizzes, Homework Assignments: As an incentive to do the reading before class, I’ll begin each new chapter with a short quiz on the chapter. As I said above, we’ll also have a test at the end of each chapter, when I think most people are ready for it. The test will require you to apply what you have learned. In addition, there will be a comprehensive final exam. From time to time I may assign homework in addition to the readings.

Writing: This is a GE course, and you need to do at least 6 pages worth of writing. I’ll have you do at least that much in class, in the form of short essays. Plus there will be an occasional essay assigned as homework.

Grades: Based on quizzes, tests, essays, homework assignments, and final. I may change the formula, but it will probably be weighted 55% on tests, 30% on quizzes/essays/homework assignments, and 15% on the final.

Makeups, Incompletes, etc: I don’t give them.

Office Hours: TBA.