Class Instructor: Jon Streeter »
Class Grade Level(s) Offered: 10th-12th
Credit Hours: 1
Class Day(s): Monday
Class Period(s): Third Period 10:30-11:30am
Questions? Contact Instructor
Minimum Number of Students: 6
Maximum Number of Students: 15
Class Description:
Critical Thinking and the Art of Debate, as its title suggests, is a high school course designed to develop students’ critical thinking abilities and apply them to modern situations in both formal debates and informal conversations.
During the first half of the year/semester, students will complete a teacher-developed workbook on critical thinking that shows students how to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, assess their relative merits and detriments, and come up with a workable plan to solve that problem. These are more than political or ethical issues—the class will teach students how to address everyday problems like busy schedules, difficult homework assignments, struggles with friends and coworkers, and even how to approach a nonbeliever and have Christ-centered conversations with them. Homework during this first half of the course will be very limited—students will have skill-building exercises to complete, which typically involve some outside reading, as well as optional practice problems to be completed at their parents’ direction (an answer key with explanations will be provided to parents to help guide discussions).
The second half of the year/semester will transition into an application unit in which students will put their new critical thinking skills to the test. We will begin with informal conversations about scenarios in which problems arise, and students will be tasked with developing solutions, both individually and in groups. It will then end with a formal debate unit in which students will learn the art of debate, how to condense their ideas into quick, easy-to-understand presentations and argue the merits of their solutions. The workload in this final unit will be a bit more intense, as students will need to do considerable outside research on their given topics. However, debate topics will always be announced well in advance, and students will be able to put their time management skills learned in Critical Thinking to good use.
Textbooks Needed:
No Textbook. Students will need to print a workbook that will be emailed.
Class Prerequisites:
Preferable to have taken Public Speaking.
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