Course Schedule

*This schedule is tentative and will probably change a lot*

January 17—19
Tuesday: Introduction to class | (no reading)
Thursday: Critical Thinking & Understanding Arguments| read pages 165-174

January 24—26
Tuesday: Understanding Arguments: Argument Workshop| read pages 174-184
Thursday: Evaluating Arguments | read pages 185-191

January 31—February 2
Tuesday: Deductive Args: Valid & Sound | read pages 237-247
Thursday: Deductive Args: Evaluating Validity | read pages 247-261; Homework #1 due

February 7—9
Tuesday: Inductive Arguments | read pages 200-213
Thursday: QUIZ #1; Inductive Args: Analogies & Causal Args | read pages 214-227

February 14—16
Tuesday: Inductive Args wrap-up
Thursday: Scientific Reasoning (Abductive Args) | read pages
366-383 | FUN THURSDAY #1: Proof

February 21—23
Tuesday: Scientific Arguments: Evaluation (murder mystery) | read pages 384-394
Thursday: Fallacies: Equivocation, Division, Composition | read pages 131-136

February 28—March 1
Tuesday: Fallacies: Ad Hominem, Force, Pity, Popular Appeal | pgs. 137-144; Presentations #1 & #2
Thursday: Fallacies: Ignorance, Circular, Straw Man, Red Herring | pgs. 144-150; Presentations #3 & #4; Homework #2 due

March 6—8
Tuesday: Review for Midterm Exam | (no assignment)
Thursday: MIDTERM EXAM

March 13—15: Spring Break (no class!) (woo?)


March 20—22
Tuesday: Fallacies: Authority, Dilemma, Slippery, & Naturalistic | pgs. 150-159; Presentations #5 & #6
Thursday: Cognitive Biases: Perception, Memory, Hearsay | read pages 95-102

March 27—29
Tuesday: Cognitive Biases: Confirmation Bias, Statistical Reasoning | read pages 102-113
Thursday: Cognitive Biases: I’M-SPECIAL-ism | read pages 113-117

April 3—5
Tuesday: Cognitive Biases: Social Biases | read pgs. 118-123
Thursday: Cognitive Biases: wrap-up | no reading | FUN THURSDAY #2: Counteracting Biases

April 10—12
Tuesday: QUIZ #2; Intellectual Honesty intro | read pages 1-12
Thursday: Intellectual Honesty: Charity | read pages 13-19

April 17—19
Tuesday: Intellectual Honesty: Humility, Open-Mindedness | pgs. 20-29 | FUN THURSDAY #3: Life Plan
Thursday: PAPER due; Advertising & News | read pages 309-319, 323-330

April 24—26
Tuesday: Mass Media: News, Critical Consumers | read pages 338-352
Thursday: Mass Media wrap-up; review for Final Exam | read pages 357-359 | Homework #3 due

May 1st
8:00-10:00 | Final Exam (8:00 class)
10:15-12:15 | Final Exam (9:25 class)