ENGL 1001: Critical Thinking and Writing

• Part I: Define, recognize, and utilize forms of critical reasoning, including deductive and inductive reasoning, in a variety of rhetorical contexts
• Part I: Reflect critically on one’s own thought processes to identify and avoid cognitive biases and common fallacies of language and thought.
• Part I: Employ critical reading and research strategies to locate and evaluate complex texts representative of diverse experiences, perspectives, and forms of authority.
• Part I: Evaluate and document evidence to construct arguments in a variety of rhetorical situations, distinguishing knowledge from belief and fact from judgment.
• Part I: Draft written arguments to respond appropriately to texts, with attention to intended\\naudience, purpose, and social context, and revise for clarity, cogency, persuasiveness, and soundness.
• Part 2: Effectively employ the rhetorical strategies of analysis, synthesis, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, interpretation, advocacy of ideas, and definition
• Part 2: Read and critically evaluate (for meaning, purpose, strategy and style) argumentative essays from a variety of classical sources and multi-cultural perspectives and use these discoveries as models for writing their own essays

Part 1: Required Topics (Identical): Develop writing and reading skills for logical reasoning and argumentation using primarily nonfiction texts. Minimum 5,000 words of writing which may include a combination of drafts, written peer response, and other forms of writing that inform students’ inquiry-driven research and writing process. Students should revise and receive feedback from their instructor on at least one extended argument.

Part 2: 

1. Study the relationship between logical argument and rhetoric, including the role of the reader in argument, and the elements of ethos, logos, and pathos in classical rhetoric
2. Write effective prose that avoids fallacies and that exhibits a strong thesis, adequate development, sound organization, effective sentence variety, and appropriate word choice
3. Supply valid evidence for claims
4. Refute the opposing point of view
5. Write essays using causal analysis, persuasion, evaluation and advocacy of ideas
6. Analyze inductive and deductive arguments
7. Identify fallacies in the text