Critical Thinking UNIFY Project - Year 7-8-9-10 Critical Thinking develops thinking and reasoning knowledge, skills and confidence. Students learn to construct arguments, rebut counter-arguments and critically appraise alternative solutions. Critical Thinking is a UNIFY Project for students in Year 7-8-9-10. It is available in Round 2 and Round 3. Schools can include students from one year level or form a composite group across Year 7-8-9-10. The target group for Critical Thinking is students who would benefit from extension in higher order thinking. Many schools use this project as part of their extension program for high achieving or gifted students. It can also be used as a tool to engage students who are coasting and may respond to a challenging learning program. Content & Assessment Guide Lesson No. Lesson Focus Project Introduction, Technology Introduction 1 Introduction to the project content and web conferencing technology. IMPACT and Introduction to Argument Introduction to IMPACT workflow via guidelines for discussions, reasons and ideas. eLearn tour and practice quiz. Pre-assessment Knowledge quiz in eLearn followed by student construction of an argument. Brief review of IMPACT workflow via argument guidelines. Cognitive Bias Examples of cognitive bias and other phenomena that preclude good reasoning Deductive and Inductive reasoning Exploring types of reasoning, identifying sound, valid, invalid deductive arguments and strong/weak inductive arguments. Constructing inductive and deductive arguments. Fallacies 1 Introduction to common logical fallacies. Fallacies 2 Identifying fallacies in arguments, strategies for avoiding/defeating fallacies. Ethics How ethics apply to society and particular occupations/organisations, compare and contract ethics and morals, introduction to ethical dilemmas. Morals and Justice Making decisions when faced with moral dilemmas, using arguments to justify moral choices. Standard Argument Technique Direct and indirect attacks. Choose and argument topic and being constructing your argument Post-assessment Knowledge quiz in eLearn followed by student construction of an argument. Where to From Here Review, consolidate and extend on project learning. Celebrate success. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 “Critical Thinking teaches us how to think quickly and not always go for the first answer. I am learning to not jump to conclusions and identify fallacies.” Student – NC Region Critical Thinking – Round 1 2015 “I like how we learn different things that will be useful in the future unlike some other programs which just bore me. Before Critical Thinking I struggled now Critical Thinking is helping me to understand. I am learning to understand different subject areas that I struggled in before.” Student – DDSW Region Critical Thinking – Round 1 2015 “Critical Thinking helps us to develop our slow thinking and fast thinking abilities... So in the future our slow thinking can become automatic and in turn it will develop to be a fast thinking ability!” Student – CQ Region Critical Thinking – Round 1 2015 NB: This is a guide only – there may be minor changes. Key Points • • • The content introduces students to a few of the great philosophers in history, with an analysis of their ideas – it also gives students the opportunity to reflect on their perspectives and other’s perspectives. Students participate in 1 x 60-70 min web conference per week and access online extension activities any time. Students connect with university and industry representatives via a special online event each round, including representatives from the School of History, Philosophy and Classics from the University of Queensland.
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