Instructor: Brian W. Carver
Office Hours: by appointment
E-mail: bwcarver at earthlink.net
Course Web-site: http://home.earthlink.net/~bwcarver/

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument. 4th Edition Barnett, Sylvan & Bedau, Hugo. Bedford/St. Martins Press (2002) ISBN: 0312259115

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Three Argument Analysis Exercises will be assigned and specific instructions and requirements for each will be provided in class.
(1) Argument Analysis Exercise #1 (20%): Due Wednesday, Jan. 9.  Analysis of Newspaper Editorial
(2) Argument Analysis Exercise #2 (20%): Due Thursday, Jan. 17.  Voter's Guide Arguments
(3) Argument Analysis Exercise #3 (20%): Due Monday, Jan. 28.  Analysis of a Web Site
(4) Issue Paper (20%)*: Due Monday, Feb.4.  Specific instructions and requirements provided in class.
(5) Exam (20%): Thursday, Feb. 7.

*Students will turn in a rough draft of their issue paper on Thursday, Jan. 31, which will count for 5% of their overall grade, and will make the final draft of their issue paper worth only 15% of their overall grade.

Make-up Exercises, Late Papers: Late Argument Analysis Exercises or Late Papers will generally not be accepted.  Those with an excuse may be accepted with a penalty to the grade.

Attendance: Attendance is expected.  Quality class participation and an excellent attendance record may be used to resolve borderline cases.  Due to the intensive nature of a 6-week class, a student that misses more than four classes will be dropped, or if the drop period has concluded, will fail.

Drop Policy: To determine that the last day to drop without a "W" and the last day to drop please check the date on your Registration Receipt/Schedule or contact the Student Services Center.

Academic Honesty: I assume you are familiar with the College's policies on Academic Honesty.  I consider it my responsibility in cases of academic dishonesty to respond with the most severe penalty.

Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for any sort of disability are invited to make an appointment to see me.

Course Description:
(from College Catalog) This course presents critical thinking as a tool and skill to be used for better understanding, evaluating and constructing arguments.  The focus will be on developing and enhancing the student's ability to identify, analyze and present arguments.  Topics covered through analysis and writing include the nature of argument, inductive and deductive reasoning, rhetoric, theory of knowledge, scientific method, informal fallacies and the composition of persuasive essays.

Goals
Students will improve their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.  Those skills primarily involve the better understanding of, the evaluating of, and the constructing of arguments.  These skills will benefit students both personally and academically.  Personally, by being related as much as is possible to activities in their daily lives.  Assignments reflect this.  Academically, because they will be better critical readers of material in future classes and better critical writers of future class assignments, regardless of their chosen discipline.

Important Dates
1/2 W: Class 1
1/3 R: Class 2
1/4 F: Class 3
 
1/7 M: Class 4
1/8 T: Class 5:
1/9 W: Class 6 Argument Analysis Exercise #1 Due
1/10 R: Class 7

1/14 M: Class 8
1/15 T: Class 9
1/16 W: Class 10
1/17 R: Class 11: Argument Analysis Exercise #2 Due
 
1/21 M: NO CLASS -- Martin Luther King Day
1/22 T: Class 12
1/23 W: Class 13
1/24 R: Class 14
1/25 F: Class 15 Rough Drafts of Argument Analysis Exercise #3

1/28 M: Class 16: Argument Analysis Exercise #3 Due
1/29 T: Class 17
1/30 W: Class 18
1/31 R: Class 19 Rough Draft of Issue Paper Due

2/4 M: Class 20 Issue Paper Due
2/5 T: Class 21
2/6 W: Class 22
2/7 R: Class 23 Exam