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Catalog Description Formerly known as ENGL 0001C Prerequisite: College-level composition (ENGL C1000/C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent Hours: 54 lecture Description: In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 College Reading and Writing (C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course. (C-ID ENGL 105) (CSU, UC) Course Student Learning Outcomes CSLO #1: Demonstrate logical and analytic strategies to interpret texts. CSLO #2: Construct focused, developed and organized essays that exhibit research, analysis, and critical thinking skills. CSLO #3: Develop MLA research skills to find, evaluate, and utilize appropriate sources. Effective Term Fall 2025 Course Type Credit - Degree-applicable Contact Hours 54 Outside of Class Hours 108 Total Student Learning Hours 162 Course Objectives 1. Define, recognize, and utilize forms of critical reasoning, including deductive and inductive reasoning, in a variety of rhetorical contexts. 2. Reflect critically on one’s own thought processes to identify and avoid cognitive biases and common fallacies of language and thought. 3. Employ critical reading and research strategies to locate and evaluate complex texts representative of diverse experiences, perspectives, and forms of authority. 4. Evaluate and document evidence to construct arguments in a variety of rhetorical situations, distinguishing knowledge from belief and fact from judgment.  5. Draft written arguments to respond appropriately to texts, with attention to intended audience, purpose, and social context, and revise for clarity, cogency, persuasiveness, and soundness.   General Education Information Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability AA/AS - Critical Thinking AA/AS - Comm & Analyt Thinking AA/AS - Reading Skills CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval) CSUGE - A3 Critical Thinking Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval) Cal-GETC 1B - Critical Thinking IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval) IGETC - 1B Crit Think Eng Comp Articulation Information CSU Transferable UC Transferable Methods of Evaluation Essay Examinations Example: Example 1: Essay Assignment #3 "Supporting Claims with Evidence": Choose any question between 2 and 8 on page 121-122 of "Strategies for Argument." Essay Length, 750-1000 words. Example 2: Responses to Readings: Emotional Appeals," "What a Lovely Generalization," and "Quit It, Ompremitywise." (500-750 words per response). Example 3: In Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (Riverhead 2016), read "Third Lesson: The Architecture of the Cosmos" (pp.23-30) and describe one effective and stylistically-engaging process analysis strategy. 750-1,000 words. At least two subsequent drafts of essay assignments will be evaluated by instructor. Projects Example: Example 1: Term Research Project, open and/or directed topics, 3,750-5,000 words. At least two subsequent drafts of essay assignments will be evaluated by instructor. Example 2: Group Research Project. Choose an issue from "Pros, Cons, & Maybes," "Data and Debate," in "Strategies for Argument" or an issue that interests you. In groups, you will write either an individual research paper or one paper for the entire group. In addition, the group will write a two-page summary of their analysis of the issue they chose and prepare a presentation for the class illustrating the issue. Summary Length, 500-750 words/Group Project Length, 3,750-5,000 words. Reports Example: Example 1: Analyze Nietzsche's "On Truth and Lies in a Non-moral Sense" and Berger's "Ways of Seeing." Then, in a 1,000-1,500-word essay, compare Nietzsche's and Berger's concept of truth to a movie's or TV advertisement's concept of truth (you may pick from the list of movies discussed in class). Use Nietzsche's and Berger's texts as primary touchstones to analyze and evaluate how truth functions throughout the movie or advertisement. At least two subsequent drafts of essay assignments will be evaluated by instructor. Repeatable No Methods of Instruction Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Lecture: Critical Thinking: Instructor will lecture and facilitate large group discussion to present context, issues, and concepts. Instructor will manage small group work to apply concepts, summarize and critique central ideas of essays and other readings, analyze concepts, synthesize concepts in discussion. Instructor will show students how, through research and directed study, to apply concepts to independent projects, analyze, select, and synthesize data, construct arguments and counter-arguments. Reading: Instructors will use lecture and large group discussion to set context, issues, and ideas from reading. Instructor will facilitate small group discussion to apply concepts to reading; summarize, critique, analyze, synthesize reading and concepts from reading. Instructor will facilitate activities/directed study in the form of on-going critical responses to reading. Writing: Lecture and large group discussion: Instructor will present models and options for writing. Distance Learning Through LMS, the Instructor will set up small group work: Peer review and editing (drafts); cooperative writing assignments (research/analysis of reading and issues); thesis formation. Instructor will promote activities, directed study: Essay assignments(including synthesis, argumentation, and rhetorical analysis); research essays; journals or other on-going responses as appropriate. Students are to actively engage in all online activities. Typical Out of Class Assignments Reading Assignments Readings in texts for methodologies, topics, prompts for written responses (summary, critique, analysis, synthesis, argumentation). Example: Using Evidence to Support Your Argument Read about what constitutes evidence and how to analyze evidence in the following essays: "The Example" by Munson, "Testing Data" by Zieglemueller & Duase, and "Who is That State Department Official Anyway?" by Gartner. Use the principles of evaluation presented in these essays to analyze the argument presented by Caroline Bird in "A Case Against College." Example: Read the following essays, which categorize and discuss the most common logical fallacies. "Emotional Appeals," by Beardsley, "What a Lovely Generalization," by Thurber, and "Quit It, Ompremitywise" by Wright. Example: Read "Fallacious Arguments" from Writing Logically, Thinking Critically, and apply what you've read, identifying the fallacious argument presented in the list of statements at the end of the chapter. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance Essays, response journals, in class exercises, research papers, revisions: Example: 1) Essay Assignment #3 "Supporting Claims with Evidence": After reading the assigned essays on education, choose one of the following questions for your essay. Be sure to support your argument with strong evidence. Essay Length 750-1000 words. 1. After reading Allan Bloom's essay "The Education of Openness," respond to the following prompt: Truth is a concept that students of argument must consider. Do you agree with Allan Bloom's first sentence? ("There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative")? What does that statement mean, that 'truth is relative'? Relative to what? Do you believe that truth is relative? If not, what do you believe about truth? Explain. 2. After reading Henry Rosovsky's essay, "The Educated Person," respond to the following prompt: Whether or not your college has such a requirement, argue in favor of or against requiring all students at your college to take a basic 'core' of courses in specified areas or subjects. Consider as your audience those students who would be affected (or are now affected) by such a program. Example: 2) Essay Assignment #4 -Recognizing and Avoiding Fallacies 1. After reading Michael Schudson's essay, "An Evaluation of Advertising," respond to the following prompt: Does advertising still 'wink at sexism or encourage it,' as Michael Schudson and others have argued? Argue your answer, supporting your reasons with evidence gleaned by examining a substantial number of recent advertisements. Alternatively, ask the same question with regard to racism. Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) Research Paper/Group Project Research Paper: "Analyzing the Issues." Group paper project. Choose an issue from "Pros, Cons, & Maybes," "Data and Debate," in "Strategies for Argument" or an issue that interests you. In groups, you will write either an individual research paper or one paper for the entire group. In addition, the group will write a two page summary of their analysis of the issue they chose and prepare a presentation for the class illustrating the issue. Research Paper Length: 5-8 pages if done individually: 15-25 pages if done as a group. Summary Length: 2 pages for the group. Required Materials Ways of Reading Author: Bartholomae Publisher: Bedford Publication Date: 2019 Text Edition: 12th Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Modern Language Association Handbook Author: Modern Language Association of America Publisher: Hopkins Publication Date: 2024 Text Edition: 9th Classic Textbook?: Yes OER Link: OER: The Good Enough Job Author: Stolzoff, Simone Publisher: Portfolio Publication Date: 2023 Text Edition: 1 Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The Little Seagull Handbook Author: Bullock, Richard, et al. Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Publication Date: 2024 Text Edition: 5th Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College Author: Mills, Anna Publisher: Libretexts Publication Date: 2022 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Composition/Advanced_Composition/How_Arguments_Work_-_A_Guide_to_Writing_and_Analyzing_Texts_in_College_(Mills) The Elements of Argument Author: Rottenberg, Annette Publisher: Bedford/St Martins Publication Date: 2021 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Critical Thinking Author: Paul, Richard and Linda Elder Publisher: The Foundation of Critical Thinking Publication Date: 2022 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Current Issues and Enduring Questions Author: Barnet, Sylvan Publisher: Bedford/St Martins Publication Date: 2022 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The Craft of Research Author: Booth, Wayne C. et al. Publisher: U of Chicago P Publication Date: 2024 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The Critical Thinking Toolkit Author: Foresman, Galen A., Perter S. Fosl Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publication Date: 2016 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course. Purdue Online Writing Lab: PurdueOWLhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu Book-length research models(s), e.g. Agus's The Lucky Years (2016); Koppel's Lights Out, A Cyberattack (2015); Pollan's Cooked (2013); Horowitz's Inside of a Dog (2010); Thoreau's Walden (1854)