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15.11.1: How Arguments Work and the Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Course Objectives

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    129709

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    California C-ID English 105 is the outline for one of our most commonly taught courses, variously referred to as Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking, Advanced Composition, Argumentation, Rhetoric in College, or Writing about Nonfiction. The C-ID ENGL 105 Descriptor explains, "This course offers instruction in argumentation and critical writing, critical thinking, analytical evaluation of primarily non-fiction texts, research strategies, information literacy, and documentation."

    Table of Resources That Align with California Course Objectives for Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking

    Objective listed in the C-ID English 105 course descriptor

    How Arguments Work sections centered on this objective 

    Ancillary resources that help students meet the objective 

    Objective #1:

    Critically read, analyze, compare, and evaluate complex, diverse non-fiction texts

    Objective #2:

    Demonstrate understanding of formal and informal fallacies in language and thought

     

     
    • Practice exercises: Each section of each chapter has at least one practice exercise described at the end of the section.
    • Quizzes: Each of the chapters has an associated self-grading quiz with automated feedback. Preview these by logging into Canvas and visiting How Arguments Work on Canvas Commons.

    Objective #3:

    Identify a text's premises and assumptions in various social, historical, cultural, psychological, or aesthetic contexts

    Objective #4:

    Analyze and employ logical and structural methods such as inductive and deductive reasoning, cause and effect, and logos, ethos, and pathos.

    Objective #5:

    Compose thesis-driven arguments to suit a variety of rhetorical situations, including interpretation, evaluation, and analysis, and support them with a variety of appropriate textual evidence and examples

    Objective #6:

    Find, analyze, interpret, and evaluate primary and secondary sources, incorporating them into written essays using appropriate documentation format without plagiarism

    Objective #7:

    Use style, diction, and tone appropriate to the academic community and the purpose of the specific writing task; proofread and edit essays for presentation so they exhibit no disruptive errors in English grammar, usage, or punctuation
    • Practice exercises: Each section of each chapter listed for this objective has at least one practice exercise described at the end of the section.
    • Quizzes: Each of the chapters has an associated self-grading quiz with automated feedback. Preview these by logging into Canvas and visiting How Arguments Work on Canvas Commons.

    Attributions

    By Allison Murray and Anna Mills, licensed CC BY NC 4.0.

    15.11.1: How Arguments Work and the Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Course Objectives is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.