Grading
A = 100-94% B+ = <90-87% C+ = <80-77% D+ = <70-67% F < 61%
A- = <94-90% B = <87-84% C = <77-74% D = <67-64%
B- = <84-80% C- = <74-70% D- = <64-61%
Exams | 50%
Critical Thinking Project | 30%
Study guides | 10%
Participation | 10%
Total | 100%
Please note that Canvas grades are ESTIMATES and can sometimes significantly over-estimate your grade. To ensure accuracy, you need to be in contact with me about your progress/grade in the course.
Assignments & Exams
Exams
You will take three exams in this class during the semester. Exam content will be gathered from a combination of in-class material, content from the textbook, and possibly some assigned extra readings (articles). Most exams are not cumulative. There will be a cumulative Final Exam during finals week. The lowest exam score will be dropped from your overall grade. We will not go over exams in class, but I am happy to discuss your exams during office hours or at other times by appointment. You may not use the book, notes, or outside resources (people or the internet) during exams.
Chapter Study Guides
You will be given a copy of the study guide on Canvas. Open the document and fill it out with definitions and examples for each relevant chapter. This is due just before class on the first day we discuss each chapter, as you will be expected to participate in class discussions using some of the terms and concepts from the chapters. See Canvas for due dates and more details.
Self-Reflection and Critical Thinking
This is a reaction and reflection paper that focuses on your engaging with the critical thinking process and practicing some of the steps in relation to some of the concepts and ideas we have discussed in class. This is NOT about your CT Project topic, but about the variety of topics from class discussion and your readings. See Canvas for more details.
Critical Thinking Project and Position Paper
The purpose of this project is to implement the critical thinking process, applying critical thinking to your experiences in this class and to broader, socially relevant topics. You will note a topic of debate, then follow the critical thinking process as outlined in the Critical Thinking slides on Canvas. The topic must be something debatable. This is not a research paper per se, but an exploration of differing sides on an issue that will include some scholarly research. The project is broken up into multiple components, due throughout the semester. Use the PowerPoint slides on Critical Thinking as an outline to follow so you can clearly articulate the various steps and components of the critical thinking process. This point is crucial: This is NOT a persuasion paper; it is a position paper. You are not trying to convince your reader to agree, merely demonstrating the PROCESS and sharing WHY you had/have the position.
Current Events Assignment
Bring in some clip from popular media that is relevant to the discussion topic scheduled for that day. It may be a news article, YouTube clip, TEDtalk, commercial, music video, or clip from tv/movies. Be prepared to lead class discussion with questions and be sure to relate it to current concepts and ideas we are discussing in class, particularly things from the current chapter we are covering (see the course calendar below and on Canvas). We will then discuss the clip using concepts from the readings, theories, and critical thinking skills. This is part of your participation grade.