As you prepare for our upcoming exams, keep the following in mind:

BASICS

There is no new reading this week. We are not learning any new Critical Thinking concepts. So, this week's study routine is a modification of our regular routine:

1) Review our past weeks' readings. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them.

2) Review our past weeks' practice examples, including flashcards, tutorials, online handouts, and practice quizzes. Identify confusing examples and ask questions about them.

3) Review our past weeks' "As You Practice" notes. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them.

4) Come to class ready to ask questions about any confusing concepts or examples.

5) Complete the week's recommended practice exam. Identify confusing examples and ask questions about them

6) Repeat as helpful

7) Complete the week's exams. Identify confusing quiz examples and ask questions about them

EXTRA-CREDIT MAKE-UP MID-TERM EXAM

As you study for our upcoming extra-credit make-up mid-term exam, remember the following:

1) It is an online exam. The link to the exam is the last item on this week's module

2) It is a timed exam. Once you open the exam, you will have 2 hours to complete it. Precisely 120 minutes!

3) The exam is open-book and open-notes. However, it is recommended you take it when you are ready to demonstrate our skills without looking at the book or your notes.

4) The exam will have 50 multiple-choice questions. Each question will provide a passage and ask you to demonstrate one of the following critical thinking skills:

a) Recognizing arguments

b) Recognizing conclusions

c) Recognizing premises

d) Fallacies of Language

e) Fallacies of Relevance

f) Types of Arguments

g) Fallacies of Elevance

h) Recognizing fallacies

FINAL EXAM

As you study for our upcoming final exam, remember the following:

1) It includes an online portion and and in-class portion.

2) The link to the online portion of the final exam is the second item on this week's module

3) The online portion of the final is a timed exam. Once you open the exam, you will have 2 hours to complete it. Precisely 120 minutes!

4) The online portion of the final exam is open-book and open-notes. However, it is recommended you take it when you are ready to demonstrate our skills without looking at the book or your notes.

5) The in-class portion of the final exam is during our last class period

6) The in-class portion of the final is a timed exam. You will have one class period to complete the in-class portion of the final.

7) The in-class portion of the final exam is closed-book and closed-notes. You are not allowed to look at the book or notes during the exam.

8) The in-class portion of the final exam will have 50 multiple-choice questions. Each question will provide a passage and ask you to demonstrate one of the following critical thinking skills:

a) Recognizing arguments

b) Recognizing conclusions

c) Recognizing premises

d) Fallacies of Language

e) Fallacies of Relevance

f) Types of Arguments

g) Fallacies of Elevance

h) Recognizing fallacies

RECOGNIZING ARGUMENTS

When asked to determine whether or not a passage is an argument, you will be expected to apply the following critical thinking concepts:

1) Argument

2) [Unsupported] Statement

3) Expressive Language

4) Directive Laguage

5) Performative Language

6) Conditional Statement

7) Explanation (a.k.a., Causal Statement)

8) Illustration

Review our Week 1 and Week 2 materials to fine-tune these skills.

ANALYZING CONCLUSIONS AND PREMISES

When asked to determine an argument's conclusion or premise, you will be expected to recognize an accurate quote or paraphrase.

When determining an argument's conclusion or premise, you will be expected to apply these skills to examples containing indicator words and examples without indicator words.

Review our Week 1 and Week 2 materials to fine-tune these skills.

FALLACIES OF LANGUAGE

When asked to determine if an argument commits a fallacy of language, you will be expected to apply the following critical thinking concepts:

1) Overgeneral

2) Vague

3) Weasel Word

4) Vague Comparison

5) Hyperbole

6) Euphemism

7) Ambiguity

Review our Week 3 materials to fine-tune these skills.

FALLACIES OF RELEVANCE

When asked to determine if an argument commits a fallacy of relevance, you will be expected to apply the following critical thinking concepts:

1) Personal Attack

2) Poisoning the Well

3) Guilt by Association

4) Attacking the Motive

5) Look Who's Talking

6) Two Wrongs Make a Right

7) Appeal to Tradition

8) Bandwagon Argument

9) Appeal to Novelty

10) Straw Man Misrepresentation

Review our Week 4 materials to fine-tune these skills.

TYPES OF ARGUMENTS

When asked to analyze a passage's type of argument, you will be expected to apply the following critical thinking concepts:

1) Hypothetical Syllogism

2) Categorical Syllogism

3) Argument by Elimination

4) Argument based upon Mathematics

5) Predictive Argument

6) Inductive Generalization

7) Causal Argument

8) Argument by Analogy

Review our Week 7 materials to fine-tune these skills.

FALLACIES OF EVIDENCE

When asked to determine if an argument commits a fallacy of evidence, you will be expected to apply the following critical thinking concepts:

1) Appeal to Ignorance

2) Slippery Slope

3) False Alternative

4) Hasty Generalization

5) Questionable Cause

Review our Week 8 materials to fine-tune these skills.

RECOGNIZING FALLACIES

When asked to determine if an argument commits any fallacy, you will be expected to recognize any fallacy of language or fallacy of relevance or fallacy of evidence.

Review our Week 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 materials to fine-tune these skills.

If you have any questions about these concepts and skills, I encourage your ask questions or bring me confusing examples. Ask about it during class, an office hour, or a message through our class web site.

Sincerely,

Michael