For the last two weeks we learned and practice a new kind of thinking called 6 hats. The six different colored hats can help ESL students learn English and improve their speaking skills by teaching them what to talk about, or how to describe something. Some people say that it is good for your thinking.
Today we will learn about a new kind of thinking. that is called critical thinking. I hope this will help my ESL students speak English better.
This week we will start the lesson by learning about arguments.
There is no need to download or print material. I will bring photocopies of this material for all the students.
INFERENCES AND FACTS
Here is a quick exercise to understand inferences. Look at this photo.
Read these statements and mark, true, false or can’t answer.
- This is graduation day for the Thomas family.
- The father is proud of his son.
- The sister looks up to her brother.
- This is a prosperous family.
- The son has just graduated from law school.
REVIEW OF ARGUMENTS
Last class we learned about three words:
- argument
- claim
- premise
Look at these arguments. What is the claim? What is the premise? Does the argument sound logical?
- How can the police ticket me for speeding? I see cops speeding all the time.
- Grandpa Brown says he say a UFO on his farm. I don’t believe him because he never graduated from middle school and he can’t read.
- The doctor told me I should stop drinking coffee. But I see the doctor drinking coffee all the time. That’s why I don’t believe the doctor’s advice.
Today, we will watch four short videos. These videos use some common logical fallacies. In each video, try to find the argument and name the fallacy. The videos are here.