CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISE #1
Anthropology 110
Purpose: In order to function effectively as information consumers, students must be able to evaluate what they read and hear. Critical thinking requires an open mind, a broad background of experience and knowledge of other peoples, places, and things, knowledge of where and how to find information they may be lacking, and the ability to analyze and evaluate the accuracy of that information. The following exercise is designed to help students develop these skills.
Requirements:
Using the organization below, complete the following instructions in reference to the assigned reading (listed below):
1.
Identify the author’s thesis statement. (2 points)
2.
Identify three separate facts/evidences that the author uses in an attempt to support the thesis statement. Briefly discuss/summarize each evidence and its associated argument fully
in your own words
in individual paragraphs (i.e. 3 paragraphs). This discussion should demonstrate your understanding of each evidence/argument, and should include statements concerning how/why each relates to the author’s thesis statement. For this article, consider specifically the type of dating each evidence represents and add a statement identifying each as either an absolute, historical, or relative dating technique
.
Please note that this should not
include a critique of the thesis, which will be included in sections 3 and 4. (4 points each/12 points total)
3.
Examples of the following three fallacies can be found in the article:
Inaccurate or distorted use or interpretation of numerical statistical information
Weak analogy
Oversimplification
Using the logical fallacies/faulty reasoning guide provided in class, as well as the background information provided in class, identify an instance of each within the article, discussing each in well-developed paragraphs (i.e. 3 paragraphs).
This discussion should demonstrate your understanding of the logical problem, as well as your ability to identify and discuss an example of it in the article. (4 points each/12 points
total)
4.
Considering your response to #3, discuss the overall effectiveness of the article in supporting the author’s thesis statement, addressing the thesis directly
. Why was or wasn’t the author persuasive in your opinion? This discussion should present a measured
opinion that takes into consideration all of the issues you have identified with the author’s
