A level support

Recommended textbook

This course has been designed so that you do not need a textbook. The handouts contain information and exercises for you to do.

However, the textbook that has been designed for this new course is very good - details below...

AS Critical Thinking for OCR by Jo Lally

(only available from the publisher - Heinnemann - can be ordered online for £17.99 +p&p)

Other textbooks for Critical Thinking may not cover all of the material on this course but may still be worth buying if you can get a cheap, second hand copy

What this course is about

Critical Thinking aims to develop your skills of evaluation.

It is ideal for GCSE students who are hoping to achieve the higher grades both at GCSE and at A-level.

You will learn how to recognise the structure of arguments and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of arguments. You will also learn how to question the credibility of evidence, identify flaws in arguments and make strong arguments of your own.

The skills you learn on this course will help you to make the transition from GCSE to A-level study, where the higher grades can only be achieved through evaluation.

Topics that are covered at AS level

There are two units that you will study at A-level:

Unit 1: basic structure of an argument, hypothetical reasoning, assumptions, evidence and examples to support an argument, credibility of evidence given to support an argument - documents and statements from witnesses.
Unit 2: analysis of argument, intermediate conclusions, analogy, general principles, flaws, appeals, developing your own argument.

The exams!!

The exam for Unit 1 lasts for one and a half hours.

Section A tests your ability to recognise the language and structure of an argument. You will be given a document to read and then asked to identify the components of the argument in the document and evaluate the evidence given.

Section B tests your ability to assess the credibility of evidence given in an argument. You wil be given a second document and asked to evaluate the evidence using the credibility criteria (CRABVINE).

The lessons

Year 11 classes are run on Tuesday 3.45 until 5.00pm.

Full attendance is needed for this course - you are learning four hours worth of material in one and a quarter hours.

Missing one lesson is the same as missing a whole week's lessons in your other subjects.

If there is a genuine reason for absence, you should arrange to see me and catch up with what you missed. If you miss more than two lessons you will probably struggle to keep up and you would need to show that you are able to catch up.