Assignments For Week 5 (9/22-9/26)

Monday: Freakonomics, Intro and Ch 1. Group 1 presentation.

Tues/Wed: Go to the On Reserve section of Cravens Library (2nd floor). Ask for the on reserve list for me (Basham, Cort). You need to read Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat. It will be a photocopy of the first 17 pages of his book. Either read it there and take notes or make a copy to take with you. It cannot be checked out.

Also, please read Wendell Berry's essay, "Why I Am Not Going to Buy A Computer." What is the thesis/purpose of this short essay? Is Berry anti-technology?

Thurs: In UNIT 4 (the red "Thinking Your Way to Success" book), READ the essay by Trafton. Look over the piece on note-taking.

Week Four and Five

WEEK FOUR
For Thursday (2/14): Freakonomics, 1-47: Introduction and Chapter 1.

Type a 2-page, double spaced paper answering the following two questions:

1. According to Freakonomics, what is the difference between morality and economics? Explain, and give some specific examples that illustrate the authors’ explanation.

2. What are "incentives?" Give specific examples from real life experiences.

Also, we will have QUIZ #1 at the end of class. Anything we have read and/or discussed is fair game. The quiz will consist of two short essay questions.

WEEK FIVE
For Tues, Feb 19: Applying critical thinking. Read the following short essays:

"History of Critical Thinking" (from the Foundation for Critical Thinking)

"All Thinking Is Content" by Richard Paul

"The Role of Thinking" (from the Critical Thinking Consortium Website)

For Thurs, Feb 21: Critically thinking about Reading, Note-taking, and Class Discussion