Philosophy  113:  Logic  (Critical  Thinking)  

3.0  units—Fall  2015—MWF:  10:10-­11:00  AM—CECFC  Room  113  
 
Professor   Austin  Leininger   Phone   408-­‐410-­‐0850  (8a-­‐4p  or  text)  
Office:   CECFC  Room  113   Email   Austin.leininger@cecfc914.org  
Office   (outside  of  class  hours,  by  
TA:   None  
Hours:   appointment  only)  
Remind:   Philosophy  113@profleini     Pin:   (By  invitation,  no  pin  required.)  
 
 

Introduction  
Have  you  ever  wondered  why  some  commercials  are  more  compelling  than  others?    Do  they  appeal  to  sound  
argument,  or  simply  to  the  wants  (and  fears)  that  motivate  our  basic  desires?    More  often  than  not,  the  
marketing  of  products  appeals  to  emotional  perception  of  needs  and  trends  in  popular  mass-­‐consumption  
(the  “bandwagon”)  rather  than  to  sound  argument.    Opinion,  logical  fallacy,  weak  analogy,  false  dilemma,  
apple  polishing,  and  misrepresentation  offer  just  a  few  of  the  tactics  used  in  both  marketing  and  politics  to  
convince  consumers  and  voters  that  they  can’t  live  without  x—or  Ms./Mr.  X  as  the  case  may  be.    Since  the  
known  introduction  of  rhetoric  as  an  academic  discipline  in  ancient  Greece,  teachers  such  as  Socrates,  Plato,  
and  Aristotle  have  also  used  critical  thinking,  “logic,”  to  make  and  identify  sound,  rational,  arguments.    
“Thinking  about  thinking,”  as  Moore  and  Parker  describe  in  their  introduction  to  our  textbook  for  this  
semester,  offers  critical  insight  into  not  only  the  validity  of  one’s  own  arguments,  but  into  evaluating  the  
arguments  others  make  as  well.    Therefore,  at  the  outset  of  this  course,  it  is  only  fair  to  warn  you  that  after  
taking  this  course  you  may  find  yourself  quite  unable  to  watch  another  commercial  without  critiquing  the  
validity  of  its  arguments.    More  seriously,  beyond  its  simple  application  to  propaganda,  Critical  Thinking  is  a  
discipline  that  will  serve  you  well  in  every  area  of  your  life  where  thinking  is  required  to  excel  and  succeed.  
 
 
Overview  
Logic  is  the  study  of  the  methods  and  principles  used  to  distinguish  correct  from  incorrect  reasoning.  When  
we  reason  about  any  particular  matter,  we  produce  arguments  to  support  our  conclusions.  Our  arguments  
include  reasons  that  we  think  justify  our  beliefs.  However,  not  all  reasons  are  good  reasons.  This  course  is  
designed  to  improve  one  of  the  fundamental  intellectual  abilities,  the  capacity  to  think  critically  in  order  to  
determine  good  reasons  from  unsatisfactory  reasons.        
 
A  well  trained  critical  thinker  has  a  number  of  skills  that  we  will  develop  and  practice.    As  such,  each  class  
will  build  on  the  previous  classes.    Regular  attendance  is  essential  to  student  success,  as  is  your  attention  
during  class.      
-­‐ If  you  have  to  miss  class,  you  are  still  responsible  for  that  day’s  material.    Please  request  notes  from  
one  of  your  peers  as  they  will  not  be  available  from  your  professor.  
 
 
Page  1  
Prerequisites  
This  is  an  introductory  level  course.    It  requires  no  prior  study  of  Philosophy,  Logic,  or  Critical  Thinking.    
 
If  you  are  a  non-­‐native  speaker,  or  require  any  special  considerations  for  written  or  verbal  communication,  
particularly  if  it  will  impair  your  ability  and  performance  on  tests  or  other  evaluated  work,  please  let  the  
professor  know  immediately  so  that  arrangements  can  be  made  to  accommodate  these  special  needs.      
 
 

Learning  Outcomes  
By  the  end  of  this  course,  students  should  be  able  to  demonstrate  competency  in:  
• Logical  analysis  and  the  identification  and  construction  of  arguments.  
• Understanding  logical  relations,  in  particular  the  relations  between  premises  and  conclusions.  
• Recognizing  the  more  common  forms  of  formal  and  informal  fallacies.    
• Evaluating  the  relevance,  validity,  and  strength  of  arguments.  
• Understanding  the  logical  structure  of  deductive  and  inductive  arguments.  
• Awareness  of  the  abuses  of  language,  including  connotation,  ambiguity,  and  definition.  
• Recognizing  arguments  in  a  variety  of  contexts,  including  other  disciplines  and  public  affairs.  
• Improve  ‘information  competence’:    the  ability  to  find  out  what  one  needs  to  know  in  order  to  
have  a  responsible  position  on  an  issue.  
 
Applying  these  critical  concepts,  students  will  grow  in:    
• Acquiring  an  immunity  to  propaganda.  
• Developing  the  capacity  and  the  disposition  to  use  good  reasoning  in  a  variety  of  contexts.  
• Developing  a  sense  of  fairness  and  respect  for  opposing  positions.  
• Developing  basic  thinking  skills  that  are  applicable  to  a  variety  of  academic  subjects  and  students'  
lives  as  citizens,  consumers,  leaders,  and  moral  agents.  
• Improving  our  ability  to  argue  fairly,  and  to  handle  bias,  emotion,  and  propaganda.  
 
 
Evaluation  
The  following  is  the  assigned  work  for  this  course:    
 
• Required  reading  assignments  before  each  lecture  (readings  listed  for  each  class  are  those  that  will  
be  covered  in  that  class,  and  are  to  be  read  before  arriving,  not  as  homework  for  that  night).  
• Homework  Assignments  (in  addition  to  reading,  homework  assignments  are  to  be  completed  
before  coming  to  class).  
• Weekly  Quizzes  and  Four  Unit-­‐Tests  (in-­‐class  tests  to  help  evaluate  individual  student  progress  and  
on  which  students  will  be  graded  as  described  below).  
• Term  paper.    
 
All  reading  assignments  will  be  from  the  course  text,  Brooke  Noel  Moore  and  Richard  Parker,  Critical  
Thinking,  11th  edition  (New  York,  NY:  McGraw  Hill,  2015).  
 

Page  2  
Grading  
Tests  and  course  grades  will  be  given  according  to  the  following  breakdown  based  on  percentages  of  total  
points  earned:  
A+   A   A-­‐  
100%+   93-­‐99%   90-­‐92%  
B+   B   B-­‐  
87-­‐89%   83-­‐86%   80-­‐82%  
C+   C   C-­‐  
77-­‐79%   73-­‐76%   70-­‐72%  
D+   D   D-­‐  
67-­‐69%   63-­‐66%   60-­‐62%  
F:  ≤59%  
 
The  final  course  grade  will  be  determined  as  follows:  Unit  #  1:  17%,  Unit  #  2:  17%,  Unit  #  3:  17%,  Unit  #  4:  
22%,  Term  Paper  12%.  The  breakdown  is  as  follows:  
 

 
Tests/Quizzes  
Tests  and  quizzes  will  be  multiple  answer  and  short  essay  form  and  will  require  the  student  to  
demonstrate  knowledge  of  the  subject  matter.      
 
Quizzes  will  be  each  Friday  at  the  end  of  class,  and  will  cover  in-­‐class  and  textbook  material  from  Monday  
and  Wednesday  of  that  week,  as  well  as  textbook  material  from  Friday.    In  the  event  that  we  are  off  on  a  
Friday,  the  quiz  will  be  given  on  Wednesday  and  will  cover  Monday’s  class  in  addition  to  Monday  and  
Wednesday’s  reading  assignments.    Tests  will  be  at  the  end  of  each  unit.    One  week  before  the  test,  the  
professor  will  hand  out  a  study-­‐guide.    Students  will  be  tested  on  both  in-­‐class  lecture  and  textbook  
material.      
 
 
 

Page  3  
Weekly  Reading/Writing  Assignments  
Weekly  writing  assignments  will  be  assigned  on  Wednesdays  and  will  be  due  on  Mondays.    Weekly  
assignments  will  correspond  with  the  reading  and  lecture  material  and  will  serve  to  help  the  student  to  
engage  in  critical  and  analytical  thought.    Late  Assignments  will  not  be  accepted.  As  stated  above,  you  are  
expected  to  read  the  assigned  reading  before  class  and  show  up  to  class  ready  to  participate.    Such  is  also  the  
case  with  homework,  which  will  be  due  at  the  beginning  of  class.    In  the  event  that  we  are  off  on  a  Monday,  
writing  assignments  will  be  due  Wednesday.    There  are  no  weeks  in  which  we  are  only  in  class  on  
Wednesday,  so  this  will  not  cause  a  writing  assignment  and  quiz  day  to  occur  simultaneously.    Students  may  
choose  to  email  me  homework  before  class.    Please  do  not  email  late  homework  assignments  to  me  (i.e.  after  
class  has  begun)—they  will  not  be  accepted.  
 
 
Term  Paper/Project  
Proposal  due:  11/4.  Draft  due:  11/30.    Final  version  due:  12/14.    See  description  after  class  schedule.  
 
 
Make-­up  Policy  
Make-­‐up  quizzes  and  tests  will  only  be  given  in  cases  of  genuine  hardship.    See  the  professor  in  person  to  
discuss  your  genuine  hardship.    There  will  be  no  early  make-­‐up  for  the  Unit  4  test  on  Friday  the  12th  of  
December  to  accommodate  personal  travel,  and  the  term  paper  will  be  due  Monday  the  14th  of  December  at  
the  beginning  of  our  last  class  together.    Attendance  at  the  final  class  is  mandatory.    Please  note  that  it  is  not  
the  professor’s  responsibility  to  provide  you  with  make-­‐up  notes  for  missed  classes.    If  you  miss  class  for  
whatever  reason,  it  is  your  responsibility  to  request  notes  from  your  peers.  
 
 

Classroom  behavior  Policy/Academic  Honesty/Cell  Phone  Use/etc.  

Please  refer  to  your  Student  Handbook  for  [school  name  removed]  student  behavior  and  conduct  policies,  
use  of  portable  electronic  devices  (including  cell  phones),  dress  codes,  and  policies  relating  to  cheating  
and  plagiarism.    All  [school  name  removed]  policies  apply  to  the  classroom  and  will  be  enforced.    It  is  the  
students’  responsibility  to  know  these  policies  and  abide  by  them.    A  summary  of  policies  may  be  found  on  
pages  3-­‐16  of  your  Student  Handbook.    A  listing  of  ALL  policies  can  be  found  at  www.cecfc914.org.  

Page  4  
  
Class  Schedule:    
***Professor  reserves  the  right  to  change  the  syllabus  schedule  as  needed***

Week   Topic         Required  Reading/Assignments  

Assignments/preparation  should  be  completed  by  

Unit  1   Introduction  to  Logic  and  Critical  Thinking:  Chapters  1-­4  
the  date  listed.  

W:  Aug  12   Introduction,  Syllabus,  Course  Expectations    

Distribute  Books.    What  is  Logic?  Why  is  Logic  Important?    

1st  Quiz  (does  not  factor  into  your  grade—
F:  Aug  14   Initial  definition  of  Logic  and  Critical  Thinking  and  why  it  is  
evaluative  only.)  
important.    Games  and  Evaluative  Quiz.  

Critical  Thinking  1-­‐14;  First  Writing  Assignment  

M:    Aug  17   Chapter  1:  What  is  Critical  Thinking,  Anyway?  
Due  (assigned  in  class  last  Wednesday).  

W:    Aug  19   Chapter  1:  What  is  Critical  Thinking,  Anyway?   Critical  Thinking  14-­‐31  

F:    Aug  21   Chapter  2:  Two  Kinds  of  Reasoning   Critical  Thinking  32-­‐41;  2nd  Quiz.  

Critical  Thinking  41-­‐63;  2nd  Writing  Assignment  

M:    Aug  24   Chapter  2:  Two  Kinds  of  Reasoning  
Due  (assigned  in  class  last  Wednesday).  

W:    Aug  26   Review:    Chapters  1-­‐2    

Chapter  3:  Clear  Thinking,  Critical  Thinking,  and  Clear  

F:    Aug  28   Critical  Thinking  64-­‐76;  3rd  Quiz.  
Writing    

Chapter  3:  Clear  Thinking,  Critical  Thinking,  and  Clear   Critical  Thinking  76-­‐95;  3rd  Writing  Assignment  
M:    Aug  31  
Writing   Due  (assigned  in  class  last  Wednesday).  

Critical  Thinking  96-­‐112  [No  writing  Assignment  

W:    Sep  2   Chapter  4:  Credibility                                                                            
for  next  week].  

Critical  Thinking  112-­‐134;  4th  Quiz  [Study  Guide  

F:    Sep  4   Chapter  4:  Credibility    
for  Unit  1  Test  will  be  distributed  today]  

M:    Sep  7   No  Class.    Labor  Day!  ☺      

W:    Sep  9   Review:    Chapters  3-­‐4    

Students  are  responsible  for  all  material  covered  

F:    Sep  11   Unit  1  Test  
in  Ch  1-­‐4.    No  new  readings  for  today.  

Unit  2   Fallacies:    Chapters  5-­8    

Critical  Thinking  135-­‐150;  ;  4th  Writing  

M:    Sep  14   Chapter  5:  Rhetoric,  the  Art  of  Persuasion   Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).  

W:    Sep  16   Chapter  5:  Rhetoric,  the  Art  of  Persuasion               Critical  Thinking  150-­‐175  

Page  5  
F:    Sep  18   Chapter  6:  Relevance  (Red  Herring)  Fallacies   Critical  Thinking  176-­‐182;  5th  Quiz.  

Critical  Thinking  182-­‐196;  5th  Writing  

M:    Sep  21   Chapter  6:  Relevance  (Red  Herring)  Fallacies     Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).  

W:    Sep  23   Review:    Chapters  5-­‐6                        

F:    Sep  25   Chapter  7:  Induction  Fallacies                 Critical  Thinking  197-­‐205;  6th  Quiz.  

Critical  Thinking  206-­‐221;  6th  Writing  

M:    Sep  28   Chapter  7:  Induction  Fallacies                           Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).    

Critical  Thinking  222-­‐228  [No  writing  

W:    Sep  30   Chapter  8:  Formal  Fallacies  and  Fallacies  of  Language   Assignment  for  next  week.    Study  Guide  for  Unit  2  
Test  will  be  distributed  today.]  

F:    Oct  2   Chapter  8:  Formal  Fallacies  and  Fallacies  of  Language   Critical  Thinking  228-­‐242;  7th  Quiz.  

M:    Oct  5   Review:    Chapters  7-­‐8    

Students  are  responsible  for  all  material  covered  

in  Ch  5-­‐8.    No  new  readings  for  today.  [Make  sure  
W:    Oct  7   Unit  2  Test  
you  pick  up  the  writing  assignment  for  next  week  
before  you  leave  class  today.]    

Unit  3   Deductive  Logic:    Chapters  9-­10    

F:    Oct  9   Chapter  9:  Deductive  Arguments  I                   Critical  Thinking  243-­‐251  

Critical  Thinking  251-­‐262;  7th  Writing  

M:    Oct  12   Chapter  9:  Deductive  Arguments  I                 Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).  

W:    Oct  14   Chapter  9:  Deductive  Arguments  I                           Critical  Thinking  263-­‐272;  8th  Quiz.  

F:    Oct  16   No  Class.    

Critical  Thinking  272-­‐283;  8th  Writing  

M:    Oct  19   Chapter  9:  Deductive  Arguments  I                       Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday)  

W:    Oct  21   Review  Chapter  9.                   9th  Quiz.  

F:    Oct  23   No  Class.    

Critical  Thinking  284-­‐295;  9th  Writing  

M:    Oct  26   Chapter  10:    Deductive  Arguments  II           Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).  

W:    Oct  28   Chapter  10:  Deductive  Arguments  II                       Critical  Thinking  295-­‐308    

Page  6  
 Critical  Thinking  308-­‐314;  10th  Quiz  [Study  Guide  
F:    Oct  30   Chapter  10:  Deductive  Arguments  II                              
for  Unit  3  Test  will  be  distributed  today.]    

Critical  Thinking  314-­‐330;  10th  Writing  

M:    Nov  2   Chapter  10:  Deductive  Arguments  II   Assignment  Due:  Term  Paper/Project  Proposal  
(assigned  on  August  12th).    

W:    Nov  4   Review:    Chapter  10    

Students  are  responsible  for  all  material  covered  

F:    Nov  6   Unit  3  Test  
in  Ch  9-­‐10.    No  new  readings  for  today.    

Unit  4   Inductive  Reasoning  and  Judgment  Chapters  11-­12    

Critical  Thinking  331-­‐341;  11th  Writing  

M:    Nov  9   Chapter  11:    Inductive  Reasoning                                 Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).    

W:    Nov  11   Chapter  11:    Inductive  Reasoning                                 Critical  Thinking  342-­‐350  

F:    Nov  13   Chapter  11:    Inductive  Reasoning                                           Critical  Thinking  350-­‐363;  11th  Quiz.  

Critical  Thinking  363-­‐380;  12th  Writing  

M:    Nov  16   Chapter  11:    Inductive  Reasoning                                 Assignment  Due  (assigned  in  class  last  
Wednesday).  

W:    Nov  18   Review:    Chapter  11                      

F:    Nov  20   Chapter  12:    Moral,  Legal,  and  Aesthetic  Reasoning     Critical  Thinking  381-­‐388;  12th  Quiz.  

M-­‐F     Nov  23-­‐27:    Thanksgiving  Break      

Critical  Thinking    388-­‐396;  13th  Writing  

M:    Nov  30   Chapter  12:    Moral,  Legal,  and  Aesthetic  Reasoning   Assignment  Due:    Preliminary  draft  of  Term  
Paper/Project  (assigned  August  12th).  

Critical  Thinking  396-­‐405.    [Study  guide  for  Unit  4  

W:    Dec  2   Chapter  12:    Moral,  Legal,  and  Aesthetic  Reasoning  
Test  will  be  distributed  today.]  

F:    Dec  4   Chapter  12:    Moral,  Legal,  and  Aesthetic  Reasoning   Critical  Thinking  405-­‐417;  13th  Quiz  

M:    Dec  7   Review:    Chapter  12    

Students  are  responsible  for  all  material  covered  

W:    Dec  9   Unit  4  Test  
in  Ch  11-­‐12.    No  new  readings  this  week.  

F:    Dec  11   Course  Review    

M:    Dec  14   LAST  DAY  OF  CLASS:    Conclusions  and  Good  byes   Term  Paper/Project  Due  

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 Term  Paper/Project  
 
The  end  of  term  paper/project  will  be  the  written  or  alternative  presentation  of  a  sound  rhetorical  
argument  based  on  a  topic  of  importance  to  the  student.      
 
Using  the  tools  gained  in  this  course,  students  will  present  an  issue  of  their  choice  without  bias,  evaluate  
arguments  that  have  been  made  about  the  issue  (contrary  to  the  student’s  position),  then  present  their  own  
position  on  the  issue  by  constructing  their  best  rational  argument  to  support  their  view.  
 
Evaluation  
Papers/projects  will  be  evaluated  based  on  the  clarity,  credibility,  and  effectiveness  of  the  argument  (unit  
1),  absence  of  all  fallacies  examined  in  unit  2  within  the  student’s  own  reasoning,  the  logical  strength  and  
comprehensiveness  of  the  student’s  evaluative  critique  of  opposing  arguments  (NB:    effectively  evaluating  
fallacies  in  others’  arguments  is  an  effective  way  to  discredit  their  arguments  against  your  position),  and  
the  strength  and  comprehensiveness  of  the  student’s  reasoning  in  presenting  his/her  own  arguments  
(units  3-­‐4).    Creativity,  imagination,  and  an  enjoyable  presentation  will  additionally  factor  into  an  excellent  
paper/project.    Feel  free  to  use  a  dash  of  rhetoric,  but  not  at  the  expense  of  logic.  
 
A  grading  rubric  will  be  provided  at  the  time  your  proposal  is  returned  to  you.  
 
Format  
The  format  of  the  project  can  be  either  a  traditional  paper  or  an  alternative  media  presentation.  
 
Paper  length  will  be  4-­‐6  pages,  balancing  the  following  elements:  
1. Introduction/history  of  the  issue  (1-­‐2  pages/20-­‐30%):    the  description  of  the  issue  itself,  and  the  
history  of  why  it  is  important.    This  part  should  be  non-­‐biased.  
2. Presentation  and  evaluation  of  oppositional  arguments  (1.5-­‐2.5  pages/35-­‐40%):    this  part  should  
do  justice  to  presenting  the  opposition’s  arguments  (such  that  they  would  say,  “yes,  that  is  my  
position”)  and  then  offer  a  fair  critical  evaluation  of  strengths  and  weaknesses  (“fair”  means  
justified,  it  doesn’t  mean  you  have  to  be  nice).  
3. Presentation  of  the  student’s  position  and  argument  in  favor  of  their  view  (1.5-­‐3  pages/35-­‐45%):    
this  is  your  chance  to  get  up  on  your  soap  box  and  make  a  strong  argument  to  support  your  view.    
This  part  won’t  necessarily  be  your  longest  contribution  to  the  paper/project,  but  it  also  should  not  
be  shorter  than  part  2.  
 
As  with  all  college-­‐level  papers,  your  paper  should  have  the  following  elements:  
I. A  clear  introduction:  One  paragraph  that  briefly  describes  the  issue  you’ll  be  addressing,  why  it  
is  the  subject  of  argument,  and  what  claim  you  will  be  supporting  (your  claim  is  essentially  your  
thesis  statement—everything  else  in  the  paper  is  designed  to  highlight  why  it  is  important,  
what  has  been  said  against  it,  and  why  your  claim  is  the  strongest  position  on  the  issue).  
II. Body  paragraphs:    At  least  one  paragraph  covering  each  of  the  elements  described  above.  

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 III. A  clear  conclusion:    One  paragraph  that  reviews  how  your  position  has  been  highlighted  and  
proven  to  be  the  strongest  (you  might  even  briefly  evaluate  your  own  argument  to  see  how  it  
stands  up  to  the  opposition).  
IV. A  bibliography  of  sources  cited  (this  is  in  addition  to  footnotes  throughout  the  text).  
 
General  Format:  typed  in  a  12-­‐point  standard  font  (Times  New  Roman,  etc.),  double-­‐spaced,  with  one  inch  
margins.    Please  use  Chicago  style  footnotes  and  bibliography.    The  final  paper/project  is  worth  a  total  of  
16%  of  your  grade.  
 
CHICAGO  STYLE  FORMAT:  
 
Use  the  Chicago  style  manual  to  organize  your  paper  as  well  as  for  formatting  (use  footnotes  not  
endnotes).    Please  consult  Kate  L.  Turabian,  A  Manual  for  Writers  of  Research  Papers,  Theses,  and  
Dissertations,  8th  Edition  (2013).  You  can  also  access  information  at  the  following  websites:    
 
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/    
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.      
 
The  general  rule  is  that  all  information  that  is  not  your  own  must  be  cited  with  a  footnote,  NOT  just  
direct  quotes  or  statistics.    
 
If  you  do  not  include  footnotes  AND  a  separate  bibliography  page,  I  cannot  accept  your  
paper/project,  and  you  will  have  to  re-­‐submit  it,  or  get  an  F  for  the  paper.    [See  note  below  for  
citations  in  an  alternative  format  project.]  
 
Alternative  Formats  
• Alternative  media  presentations  should  contain  the  same  amount  of  material  that  would  be  
covered  in  the  paper,  but  may  take  an  alternative  form.      
• Group  projects  will  be  considered,  but  must  contain  the  minimum  of  four  pages  worth  of  material  
for  each  student  seeking  a  grade  for  the  project  (students  participating  in  another  student’s  project  
who  aren’t  seeking  a  grade  for  it—i.e.  in  addition  to  their  own  graded  project—will  be  eligible  for  
bonus  points).      
o Each  student  seeking  a  grade  for  the  group  project  must  submit  his/her  own,  separate  and  
original,  introduction  and  conclusion.    Outlines  with  footnotes  and  bibliographies  may  
contain  duplicate  material  (see  description  below),  but  should  be  submitted  separately  
along  with  original  introduction  and  conclusion  for  each  student.      
• Some  examples  include  a  video  documentary,  political  debate,  advertisement/infomercial,  or  court  
hearing;  a  power  point  presentation  (printed  or  thumb-­‐drive)  such  as  might  be  used  in  delivering  a  
public  address  on  the  issue  (bonus  points  if  you  submit  video  of  you  actually  presenting  it  to  a  non-­‐
Phi113  group);  an  editorial  (bonus  points  if  you  submit  it  to  a  local  paper  and  get  it  published!);  or  
an  original  web  page/blog,  built/written  specifically  for  presenting  this  project  (please  submit  
printed  “confirmation”  records  of  when  the  web  page/blog  site  was  created  and  updated  along  
with  the  URL—entries/updates  not  accounted  for  cannot  be  considered  for  grading  purposes).      
 

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Academic  quality  of  all  material,  including  proper  citation  of  all  non-­‐original  material,  is  required  
regardless  of  format.      
 
For  non-­‐printed  alternative  formats,  please  submit  an  outline  detailing  where  required  elements  take  place  
in  your  presentation,  and  including  the  citations  of  any  non-­‐original  material  used,  quoted,  or  cited  both  
within  the  outline,  and  in  a  separate  bibliography  at  the  end.    Outlines,  introductions,  conclusions,  citations,  
and  bibliographies  should  maintain  the  same  formatting  guidelines  as  for  the  traditionally  formatted  
papers  listed  above.    Academic  integrity  is  expected  equally  between  written  and  alternative  formats.  
 
Proposal  
A  proposal  for  the  term  paper/project  is  due  on  November  2nd,  and  accounts  for  10%  of  your  term  
paper/project  grade.    The  proposal  must  include  the  issue  you  intend  to  address,  why  it  interests  you,  your  
position  either  for  or  against  the  issue,  a  list  of  at  least  two  possible  sources  that  have  opposed  your  
position  (at  least  one  of  which  you’ll  address  in  your  paper/project),  and  a  description  of  the  format  you  
propose  to  use  to  present  your  paper/project.    The  proposal  is  the  writing  assignment  due  2  Nov.    As  such,  
it  also  counts  as  part  of  your  homework  grade  for  Unit  3.  
 
Preliminary  Draft  
A  preliminary  draft  of  the  paper/project  is  due  on  November  30,  and  accounts  for  15%  of  your  term  
paper/project  grade.    The  draft  should  include  the  full  outline  of  the  proposed  project  (including  your  
sources  for  describing  the  issue  and  its  history,  and  your  chosen  opposition  and  sources  of  their  
arguments),  a  description  of  your  chosen  format,  your  working  introduction,  and  at  least  a  partial  
bibliography.    The  purpose  of  the  draft  is  to  demonstrate  progress  toward  timely  completion  of  the  project.    
The  Preliminary  Draft  is  the  writing  assignment  due  30  Nov.    As  such,  it  also  counts  as  part  of  your  
homework  grade  for  Unit  4.  
 
Questions  
Please  ask  questions  if  you  have  any  concerns,  if  anything  is  unclear,  or  if  you  need  guidance  at  any  stage  of  
preparation  for  writing/creating  your  project!    The  Proposal  and  Preliminary  Draft  are  my  best  tools  to  
help  evaluate  your  individual  needs  and  offer  constructive  comments  and  guidance.    However,  if  you  need  
additional  help,  I  won’t  know  unless  you  ask.    

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