Critical Thinking Writing Assignment

Critical Thinking Writing Assignment

Below are the instructions for your critical thinking writing assignment (essay.) Please read through all the instructions carefully.

Overview:

Value: 20% of your final mark

Due date: Please check your Critical Path in Blackboard for the due date

Submission: Your essay is to be submitted online through Blackboard’s Safe Assign tab before midnight on the day it is due.

Late penalties: - 1 mark/day including weekend days. 10 days after the due date, I will no longer accept the essay. Please also note that late essays do not receive detailed comments.

Length: The essay is to be a minimum of 5 full pages, using size 12 font, New Times Roman. Please note that this length does NOT include the title page or bibliography. It must be 5 pages of written text.

Plagiarism: Evidence of any plagiarism will result in an automatic minimum penalty of 0% with the possibility of further action, including meeting with the Associate Dean, and a permanent note in your academic record, withdrawal from the course and even expulsion from the College for repeat offenders.

Plagiarism includes the use of other student’s essays, bought essays, and using the internet (or any published material) without attributing the source.

General Instructions:

Please write 5 full pages on any ONE of the conspiracies listed below. In your own words you will need to explain the conspiracy and evaluate it. You are being examined on how well you apply the critical thinking skills we have developed in class. Please rely on course concepts to write your essay.

Essay Question:

While you may choose any one of the following conspiracies, the essay question is the same in each case.

The main question is: How would you evaluate this conspiracy to determine whether it is true or false?

That is, you need to reflect on the tools we have used in this class to determine whether a conspiracy is true or false. Think about issues such as: sources, logical coherence, the political situation, subtext, and counter-arguments. In your essay, please explain how you have come to your conclusion about the conspiracy.

You may choose any of the following conspiracies:

Flat Earth                     Qanon                           Death of Diana

Anti-Vaxx                     Bermuda Triangle          UFOs at Area 51

In answering the above essay question, your paper should be broken into the following sections. It is actually helpful for me if you were to label each of the sections of your paper.

Introduction:

1. In which you state the conspiracy
2. In which you state whether you think it is true or false
3. In which you briefly summarize your arguments for believing it is true of false

The history of the conspiracy

1. In which you explain when and where the conspiracy came from
2. In which you investigate the nature and quality of the sources
3. In which you discuss the social and/or political situation in which the conspiracy arose

The claims: Compare and Contrast

1. In which you investigate the nature of the claims made by the conspiracy
2. In which you examine counter-claims to the conspiracy
3. In which you evaluate whether the claims or the counter claims are more logically consistent

The Conclusion

1. In which you explain the chain of reasoning that leads you to believe that the conspiracy is true or false

Your essay does not need to all of these things exactly the way I’ve outlined them, but I am looking for some version of all these points to be incorporated into your essay.

For each conspiracy there is in fact a correct answer. The essay is not about your personal opinion but about the nature of the evidence and the logical arguments.

Finally, please actually cite your sources in your essay. Good quality essays rely on good quality sources that are used in an open and transparent way by the author of the essay. The more high quality sources you base your essay on, the better your argument and your final mark.