Thinking Skills and Philosophy

This stage 5 elective is an amalgamation of two separate courses:

– Cambridge International AS Level ‘Thinking Skills’ (100 hours) See: Cambridge International AS & A Level Thinking Skills (9694)

– Stage 5 NSW Department of Education approved elective course – ‘Philosophy’ (100 hours) See: Philosophy

Well-developed thinking skills are foundational to active and responsible citizenship, academic success and an examined life. Philosophy allows students to think deeply and dialogue critically about fundamental questions concerning the true, the real, the beautiful, the known, the good and the right. This elective brings the explicit and formal study of thinking skills together with the study of philosophy in a way that adds breadth and depth to what the students have had a taste of in the PRS mandatory course. The Cambridge International AS Level Thinking Skills Course is an internationally recognised credential in critical thinking. The Cambridge International website describes the course as follows:

“Thinking Skills develops a set of transferable skills, including critical thinking, reasoning and problem solving, that students can apply across a wide range of subjects and complex real world issues…[students develop] their ability to analyse unfamiliar problems, devise problem solving strategies, and evaluate the diverse ways a problem may be solved…students learn to put their personal views aside in favour of examining and evaluating the evidence. Students learn how to make informed and reasoned decisions and construct evidence-based arguments.”

The Department approved Philosophy course is a course that encourages students to participate in philosophical activity. It is used to extend upon the philosophy that is already studied in the PRS program while also addressing a series of philosophical questions that are not addressed within the mandatory course. The course will culminate with students completing a personal interest project on a philosophical problem of their choice. This course has broad applicability across disciplines and is especially well suited to students wanting to study IB Philosophy and/or Theory of Knowledge in Stage 6.

Below is a sample Scope and Sequence, the exact choices and order of the course may change year to year.

Introduction to Philosophy

A short unit introducing the foundational content and skills required to study philosophy as well as some foundational content in critical thinking and argumentation. Some of these concepts and skills are covered in our PRS program, and so this unit is focused on revision and extension in preparation for the more substantial optional themes that will be studied over the course of year 9

Optional Themes

The class teacher and students have the option to pick from a variety of optional themes over the course of the year. The optional themes chosen year to year may change based on teacher expertise and student choice. As well as working through several thematic studies, students will also engage in at least one close reading of a philosophical text.

Optional themes may include:

– Aesthetics

– Metaphysics

– The Philosophy of Science

– Political Philosophy

– Epistemology

– Metaethics

– The Philosophy of Religion

– Philosophy and the environment

– Philosophy and technology

– A class developed philosophical question

– Close study of a philosophical text

Personal Interest Project

Students are led through the process of developing a philosophical question from a non-philosophical stimulus and then writing a philosophical essay responding to the question that they have developed. This process mirrors the process required of IB Philosophy students in a way that is appropriate to the age and capabilities of the students in the class.

Problem Solving (AS Level Thinking Skills mandatory content)

Problem Solving is about making use of the information available to deduce further information, draw conclusions and make choices and decisions.

The Problem Solving content is presented in four areas:

• Organise information

• Process information

• Analyse data

• Consider wider problems.

Critical Thinking (AS Level Thinking Skills mandatory content)

Critical Thinking is about judging the value or usefulness of evidence, and understanding how sound arguments are constructed. Students should develop the skills to accurately judge evidence and argument by the relevant criteria, draw logical conclusions and suggest plausible explanations, and construct persuasive arguments with clear structure that make valid use of the evidence available.

The Critical Thinking content is presented in four areas:

• Evaluate and use evidence

• Analyse reasoning

• Evaluate reasoning

• Construct reasoning.

A varied assessment program gives students the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills and share their ideas in discussion.

· Formal standardised testing: Two exams in Year 10 – AS level ‘Thinking Skills’

· Community of Inquiry

· Extended response

· Viva voce

· Personal interest project