As part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, I received a The Art of Argument, An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies set to review.
From the Classical Academic Press website:
Junior high aged students will argue (and sometimes quarrel), but they won’t argue well without good training. Young teens are also targeted by advertisers with a vengeance. From billboards to commercials to a walk down the mall, fallacious arguments are everywhere you look. The Art of Argument was designed to teach the argumentative adolescent how to reason with clarity, relevance and purpose at a time when he has a penchant for the “why” and “how”. It is designed to equip and sharpen young minds as they live, play, and grow in this highly commercial culture. This course teaches students to recognize and identify twenty-eight informal fallacies, and the eye-catching text includes over sixty slick and clever, “phony advertisements” for items from blue jeans to pick-up trucks, which apply the fallacies to a myriad of real life situations.
This text comes in a workbook format with clear explanations and many updated illustrations and examples to insure understanding and mastery. The text aims at the practical application of the informal fallacies through an analysis of current social, commercial and political issues, which are discussed and evaluated. This practical application should insure that students continue to evaluate arguments, detect fallacies and reason well long after the course is completed.
Students master 28 fallacies (such as begging the question, the straw man, ad hominen, et al) by studying many pertinent examples. The text features a variety of: dialogues, worksheets, real-world applications, phony advertisements, dialectic discussion questions and more…..
The Art of Argument is written for grades 7-9. It is also appropriate for high school students who haven’t studied logic. I have been using The Art of Argument with my 11th grade son who has never studied logic. I don’t think the curriculum is to easy or written to young for high school students. I find the lessons to be interesting and challenging. They really make the students think. With the media bombarding our children with what “they” think the kids should think, feel and not live without, it is so important to equip our kids to withstand the attack.
Through the lessons, worksheets and phony advertisements, kids learn to see the truth behind what is presented them. The student will also learn how to form their own statements in response to the flawed arguments they will see in commercials, newspapers, and other media.
The Art of Argument -An Introduction to Informal Fallacies Bundle sells on the Classical Academic Press website for $88.95. That includes the student text, the teachers edition and the DVD set with 5 DVDs. All the components of the bundle can also be purchase separately. You can view a sample section of the DVDs HERE, the sample is over 20 minutes long, so you can really see what they are like.
The DVD Set features three experienced logic teachers and four capable, enthusiastic students discussing the 28 fallacies with contemplation and humor. Each discussion seeks to make a practical application of the fallacy to student life, advertisements, political speech, and various kinds of ethical and philosophical debates. – from the website
The Teachers Edition is the same as the student text, with the answers filled in. It also has reproducible chapter tests and unit tests. View samples of the Art of Argument Teacher’s Edition. You can also view samples of the Art of Argument Student Text.
I really liked The Art of Argument, An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies. I plan on finishing the book with my 11th grade son, and using it with my other children.
See what other The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Members are saying about The Art of Argument.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of the student text, the teachers edition, and one dvd in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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