Can you identify bad reasoning? Or are you fooled when an advertisement makes an “appeal to the people” or your mom tosses you a “red herring”? This term we’ll look at a variety of logical fallacies, focusing on those which trick you by avoiding the question.
From logic we’ll turn detective on literature – sleuthing out the conflict, themes, characters and other literary devices. We’ll read and discuss a variety of short stories, novels and poems. In past years we’ve read The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg and 2013’s Newberry Honour winner The Paperboy by Vince Vawter.
We will also tour the world and see some of the greatest natural and historic sites. In your imaginations and in your reading you will experience visits to places such as the Rock of Gibraltar, the Panama Canal or the Taj Mahal.
From the literature and the adventure writing, you will learn new writing skills for both fiction and nonfiction topics. Learn to compose your writing in different forms – including paragraphs and powerpoint presentations.
A variety of in class and at home writing assignments will complement the literature discussed. (There can be flexibility in these assignments based on the needs of the student).