Critical Thinking

• Secondary students preparing for comprehension and essay work
• Junior managers making decisions with incomplete information
• Teachers building classroom discussion routines
• Adults who want to read the news more carefully

1. 15 minTwo claims on the same topic — which is actually supported?
2. 25 minClaim, evidence, warrant: map one argument on paper.
3. 35 minSpot the flaw: six short examples, in pairs.
4. 30 minStructured debate with roles and a two-minute limit.
5. 10 minWrite the one question you will ask next time.

• Each participant maps a real argument into claim, evidence and assumption.
• Everyone identifies at least four named reasoning fallacies in examples.
• Participants can disagree in a group without restating their opponent's point.

10 to 30 participants. Classroom with movable furniture for pair and group work. Indoor.

Argument maps, case packs, fallacy cards and a timer. Client provides tables and a screen.

Beginner to intermediate. Content is pitched to the age or seniority band requested.

Indicative. Final quotation depends on group size, location and dates.

In practice: a Secondary 3 cohort of 80 students in three classes, the week before their argumentative essay. We used three real newspaper extracts rather than invented examples. Their teacher said the essays that followed had clearer topic sentences and far fewer unsupported generalisations.

• · Debate competition run for a level
• · Teacher question-design workshop
• · Media literacy add-on