ENGAGEMENT OF THINKING IN LESSONS

1. ENGAGEMENT OF THINKING IN LESSONS Focus on thinking. The type of thinking which understands an argument or can grasps the facts about an issue. The type of analytical thinking which looks for strengths and weaknesses or hidden implications of an argument or point of view. The type of thinking that can attempt a neutral and critical assessment of viewpoint including your own. These types of thinking build into the same skills that are requited in writing in A2 essays. These types of thinking require focus on the stimuli: sometimes video mostly written text. They also require ‘ordered’ discussion one person at a time. Finally, this requires self-discipline. Being switched on avoiding distraction i. e. texting.

2. A2 Essays • The introduction should be short but it should relate to the main focus of the question. It should also give some indication will follow in a way that shows you understand the direction of the question. (two sentences) • The body of the essay needs to be in separate but related paragraphs so that the essay flows from one paragraph to the next. The body of the essay must contain analysis. • Each paragraph needs to contribute to the overall argument, relate to the question and point toward your intended conclusion. • The overall argument in the essay needs to be justified with reasons and evidence in its support. • A number of different and opposing view points and the reasons for these difference should be discussed and reasons given for preferring one view point over another. • The essay must have a conclusion. Here the threads of the essay are drawn together in such a way as to suggest that the argument developed within the essay reaches some conclusion. (note: this conclusion might point to the difficulty in reaching a conclusion on the grounds that the competing views both look plausible).

3. A2 Essays Analysis and assessment / discussion of ideas. Person ‘A’ has ‘x’ view/ or / ‘x’ view is held because … 1. Problems within ‘x’ (i.e. a mistake in the logic) are problems of coherence. One area of analysis, critique, assessment, discussion would relate to the internal coherence of an idea. Person ‘B’ has ‘y’ view / or / ‘y’ view is held because … Ditto 1 above 2. The reasons why ‘x’ view disagrees with ‘y’ view are problems between views. So, anotherarea of analysis, critique, assessment, discussion would be to recognise that it is possible to question the assumption upon which views are based. However, these are questioned from the perspective of someone’s different set of assumptions (which could be equally questionable). ‘A’(an atheist) thinks ‘B’ is wrong to hold ‘y’ (say: belief in God) because the assumptions ‘A’ has about ‘x’ (his atheism) does not allow ‘B’ to be correct from ‘A’s’ point of view.

4. A2 Essays Analysis and assessment / discussion of ideas. Both the views of A and the views of B conflict with other things we know to be true. 3. Problems that both ‘x’ held by ‘A’ and ‘y’ held by ‘B’ (say: that the world is made of cheese (‘x’) or that the world is flat (‘y’)) are not consistent with other things we know about the world. This is the problem of consistency. Thus, yet another possible area of analysis, critique, assessment, discussion would be to question whether a particular view point fits (is consistent with) all the other things we know to be true. Many people would argue, for example, that 6 day creationism does not fit (is not consistent with) other things we know to be true about the world. (3) Creationist respond with the second type of critique which aims to undermine the assumption of modern science. (2) People who accept both science and religion often make the first area of critique of atheism pointing to its incoherence. (1)