Critical Thinking Curriculum question

[CoffeeMusicLaughs]

Hi folks,

 

I am starting to plan for next year.  My oldest will be in 6th grade.  I looked through WTM in the logic chapter, and it looks like SWB recommends using "Critical Thinking" Books 1 & 2 by The Critical Thinking Company.  I found a used copy from 1998 on Amazon (only Book 1) and a 2002 Book 1 and a 2005 Book 2 on Rainbow Resource, but when I went to the website for The Critical Thinking Company, I couldn't find those titles anywhere.  Are they out of print?  Do people still use them, or is there a different recommendation?  We used "Building Thinking Skills" this past year.  I appreciate any help you can offer.

 

Erin

[stlily]

I remember having a little trouble finding these last year.  I've searched The Critical Thinking Co. website and I didn't find them there but I did find them on the Rainbow Resources website.  Here's the link     http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/005792   Hope this helps.

[redsquirrel]

You seem to be correct. They are not on the website. I searched by topic, title and the author's name.  It's weird b/c just last year they published a book that looked to be the third book in the series. They had them grouped together as a set.

 

There does seem to be a new product, at least new to me, called The Basics of Critical thinking.

 

http://www.criticalthinking.com/the-basics-of-critical-thinking.html

 

I used both Critical thinking books by Harnadek, and while they do the job, they are clunky and poorly organized....as are many of the books made by Critical Thinking press.  Sort of ironic, given their name. They are also very geared to use in public schools. They are written to be used in a group setting. I used them with just ds1, and I made it work, but it did need a fair amount of massaging. They are not workbooks, but books written to a teacher to teach a lesson and lead a discussion. That wasn't always the most convenient thing, but it did lead to some interesting discussions. I did look longingly at some of the more workbook books on occasion, lol.  But it was absolutely secular and I feel like ds1 got a lot out of it even when it was clunky.

 

It is one book for the teacher with handouts for the students, I think. I have a difficult time remembering now and my books are packed away until next year.  But I do remember that I had to do a lot of copying.  We both needed a book to look at for a lesson to work. I mean, we could have cozied up and shared one, but at 12 and 13 ds1 wasn't really into sitting quite that close, lol. So I copied the lesson part for ds1 and I held the book or vice versa.

 

The fact that as of last school year they were selling it and had added to the series makes me think it will come back. 

 

You could always contact them and ask.  The Harnadek books were published in 1976, so they might have been due for an overhaul.  They were a bit dated with references to things like dialing telephones and other tech that seemed like a blast from my childhood.

 

I actually posted about the new third book in this forum.  If I have time tonight I will try to find that old post.  I was looking forward to checking it out..

Edited May 31, 2016 by redsquirrel

[redsquirrel]

I think I found the third book.  It would be used in 8th or 9th grade. When you click on the link "view all other products in this series" you get an error message. So, there used to be a product family, but now it's gone.

 

http://www.criticalthinking.com/practical-critical-thinking.html

 

And it is a two book set.  One for student and one for teacher with the answers.  Now that's the Critical Thinking Press I know and don't love. Why sell you one book when they could make you buy two.  I would bet that is their problem with the Harandeck books. I have always wondered why that one wasn't two books.

[CoffeeMusicLaughs]

Thanks, everyone.