Assignment: Definition of Critical Thinking

The first reading contained the following definition of critical thinking:

According to the article, Critical Thinking as Defined by the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking.

"Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (Critical Thinking org)

This definition uses words with which you may be unfamiliar. For our assignment this week, you will need to write an extended definition of each of the following words and demonstrate how these words apply to the critical thinking process and to your own experiences:

Conceptualizing

Analyzing

Synthesizing

Your assignment this week will be a five-paragraph essay, each paragraph should address the following:

Paragraph One

Begin by writing your own definition of critical thinking. Consider the following questions to guide your definition:

What does it mean to think critically?

What is the difference between thinking and thinking critically?

What do we gain or lose by thinking critically?

Paragraphs Two, Three, and Four

Once you have your definition of critical thinking, look up the definition for each of the three words listed above, and, in a paragraph for each word, use those definitions to describe how each of them apply to your definition of critical thinking. Be sure to identify the source or sources where you found your definitions. If you use any direct words from a source, be sure to place those words in quotation marks.

Paragraph Five

In your concluding paragraph, give an example or examples of a time or times when you applied critical thinking in your own life.

Your completed assignment should be written primarily in first person and should be 500-750 words in length. If you use sources in your writing, be sure to identify them. If you use any direct language from a source, be sure to place those words in quotation marks.

Your assignment should adhere to the stated page length requirement for the week and use APA style formatting including a title page and reference section. You should use Times New Roman, 12pt. font, double-spaced lines, and one inch margins. A description of APA style and the APA template can be found in the Writing Center.