Grade 6 & 7 students study critical discourse. What’s that all about?
Every school wants to teach its students “critical thinking.” But what does that mean, and how exactly do they make it happen?
For over 25 years, Island Pacific School has been introducing its Grade 6 and 7 students to the rudiments of critical discourse: types of claims, fallacies, and the structure of deductive and inductive arguments. We see these as the baseline elements of clear thinking—elements that can then be applied to larger arguments: Should IPS have a late start after Halloween? What are the most beneficial uses of mobile phones? When does science stop being science?
We believe critical thinking isn’t something that can be effectively taught by embedding it into other subjects—any more than you’d teach math by simply weaving it into history or science. It requires dedicated time and focus. That’s why we teach these foundational skills as a standalone subject at the very moment students need them most.
They are entering a world increasingly overwhelmed by false claims, fallacious arguments, and outright deceit. Our job as educators is to give them the tools to see through the nonsense.