Logic is an extraordinary topic to study. It enables us to think clearly, evaluate effectively, and sift through the "fluff" to get to the really important stuff. Logic is invaluable when it comes to our faith as well. It ties in so well with what we study in science, history, literature, and the Bible.
If we want our students to think critically, we should teach logic. One of my favorite books on this topic is Made You Look, which is actually an introduction to advertising and how advertisers try to get our attention and "sell" us on something. As part of our final exam for this book I put several ads on a table and the students had to choose one and then write a critique on it. My favorite one was a bunch of old people dancing around in their backyard. The message? "If you buy our product you'll be healthy, feel young, and have lots of friends dancing around at parties in your backyard." Great! Pass the Geritol. I don't think so.
And neither did my students. They were smarter than that.
The second book, the Fallacy Detective, is packed full of all sorts of logic fallacies like red herrings, false analogies, and appeals to emotion. This book is fun to read and has many kinds of interesting stories and situations to discuss.
