Logic & Critical Thinking

Master Teacher: Benjamin Guido
Duration: One-semester course offered in both fall and spring (16 weeks).
Suggested High School Credit Value: 0.5 credits.
Suggested Grade Level: 10th grade level and up.
Tuition: $404 for HSLDA Members / $449 for non-members

Description: Logic & Critical Thinking is part reading comprehension and part math. Students learn how to analyze arguments and determine whether the given information leads to a good conclusion, just as sound reasoning solves mathematical equations. Students develop their critical thinking skills, which helps them sift through the rhetoric, biases, vagueness, and other fallacies that can hamper or obscure good reasoning. Students engage with controversial topics and real-world debates while considering all subjects from a biblical perspective. In the process, students become better consumers of news, books, and information in general, and are more prepared for critical thinking exams such as the SAT and ACT. 

Watch a sample clip of an Academy live class session.

Sign up for Logic & Critical Thinking and other courses

Live Online Class Session Schedule

Fall: August 19, 2024 – December 13, 2024
Spring: January 6, 2025 – May 2, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

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• Students will learn

  • How to test the validity or strength of various arguments 

  • How to distinguish arguments from non-arguments 

  • How to understand the flow of arguments and recognize argument forms 

  • How to understand truth-functional logic, truth tables, and formal argument proofs 

  • How to understand categorical logic with Venn diagrams 

  • How to think and communicate with clarity and precision 

  • How to understand connections and relationships among ideas 

• How much homework is in Logic & Critical Thinking?

  We estimate that the course workload will take 5-7 hours per week. During a typical week, students complete the following coursework: 

  • 60 – 90 minutes of live class instruction 
  • 2-3 video lectures (15–30 minutes per lecture)
  • Reading assignments (20–25 pages per week) 
  • Various homework assignments
  • Puzzle
  • Quiz

  Throughout the semester, students complete five exams (including a cumulative final exam), a capstone paper, and various homework assignments. 

• What books will I use in Logic & Critical Thinking?

  The official booklist for Logic & Critical Thinking is available now. In the official booklist, you will find information about the editions, book descriptions, and ISBN numbers.

  You can order course materials for competitive prices through the Christianbook.com bookstore. Use the Textbook Finder to locate the required resources for your courses. Please note that while most books are available through Christianbook.com, some titles are not carried and will need to be purchased elsewhere.

• Prerequisites

  There are no formal prerequisites for this course. The more comfortable students are with mathematics and reading comprehension, the more ready they are to succeed. 

• What is a Live Online Class Session in Logic & Critical Thinking?

  In every HSLDA Academy course, students meet weekly with their instructor and classmates in an online classroom for additional teaching, discussion, Q&A, or group activities. The class sessions are interactive and are conducted using a web meeting software with video, audio, chat, and application sharing capabilities.

  Scheduled, real-time sessions in the online classroom are not the only form of instruction available in a HSLDA Online Academy course, but are offered in addition to lectures or other instructional materials that students are able to access online at their convenience.

  When they register, students will need to select a particular class section and live class meeting time. Additional class sections may be added to the schedule at a later point in the course registration period. Registered students will be notified of any changes to the live session schedule.

• What if I have a schedule conflict with listed Logic & Critical Thinking class times?

  All live class sessions are recorded for later viewing. While it is recommended that students attend each live class session, students can make arrangements to watch the recordings and receive full participation credit.

  Students should contact their instructor at the start of their course to inform the instructor of any foreseen schedule conflicts.