Description

Critical Thinking for the Digital Age is a 16-week, half-credit homeschool course for grades 8-12. By the end, teens will be better prepared to think critically about what they see online. Requiring about four hours each week, students learn practical ways to evaluate information and communicate responsibly online. The lessons combine reading, short videos, hands-on worksheets, and creative projects. It is designed for independent, self-paced work, but it includes questions parents can use to spark discussion.

This course is created by Critikid.com with assistance from FundaFunda Academy. The class is similar in style to our other self-paced classes.

New Hampshire parents enrolled in the NHSCF can get reimbursed for this class. More info here

Learning Tasks

· Brainteasers: Tricky puzzles that show how our intuition can mislead us.

· Reading: Read articles on critical thinking, media literacy, and logical fallacies.

· Videos: Watch “Crash Course” media literacy videos and answer relevant questions.

· Critikid Courses:

Social Media Simulator: Practice recognizing misinformation and manipulation in a safe and controlled environment.
A Statistical Odyssey: Learn about common errors in data analysis through Critikid’s interactive space adventure.
Logic for Teens: An interactive, video-based course that introduces the foundations of formal logic.

· Projects:

Learn about pseudoscience red flags, then design a mock advertisement that demonstrates them.
Create a reel-style videos that teach peers how to be smart digital citizens.
Write a blog post.
Write a “Data Analysis Handbook”.

Students will learn to:

· Ask good questions when presented with a claim.

· Evaluate the credibility of sources.

· Interpret the data they encounter online.

· Recognize manipulation tactics.

· Build clear, logical arguments.

· Spot flaws in their own reasoning.

· Navigate the online world in a respectful and responsible way.

Instructor: Stephanie Simoes of Critikid.com

For: Grades 8-12

Hours: The course is self-paced, so students do not have to meet deadlines and can take as long as needed to complete this course. If planning to complete in one semester, expect to allow 3-4 hours per week on average.

Credit Hours: 1/2 High School Credit on completion

Syllabus: Available here