Critical Thinking: Building the Basics

by Donald E.P. Smith, Glenn M. Knudsvig, Tim Walter

This text is a guide to critical thinking and composition courses. It covers just the basics of critical thinking using an acronym called TCDR (Topic, Class, Description, Relevance). The text grounds the student in the basics of the technique and uses exercises to drive lessons home. It also shows students how to use critical thinking across the curriculum. This book has been field tested by over 1,000 students in a variety of schools, including the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois.

85 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 1998

About the author

Donald E.P. Smith was a Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Michigan. He was born in Rochester NY, the youngest son of George and Mary Smith. After serving in World War II in the Psychological Warfare Unit of the 28th Infantry Division, he earned his B.A. at the University of Rochester, and received his Ph.D. in Psy-chology from Cornell University. He came to Ann Arbor in 1952 to teach at the University of Michigan School of Education. He was Director of the Reading Improvement Service from 1952 to 1970. His publications include The Nature of Reading Disability, Child Management and A Tech-nology of Reading and Writ-ing (with his wife Judith), Anger Management (with Carl Semmelroth) and many articles and instructional materials in the area=20 of literacy. He was a gifted teacher and mentor to his countless graduate students.