The links between the lessons were vague and I wanted the book to flow much easier. I guess I felt the organization too simple-minded for a book about critical thinking. I did find some intriguing chapters, however. It is billed as an ESL lesson but I can see its use in a regular classroom also to lead into analogy writing The chapter on writing a thesis statement presented a lengthy process and unfamiliar terms that appears to be more confusing than clarifying. I did find validation in the chapters on logic study through advertising.
Many schools continue to assign a research report at the freshmen level in high school.
Students have been writing reports for almost six years. Students aren't called upon to evaluate the information, just reorganize it and, oh, be sure you don't copy it, but I won't check too closely. I've always believed in the essay format for high schoolers as a means of teaching them to hold an opinion and support it with sound examples. While I am not ready to squelch the creative and imaginative forces at work within them, I do care that students begin identifying personal beliefs and reasons for those beliefs as something other than the fact that Mommy or Daddy believes the same. Therefore the research paper differs from the research report by its purpose being to support an opinion, rather than to provide information.