Unit 4 Discussion Assignment Climate Change or Fake Science? Global climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. Many believe that it is disrupting national economies and negatively affecting people’s livelihoods. For this assignment, you will review an edited version of the “Policy Makers Summary” of the 2021 UN Climate Change Report, and then practice your critical thinking skills by reconstructing arguments that employ inductive generalizations and statistical syllogisms using data from these reports. The edited Policy Makers Summary is included in the resources for this assignment. Step 1: Peruse the data points in the “Policy Makers Summary” (PMS of the 2021 UN Climate Change Report (attached as a separate PDF in the Unit 4 Learning Unit) and find an area of the report that interests you (for example, any of the subsections in “The Current State of the Climate”). Take some notes on the specific findings of the report that are used to provide the evidence that substantiates the general conclusion that the report reaches. I have provided examples of both inductive generalization and statistical syllogism in the PMS. You can use them as models, but please don’t copy verbatim. Step 2: Compose and post your response to the following prompts: • Define an inductive generalization (use the textbook or Unit 4 videos as your resource). • Reconstruct in standard form (P1, P2, etc., /C) an argument using the characteristic pattern of an inductive generalization that references data from the report. • Evaluate your argument in terms of the criteria for acceptable inductive generalizations. Does it satisfy the criteria? Explain why. • Define a statistical syllogism (use the textbook or video as your resource). • Reconstruct in standard form (P1, P2, etc., /C) an argument using the characteristic pattern of a statistical syllogism that references data from one of the reports. (Again, please cite your sources properly, using APA style.) • Evaluate your argument in terms of the criteria for acceptable statistical syllogisms. Does it satisfy the criteria? Explain why. Step 3: Peer Response — Is climate change “fake” science? Is climate change just a hoax? You’ve probably heard some opinions that climate change is nothing but a hoax based on “fake” science. Before you respond to your classmates in this Discussion Forum, listen to a climate change denier and then attempt to detect some habits of bad (or perhaps good!) thinking and framing language within this interview. Here’s the clip: • Marc Morano slams ‘political lobbying arm’ pretending to be science pan
Step 4: Once you’ve watched the clip, do the following in your responses to other students: • Identify the most obvious habits of bad thinking/questioning (or good thinking/questioning, if you feel that global climate change is a hoax) and/or framing language that the clip reveals. Use the list of good/bad habits of thinking/questioning that follows below as a resource. • State your own view on global climate change. Is it real? On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most important, how would your rate the importance of addressing climate change? What steps, if any, are you taking in your own life to address the problem? Bad Habits of Thinking: • Self-Interest • Saving Face • Peer Pressure • Stereotyping and Prejudice • Excessive Skepticism • Intellectual Laziness • Relativism (Subjective or Cultural) Good Habits of Critical Thinking: • Be Curious • Be Self-aware • Be Healthy • Be Courageous • Be Reasonably Skeptical • Think for Yourself • Keep it Simple • Be Precise • Be Patient • Be Consistent • Be Open-Minded • Ask for Help Bad Questions: • Rhetorical Questions • Leading Questions • Loaded Questions • Obstructionist Questions • Framing Questions • Empty Questions Good Questions: • Direct • Useful • Open and Creative Recommendations for Success and Grading Criteria: • Respondtothe assignmentwithclear anddetailedanswers. • Follow all assignment prompts and answer all prompt questions. • Incorporate relevant examples andevidence tosupport your claims.
