THE CORE : Core Critical Thinking
THE CORE
At the heart of the Middle School Curriculum is a unique set of courses taken by all students .
These Core Critical Thinking ( CCT ) courses begin in Year 7 and culminate in the Sixth Form with IB Theory of Knowledge ( TOK ).
The CCT courses have two main strands . Firstly , they develop understanding of religious , philosophical , social and political areas of interest . Secondly , they nurture skills in critical thinking and reflection .
10 Ideas that Changed the World in Years 10 and 11 explore and evaluate nine significant ideas that have had powerful , disruptive and formative effects on the contemporary world .
These include :
l Fake News l Right and Wrong l Gods l Freedom l AI
Students apply the critical thinking skills they have acquired to questions such as :
l Why might people believe in false facts / fake news even if they have been proven to be untrue ?
l How free are we ?
l How does the language that we use reflect and affect our thoughts and behaviour ?
l Can machines think ?
The course culminates with the students writing an essay in which they argue for the tenth idea they think should be added to the course .
These courses address content that is stimulating in its own right , and at the same time develop in students transferable skills in analysing , interpreting and evaluating issues that feed directly into all subject areas .
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL | AT SEVENOAKS 17