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