TOPIC Thinking Critically
CONTENT The learner acquires knowledge of appropriate reading strategies for a better
STANDARD understanding of academic texts.
PERFORMANCE The learner produces a detailed abstract of information gathered from the various
STANDARD academic texts read
LEARNING The learner
COMPETENCIES ● explains the specific ideas contained in various academic texts
● uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts
● outlines reading texts in various disciplines
SPECIFIC At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:
LEARNING
OUTCOMES ● Define fallacy and identify the kinds of fallacy
● Evaluate whether an argument is sound/logical or not
● Critique a text by pointing out the different logical fallacies
TIME 160 Minutes (40 synchronous, 40 asynchronous) Day 1
ALLOTMENT (40 synchronous, 40 asynchronous) Day 2
MATERIALS PPT, web based activities
REFERENCE ● English for Academic and Professional Purposes by Marikit Tara A. Uychoco and
Grace M. Saqueton
LESSON OUTLINE:
1 INTRODUCTIO The teacher will do a recap on the previous lesson on Critical Reading.
N/ REVIEW
2 MOTIVATION Read the story. ‘Love Is a Fallacy’ and pay close attention to its development as well
as the contradictions and ironic twists that you may find.
3 INSTRUCTION The teacher will relate that skills in ‘Critical Reading’ are as important as Thinking
DELIVERY Critically.
4 PRACTICE There are more fallacies that will be helpful in your journey as a critical reader and
thinking.
Research on the other fallacies that are not used in the story.
5 ENRICHMENT Give at least 5 examples of fallacies and provide your own examples for each
fallacy.
6 EVALUATION Evaluate three advertisements (on print, on TV, or online) Find out if there are
fallacy used in those advertisements.
PROCEDURE
Introduction / Review:
DAY 1
The teacher will do a recap on the previous lesson on Critical Reading.
Motivation:
There is another important skill that a critical reader must learn--to think critically. It is not enough that you
just engage with the text -- you also need to pose questions, to analyze complex ideas, and to be able to read
what the text is sayin.
Read the story. ‘Love Is a Fallacy’ by Max Shulman and pay close attention to its development as well as the
contradictions and ironic twists that you may find.
Video of the short story can be shown as alternative:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK_tb7ob8Kg
Instruction / Delivery:
Discussion on the short story will be done. Use the following questions to deepen the discussion.
1. How would you describe the narrator?
2. How was Petey Bellows described in the story? How about Polly? Do you think that they are really as
dumb as they were described?
3. What is the narrator’s reason for wanting Polly?
4. From whose point of view is the story told? Is the telling of the story logical? Why or why not?
5. Is the author successful in accomplishing his purpose? Why or why not?
Fallacies are mistaken beliefs based on unsound arguments. They derive from reasoning that
is logically incorrect, thus undermining an argument's validity.
There are many different types of fallacies, and their variations are almost endless. Given
their extensive nature, we've curated a list of common fallacies so you'll be able to develop
sound conclusions yourself, and quickly identify fallacies in others' writings and speeches.
Here are some common examples of fallacies:
A. Appeal to Authority - These fallacies occur when someone accepts a truth on blind faith
just because someone they admire said it.
● Katherine loves Tom Cruise. One day, she meets Tom Cruise and he tells her that
unicorns live in New York City. Without searching to find out if fairy tales have
sprung to life in midtown Manhattan, she believes it to be true.
● Princess Kate wears Alexander McQueen. Are you trying to say you have better fashion
sense than a royal princess?
B. Appeal to Ignorance - These fallacies occur when someone asserts a claim that must be
accepted because no one else can prove otherwise.
● People have been praying to God for years. No one can prove He doesn't exist.
Therefore, He exists.
● Since the students have no questions concerning the topics discussed in class, the
students are ready for a test.
C. Appeal to Pity - These fallacies occur when someone seeks to gain acceptance by
pointing out an unfortunate consequence that befalls them.
● I know we don't love each other. But, if we don't get married it will crush my mother.
You know she has a weak heart. Do you really want to do that to her?
● If we don't adopt that puppy today, they might put him down. Do you want to be
responsible for that?
D. Begging the Question - Also called Circular Reasoning. This type of fallacy occurs
when the conclusion of an argument is assumed in the phrasing of the question itself.
● If aliens didn’t steal my newspaper, who did?
● I have a right to free speech so I can say what I want and you shouldn’t try to stop me.
DAY 2
E. False Dilemma - These fallacies occur when someone is only given two choices for
possible alternatives when more than two exist.
● In Latin America, only two countries offer travel and tourism options: Mexico and
Guatemala.
● Katie is one of 16,400 students on her college campus. The only boys worth dating are
Dave and Steve.
F. Red Herring - These fallacies occur when someone uses irrelevant information to
distract from the argument.
● How is talking about vaccinations going to help us find a cure for cancer?
● There are starving children in Africa. Eat your carrots.
G. Slippery Slope - These fallacies occur when someone assumes a very small action will
lead to extreme outcomes.
● If we allow our 14 year-old to have her first date tonight, what’s next? A wedding, kids?
● If we teach Tommy how to drive the car, he'll want to learn how to fly helicopters next!
H. Straw Man Fallacy - These fallacies occur when someone appears to be refuting the
original point made, but is actually arguing a point that wasn't initially made.
● President Trump doesn't have middle class Americans in mind. He's part of the upper
echelon of America.
● “We should be doing more to make cars greener and more fuel efficient.” “Our cities
are built for cars, do you want to affect the economy?”
I. Sweeping Generalizations - These fallacies occur when a very broad application is
applied to a single premise.
● Dogs are good pets. Coyotes are dogs. Therefore, coyotes are good pets.
● Divorce is rampant in America. We only stand a 50 percent chance of survival.
Therefore, we can't get married.
J. Ad Hominem (Attacking the Person) - These fallacies occur when an acceptance or
rejection of a concept is rejected based on its source, not its merit.
● That face cream can't be good. Kim Kardashian is selling it.
● Don't listen to Dave's argument on gun control. He's not the brightest bulb in the
chandelier.
K. Band Wagon - These fallacies occur when a proposition is claimed to be true or good
solely because many people believe it to be so.
● Everyone on campus is wearing Air Jordans. I need to buy those sneakers.
● All my friends are doing a low carb diet. That must be the only way to lose weight.
These fallacies will help you detect flaws in reasoning and at the same time will allow you to create sound
arguments. Being able to evaluate sound arguments as part of your engagement with the text and with the
author will make a critical thinker.
That requirement was furthered emphasized by Ramage, Bean, and Johnson (2026) when they identified the
following requirements in critical thinking:
● The ability to pose problematic questions
● The ability to analyze a problem in all its dimensions--to define its key terms, determine its causes,
understand its history, appreciate its human dimension and its connection to one’s own personal
experience, and appreciate what makes it problematic or complex;
● The ability to find, gather, and interpret data, facts and other information relevant to the problem
● The ability to imagine alternative solutions to the problem and to see different ways in which the
question might be answered and different perspectives for view it;
● The ability to analyze competing approaches and answers to construct arguments for the against
alternatives, and to choose the best solution in the light of values, objectives and other criteria that you
determine and articulate
● The ability to write an effective argument justifying your choice while acknowledging counter-
arguments.
Knowing the different flaws in logic and applying them in evaluating texts, in a way, give you power to
evaluate the things that you hear or read and avoid unqualified statements as well.
Practice:
There are more fallacies that will be helpful in your journey as a critical reader and thinking.
Research on the other fallacies that are not used in the story.
Enrichment:
Give at least 5 examples of fallacies and provide your own examples for each fallacy
Evaluation:
Evaluate three advertisements (on print, on TV, or online) Find out if there are fallacies used in those
advertisements.
Use the following criteria for your evaluation:
- Purpose of the advertisements
- Execution of the message: How was the message conveyed? What were some interesting claims that
caught your attention? Did they present evidence and/or credible sources to vouch or the text’s
credibility?
- Critical value of the text: Are there fallacies?
- Effectiveness and/or truthfulness of the text
