James Madison Critical Thinking Course

Get ready to give your teen the thinking skills he'll need to outsmart clickbait headlines, unravel social media "logic," and hold their own in college-level debates. The James Madison Critical Thinking Course doesn't just teach logic—it turns your high schooler into the kind of sharp thinker who can see through weak arguments faster than you can say "false dilemma."

This 544-page beast of a course is built around crime-themed mini-mysteries and a fictional LAPD detective who walks your student through more than 65 essential thinking skills. Case 14? A guest is found unconscious in a locked, ransacked room. Is it robbery? Or something else? Students pore over facts vs. premises and learn to trace logical deductions when something just doesn't add up.

Each chapter focuses on a new skill: spotting ambiguity, picking apart flawed reasoning, evaluating evidence, and mastering arguments that don't fall apart when someone asks one difficult question. Think Sherlock Holmes meets AP logic class.

Expect him to learn:

• How to tell facts from opinions (and why it matters)
• What makes an argument strong or a total facepalm
• How to identify fallacies like ad hominem, red herring, false dichotomy, and wishful thinking—without needing a Latin degree
• How to dissect claims, uncover assumptions, and question the structure of what he's being told, whether it's from a friend, a news story, or a textbook

This is a full-on logic course, perfect for your not-so-average 11th grader—and it typically earns ½ high school credit.

Self-paced and no lectures required, it's ridiculously easy to use. The pages are even perforated (hello, easy tear-out assignments), and yes, you're allowed to copy them for home use. Grab the Teacher's Guide to make grading a breeze—it has the answers!

Winner of awards and totally worth the hype, this one belongs in your homeschool lineup. Because knowing how to think clearly? That's never going out of style.