Academic Enrichment – Critical Thinking and Speaking Program
WHY CHOOSE CAPSTONE’S CRITICAL THINKING AND SPEAKING COURSES?
Individualized Attention
- Small classes ensure that students will receive attention requisite to their personal academic growth.
- Our critical thinking and speaking classes are tailored to both challenge individual students’ strengths while supporting and developing areas of weakness.
- Students receive tangible feedback during and after each lesson to outline a clear path toward improvement.
Experienced, Engaging Instructors
- Capstone instructors have graduated from Ivy League and Oxbridge universities, including MIT, Stanford, and Cambridge, bringing a wide breadth of professional skills and academic experience to our critical thinking and speaking courses.
- Our teaching staff is made up of individuals who have previously worked in academia, law, business, consulting, and finance.
A Record of Achievement
- Our critical thinking and speaking course instructors have experience working with hundreds of top Hong Kong local and international school students who go on to attend top boarding schools and universities around the world.
- Our students consistently outperform their peers in top Hong Kong schools in local, regional, and international competitions.
CRITICAL THINKING AND SPEAKING PROGRAM
Capstone critical thinking and speaking courses prepare students to analyze, argue, research, persuade, and present. Our students become not only innovative thinkers but also adept communicators – an invaluable skill in an ever-evolving global market.
Foundations of Argumentation, Speech, and Thought
G3-G6
The Foundations of Argumentation, Speech, and Thought (FAST) program is designed to develop students’ critical thinking, analysis, and presentation skills. Students learn ways to study and analyze relevant real-world issues in order to speak on them persuasively. Students will learn valuable skills and techniques to evaluate, process, and articulate complex ideas and learn how to structure their arguments so that they come across as poised, confident, and thoughtful during both presentations and everyday discussions. Students who have completed our FAST program are positioned to participate in more discussion-heavy school classes confidently, progress into the world of debate, or delve deeper into critical thinking with our RAPS or Mentorship programs.
Course Highlights:
- Students gain the ability to present themselves effectively and confidently.
- Students bolster critical thinking skills by developing numerous ideas and examining them for faults in classes.
- Challenging source material and teacher guidance allows students to engage with difficult concepts.
- Fun and engaging problem-solving case studies based on real-world issues will expand students’ scope of knowledge and abilities.
Perfect for:
- Students who are interested in exploring and analyzing real-world issues and topics
- Students who want to develop stronger, better-supported arguments
- Students who would like further practice in logical reasoning
- Students who are looking to gain more practice with public speaking and to build their confidence
In this course, students will
- Learn to understand different types of texts by breaking down complex ideas into more accessible pieces
- Explore relevant current events and real-world issues
- Practice structuring and presenting their ideas and arguments effectively, concisely, and persuasively
- Develop basic oral presentation skills by giving regular speeches in front of classmates
Research, Analysis and Problem-Solving (RAPS)
G3-G6
In this course, students will gain the necessary tools to recognize and access credible sources. Students will be able to gather and collect data and information. They will be able to evaluate and synthesize information from various sources to assist their analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through case studies, students will be able to analyze successful and unsuccessful models to skillfully identify, conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information from a variety of media. The goal of the course is to teach students how to empathize with and define problems in an ever-changing world. It teaches them how to brainstorm, design, test, and re-test solutions to those problems.
Course Highlights:
- Students gain the ability to present themselves effectively and confidently.
- Students bolster critical thinking skills by developing numerous ideas and examining them for faults during the course.
- Challenging source material and instructor guidance allow students to engage with difficult concepts.
- Fun and engaging problem-solving case studies based on real-world issues will expand students’ scope of knowledge and abilities.
Perfect for:
- Students who love to discuss ideas
- Students who always want their opinions to be heard but lack the substance and structure to really make their opinions impactful
- Students who may be very logical but lack the tools to share their logic and ideas with others
(G3-4 RAPS) In this course, students will
- Explore different forms of analysis through the exploration of real-world issues
- Tackle more complex articles and reports to develop students’ critical reading and thinking skills
- Expand upon presentation skills
- Learn and apply basic techniques for impromptu speaking
(G5-6 RAPS) In this course, students will
- Explore relevant current events and real-world issues
- Further their understanding of formal presentation formats and expand upon impromptu speaking skills
- Present without guidance in a myriad of situations
- Engage in activities designed to further develop and improve structured logical thinking processes and problem-solving frameworks and techniques
Foundations of Argumentation, Speech, and Thought (FAST)
G7-G9
Foundations of Argumentation, Speech, and Thought course introduces students to foundation-level critical thinking and presentation skills. Students will gain useful world knowledge and hone their analytical abilities by applying them to Capstone-created case studies and authentic sources such as The New York Times and the BBC. In addition to gaining analytical abilities, students will apply those skills to an oral presentation at the end of the lesson. Students who have completed our FAST programs are positioned to confidently participate in more discussion-heavy school classes, progress into the world of debate, or delve deeper into critical thinking with our RRAPS or Mentorship programs.
Course Highlights:
Continued growth of students’ overall academic proficiency through challenging exercises and assignments that teach advanced techniques.
Perfect for students who:
- Hope to improve their analytical, deductive, and creative thinking
- Wish to widen their world knowledge in a comfortable environment
- Are looking to add more compelling structure and substance to their arguments
- Need practice with public speaking and would like to gain more confidence
In this course, students will
- Encounter increasingly complex situations and scenarios to analyze
- Learn to see issues through various perspectives by considering stakeholders
- Get training on important presentation skills and practice those skills regular
- Develop confidence with both prepared and impromptu speeches
Research, Rhetoric, Analysis and Problem-Solving (RRAPS)
G7-G9
Research, Rhetoric, Analysis and Problem-Solving will continue to have students utilize critical thinking skills to tackle increasingly complex topics. With a heavy discussion component, the course will build on students’ critical reading/media analysis, argument formation, public speaking, and problem-solving. Course content comes from a wide range of sources, including media outlets such as The Guardian, technical papers, and Capstone-created case studies. After processing, questioning, and analyzing complex information, students in this course are then expected to synthesize, critique, and present their thoughts on what they have learned within various contexts, such as mock trials, boardroom meetings, town hall meetings, debates, and formal presentations.
Course Highlights:
Continued growth of students’ overall academic proficiency in critical thinking and speaking skills through challenging class exercises and course assignments that teach advanced techniques.
Perfect for students who:
- Want to expand their knowledge of current events and real-world issues
- Have some good ideas but struggle to articulate these ideas
- Wish to strengthen their reading and argumentation skills
- Hope to broaden their approach to problem-solving
In this course, students will:
- Gain a greater understanding of political, economic, or cultural current events and historical issues
- Learn to speak confidently, clearly, and convincingly in front of an audience
- Create logical arguments and apply them in their presentations
- Analyze any given situation from a variety of perspectives and practice selecting appropriate speech methods to address their audience appropriately
Writing, Discussion, & Thinking (WDT)
G10-G12
Writing, Discussion, & Thinking (WDT) is designed to prepare students for both the academic rigor and discussion-driven learning environment of upper secondary school and university. WDT draws on elements from Capstone’s Academic Writing and Scholars courses to provide high school students with a comprehensive educational experience. Writing assignments contain heavy elements of independent research and demand initiative and an inquisitive approach. Students will revise and workshop their essays with both their teacher and their peers, and in doing so, will develop good habits of drafting and editing that are vital to success at university and beyond. Throughout the course, students will be expected and encouraged to raise questions, challenge opinions, and utilize their critical thinking skills to lead discussions of their own. All of this will be set within a lively academic setting where students will engage intellectually with a wide range of carefully selected and challenging materials from the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, ethics, and politics.
Course Highlights:
Class assignments are designed to improve students’ writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills through challenging and engaging content.
Designed for students who:
- Understand basic writing conventions but do not always employ these guidelines and techniques in their own writing
- Present strong points but may lack clarity in verbal and written work
- Make general claims that are not supported by relevant, compelling evidence
- Need to develop more initiative and confidence to participate in class discussions
After the course, students will:
- Express ideas fluently and according to the conventions and requisites of different genres (persuasive, expository)
- Think about critical issues holistically and, as a result, write in-depth analyses
- Articulate complex ideas using contextual evidence to anchor their arguments
- Steer class discussions and foster dialogue with peers