Exploring Authors’ Points-of-View: Reading Critically [Resource]
Sharon Haigler
What You Will Learn in This Section
This resource features two lesson plans: “Reading Critically for Bias and Tone” and “Reading Critically for Propaganda Techniques.” Both of these lessons are designed to help students analyze authors’ viewpoints and biases, as well as the general use of persuasive tactics in texts. Through group work, activities, and individual essays, students learn to identify and analyze elements such as word choice, tone, omissions, and propaganda techniques (i.e. straw man arguments, bandwagon appeals, etc.). The resource includes detailed assignment expectations, learning objectives, lesson preparation guidelines, and downloadable worksheets to support classroom implementation.
Reading Critically for Bias and Tone
Overview
The purpose of this exercise is to sensitize the students to authors’ points of view by examining various opposing articles on a controversial topic and actively determining the use of tone, language, and other factors that would reveal the authors’ attitudes on the given topic.
The goal of this assignment is for the students to develop a questioning approach to controversial topics considering their own beliefs in the process of making judgements. They will be encouraged to withhold judgment until they complete a systematic review of all viewpoints.
Assignment Expectations
- Groups of two or three students will analyze and apply critical questioning strategies on two opposing articles on a controversial topic. They will determine the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.
- Students will be divided into two opposing teams to debate the given topic. Individual team assignments will be determined at the time of the debate.
- Each student will write a 200 – 300-word evaluative essay on one of the articles (student’s choice) identifying the criteria used, specific evidence (such as word choice), the presence of propaganda techniques, and the student’s final judgment on the topic.
Course
English or developmental IRW
Grade Level
Twelfth-grade or college-level developmental education
Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze two opposing articles on a controversial subject for bias and viewpoints using various criteria.
- Word choice – use of negatives/positives, emotionally-laden, connotative words (See Loaded Words worksheet)
- Facts or lack of facts – supportive information that is provable
- Tone – spotting sarcasm, humor, authority, anger, passion, and such by words and phrasing
- Detecting propaganda techniques such as strawman arguments, bandwagon appeals, either-or approaches, and so on.
- Actively work in teams, listening and sharing ideas on the articles being analyzed.
- Examine opposing articles’ strengths and weaknesses.
- Individually prepare to debate either side of a debate on the topic of the articles. (optional)
- Participate in an active debate defending an assigned position on the given topic. (optional)
- Write a s