Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama Campus Cooperative Title V Project Reading...

Inter American University of Puerto RicoGuayama Campus Cooperative Title V Project

Reading Strategies III

Critical Thinking Strategies

Prof. Daisy Irizarry Vázquez©April 2007

Reading Strategies III ModuleTitle V Cooperative Project

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Buttons

You will use some buttons to navigate through this module. The buttons and their meanings follow:

use it to go back to the first slide

use it to move to the next

slide

use it to return to the previous slide


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Purpose

This module plans to familiarize you with critical thinking skills to facilitate your study and comprehension of simple reading selections studied in the GEEN 1102, English as a Second Language II or any basic reading course.


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Introduction

Your interest and motivation in reading English as a Second Language is often encouraged when you understand the reading assignments. Proficiency in reading is achieved with the use of reading strategies that will improve your reading skills. Critical thinking strategies are a very helpful set of tools that will help you approach your reading from a deeper perspective. Let’s begin by defining what is critical thinking.


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What is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinkers improve the quality of their thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them.

Let’s find out together how is critical thinking related to reading?


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How is Critical Thinking Related to Reading?

Critical thinking and reading involve a purposeful examination of what you have read. All methods to evaluate information usually begin with the type of reading and purpose for reading.

For example, am I reading a piece that asks me to analyze an issue or to solve a problem? Is the reading itself one that is organized as an issue or as a problem-solution piece?

What will happen when you

become a critical thinker?


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General Objective

After studying this module, you will apply critical thinking strategies when reading to demonstrate further improvement of your reading comprehension process.


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Specific Objective

After thorough study of this module, the student will make accurate use the following

critical thinking strategies:

-analyzing-reflecting

-distinguishing between fact and opinion-classifying

-applying what you know -evaluating


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Part I. Read the selection.

Neighborhood Feuds * Part I

1 Across the United States, disputes between neighbors are becoming common. The most common conflicts fall into three categories: excessive noise; damage caused by children and pets; and trees (for instance, a neighbor's maple tree blocking your view).

2 As trivial as these irritations may seem, when they occur repeatedly they can start all-out war. For instance, in one California town, a man was so enraged by persistent barking from his neighbor's dog that he taped the pet's mouth shut. The dog died, and the man now faces criminal charges for animal cruelty. In a Connecticut neighbor hood, when a family refused to trim their messy weeping-willow tree, someone drilled holes in the tree's trunk and poisoned it.


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3 When a neighbor problem arises, people usually try to avoid the neighbor. They are afraid they will insult or offend the neighbor if they talk about the problem. That is probably not the best tactic; avoiding a problem neighbor makes people feel helpless, like there is no solution.4 Lawsuits are also usually a poor solution. A lawyer who specializes in neighbor problems says, "Courts hate neighbor lawsuits. Lawsuits often just mask the real problems between neighbors. So, even after the lawsuit is over, the neighbors find something else to fight about."


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What You Can Do

5 So, if avoiding a problem neighbor isn't an effective solution, and neither is filing a lawsuit, how do you handle a dispute with a neighbor? Experts say to handle it yourself.

6 To begin with, know your rights. When a neighbor does something extremely unreasonable, he or she has probably broken a "nuisance law." These laws vary from community to community, but they are often very detailed. For instance in Farmington, New Mexico, music played on private property is not allowed to exceed fifty decibels at night. Check the local laws at your town clerk's office or the public library. If you have legal grounds to complain, show your neighbor a copy of the law.


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Part II. Select the correct answer.

1. An inappropriate question to ask yourself after reading the title of the passage would be

a. What are the causes of the feuds?

b. What are feuds?

c. Where are the neighbors?

2. The author illustrates his point with

a. opinions.

b. facts.

c. examples.


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3. According to the reading, the most common conflicts among neighbors fall into three categories: a. excessive noise; damage caused by children and pets; and

trees. b. excessive noise; damage caused by trees; and the amount of

children in the neighborhood. c. excessive damage cause by neighbors; noisy adolescents;

and tropical trees.

4. Putting tape to a dog’s mouth is a

a. criminal charge.b. cruel act. c. domestic violence event.


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5. The statement: “Neighbors should share and solve their problems in private” is an example of a (an)

a. fact.

b. rule.

c. opinion.

6. Avoiding a problem neighbor makes people feel

a. happy

b. helpful

c. helpless


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7. A lawsuit isa. a legal action brought between two private parties in a court of law.b. a suit that people wear to go to court.c. a party celebrated privately.

8. A fact stated in the selection is thata. having less children make your neighbors happy.b. avoiding a problem neighbor or presenting a lawsuit do

not end a neighborhood problem.c. a weeping-willow tree is the object of most neighborhood

controversies.


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9. The words feud, dispute, and conflict are

a. antonyms

b. adjectives

c. synonyms

10. It is known that neighbors in Puerto Rico also have feuds. The

reasons are _________ the ones in the United States.

a. comparable to

b. unlike

c. different from


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Pre-Test Answer Key

1. C 6. C

2. B 7. A

3. A 8. B

4. B 9. C

5. C 10. A


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Pre-Test Assessment

10 or 9 Excellent Go to the Post Test.

8 or 7 Very Good

Review the incorrect answers and go to the Post Test.

6 You need practice

Review the incorrect answers; study the strategies presented in this module; do the assessment exercises and then go to the Post Test.

5 or less

You have to work the whole module

Study the module; review the strategies carefully and do the assessment exercises. Then, you can go to the Post Test.


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# 1 Analyzing

You analyze in order to find out why something is the way it is.

When you analyze something, you take it apart.

You study each part and look for connections among the parts.

When you analyze, you probably want to know the causes, effects, reasons, purposes, or consequences.


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AnalyzingExample

What was the cause of a particular automobile accident? To analyze the cause, you might ask these questions:

-Was more than one car involved in the accident?

- Was the road wet?

-What time of day did the accident happen?

-Was the driver alone? Was the driver tired? Was the driver

drinking

or on medication?

-What was the condition of the car before the accident?


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AnalyzingIn your college courses, your professors will expect you

to analyze what you read. In order to analyze a text (the article, chapter, etc. that you are reading), here are some questions you might ask yourself:

What/who is this text about?

What is the context? What are the circumstances?

What is the central issue or problem?

What questions does the writer ask?

What questions does the writer answer?

What is the writer's central point or points?

So what? What does it all mean?

How can you connect this text to other texts that you have read?

What applications can you make to the world around you?


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# 2 Reflecting

To reflect is to think seriously, carefully, and relatively calmly.

As you read, you will reflect on challenges to your beliefs and values: Examining your personal responses.


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Reflecting

The reading that you do for the English as a Second Language class might challenge your attitudes, your unconsciously held beliefs, or your positions on current issues.

As you read a text for the first time, mark an X in the margin at each point where you feel a personal challenge to your attitudes, beliefs, or status.


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Reflecting

Make a brief note in the margin about what you feel or about what in the text created the challenge.

Now look again at the places you marked in the text where you felt personally challenged.

What patterns do you see?


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Reflecting

As you read a text for the first time, mark an X in the margin at each point where you feel a personal challenge to your attitudes, beliefs, or status.

Make a brief note in the margin about what you feel or about what in the text created the challenge.


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# 3 Distinguishing between Fact and Opinion

Being able to distinguish between a statement of fact or an opinion is an important skill to critical thinking.

It involves knowing what can be proven directly and what is a legitimate implication derived from the facts.


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Distinguishing between Fact and Opinion

A fact reports information that can be directly observed or can be verified or checked for accuracy.

Example: The American Bar Association reports that, on average, over 250,000 neighbors a year try mediation to resolve disputes.


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Distinguishing between Fact and Opinion

An opinion expresses an evaluation based on a personal judgment or belief which may or may not be verifiable.

Example: Disputes among neighbors are always easy to solve.


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FACT AND OPINION: Assessment

Directions: Write fact or opinion after each of the following statements.

1. George Washington was the first President of the United States. __________

2. My favorite music group is Maná. __________ 3. Thanksgiving is celebrated in November in America.

__________ 4. The upside-down cake Mrs. García made was delicious.

__________ 5. I really enjoyed the football game last weekend. __________ 6. The Presidential Election is held in November. __________


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FACT AND OPINION: Assessment Answer Key

1. Fact

2. Opinion

3. Fact

4. Opinion

5. Opinion

6. Fact


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# 4 Classifying

Classifying means “arranging and organizing into groups, classes, or categories.“

Example:

At the supermarket, everything is arranged according to categories. This makes it possible for you to find what you want quickly.

Apples

Oranges together as FRUIT

Peaches


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Classifying

Writers often arrange their ideas in groups. In other words, they classify or categorize their thoughts and information.

Example:You want to write about a friend. You might organize your ideas as follows:

brown eyesbeautiful smile together as PHYSICAL

TRAITSlong dark hair


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Classifying

Readers can follow a writer's thinking if the ideas and information are classified logically.

easy to please

likes people together as PERSONALITY TRAITS

curious

intelligent


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# 5 APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW

Sometimes the best way to apply what you know is to "picture" the possibilities.

You can build an image of results or consequences from what you know.


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APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW

Example:

A young man you know is in love with a young woman, but she doesn’t love him. (Sigh, sigh.)

What future possibilities can you picture?1. She changes her mind.

2. She doesn't change her mind, and he is unhappy for the rest of his life.

3. She doesn't change her mind, but he goes on with his life. Maybe he even finds someone new.


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Well, you don't really know for sure;

you have no crystal ball.

Yet, you can imagine two or three possibilities from your own experience and/or

other people's experience.

How do you know the future possibilities?


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You also need to apply what you learn from your course work to the world around you.

Maybe you know X and you apply what you know about X to Y.

Maybe you never thought about a connection before.


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Example:

You read this: Medical studies show that sick people get well faster if they feel cared for and loved.

You make the connection to your sick uncle. How can you apply what you've learned?

Maybe you arrange to visit him more often and tele phone him every day.

As you read and write, you need to make these connections and apply what you know.


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# 6 Evaluating

To answer questions such as these, you need to evaluate or make a judgment:• What person in your life has influenced you the most?

• Which of your friends is your best friend?

• What is the worst movie you have ever seen?

• What did you like or dislike about this book?

• What is the most important quality in a mate?


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Evaluating

Your evaluation is your opinion. There are no right or wrong answers to such questions.

However, your reader expects you to explain your evaluation when you write.


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Evaluating

Example:

You judge honesty to be the most important quality in a mate.

Your reasoning might begin like this:• You need to build a relationship on trust.

• For you to trust your mate, she/he has to be honest.

• You must depend on your mate to tell the truth.

• If your mate is honest, then you can trust her/him.


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Evaluating

It is important for you to express your opinions and then to explain them, to support them with reasons.


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1 Unfortunately, being on the right side of the law isn't always enough. To prevent the problem from turning into a battle, keep in mind that different types of neighbor problems call for different strategies:

2 Noise. Experts in neighborhood mediation advise people to remember that noise is subjective. The neighbor might not even realize he or she is creating a problem. You might think that the rock 'n roll band next door is making noise, but they think they are making important music. When you approach a neighbor about a noise problem, don't criticize the neighbor's behavior; that might only make the neighbor angry. Instead, tell your neighbor how the sound is affecting you. For example, instead of say ing, "Your guitars are too loud," say, "Your guitars are keeping me and my family awake at night."

Neighborhood Feuds * Part II

Part I. Read the selection.


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3 Kids and pets. Children and domestic animals have the greatest potential to tear a neighborhood apart. Take the case of Michael Rubin, who was involved in one of the most bitter neighbor lawsuits in the United States.

4 One day Rubin came home and decided to take a nap. Outside his bedroom window, the boy next door was playing basketball. Rubin recalls, "I asked the boy to stop playing bas ketball. He stopped, but then came out with his father and started playing again." Rubin grabbed a garden hose and soaked the boy and his father.

5 The neighbors sued Rubin. They claimed that his spraying them with water caused such emotional distress, they had to go into therapy, and they wanted him to pay for it. Rubin countersued his neighbors.


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6 What can neighbors do to avoid this legal and emotional war? In a case involving a neighbor's child, it pays to be especially careful. People can be hypersensitive and defensive about their kids. Instead of react ing in the heat of the moment, take some time to think about how you want to solve the problem. Then calmly approach your neighbors.

7 Trees. Trees are one of the trickiest neigh bor problems to resolve. That's because they serve so many vital purposes to a homeowner. They may be used for privacy, shade, fences, property line markers or even food. So, in the case of a problem tree, be prepared to compromise.


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8 That's something Amy King wishes she had done. Every autumn, Amy collected the apples that dropped from her neighbor's trees into her yard, to make cider. There was no fence between the yards, so Amy col lected only the apples that she was sure had fallen on her side of the property line. Last year, her neighbor gave her a bill. "The trees belong to me," he said. "If you want to use my apples, you have to pay for them."

9 Furious, Amy trimmed the apple-tree branches that hung over her property line. The neighbor fought back: He hired a tree consultant who claimed the trees were traumatized, and he wanted payment for the damage.

*Heyer, S. (2003). Beyond True Stories: A High Intermediate Reader.

New York: Longman.


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Part II. Select the correct answer.

1. According to reading, it is advisable not to criticize neighbors about the noise they produce because noisea. is subjective.

b. does not last forever.

c. produces music.

2. The most troublesome creatures in a neighbor are

a. children and pets

b. rock bands.

c. dogs and cats.


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3. One example of a terrible neighbor lawsuit in the United States is Michael Rubin vs.

a. a boy.

b. baseball.

c. a father and his son

4. A fact in this lawsuit is that

a. the boy didn’t like basketball.

b. Rubin countersued his neighbors.

b. the father knew karate.


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5. An advice that the author gives to the readers is

a. do not approach your neighbors when you are angry.

b. to love their neighbors

c. to keep situations away from court.

6. The many purposes a tree serves makes any situation very __________ to solve.

a. easy

b. difficult

c. expensive


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7. It is known in Puerto Rico that if a neighbor’s fruit tree has branches in your yard, you can _____ the fruit.

a. sell

b. throw away

c. take

8. Definitely, the best thing to share with any neighbor is

a. a good communication.

b. fruits from our yards.

c. our pets.


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9. The American Bar Association is a

a. chocolate and other candy factory.

b. professional organization for lawyers.

c. waiters’ school.

10. At the end of the selection, the author

a. gives additional examples.

b. introduces new facts.

c. summarizes the major points.


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Post-Test Answer Key

1. C 6. B

2. A 7. C

3. C 8. A

4. B 9. B

5. A 10. C


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Post-Test Score-Analysis

10 or 9 Excellent You master the reading strategies in this module.

8 or 7 Very Good

Review the reading strategies and work the Post Test again.

6 You need practice

Study the strategies presented in this module; do the assessment exercises and work the Post Test again.

5 or less You need to study the module again

Study the complete module again. If you still have questions about the content of the module talk to your professor or to the English Lab technicians.


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FEEDBACK!

I know that you are ready to lead your reading

experience in English as a Second Language. Yet, if you still

have doubts about the critical thinking strategies, I recommend

you review the module again. Do not forget that you can count

on your professor and the Lab technician to assist you.

Congratulations! You have finished the module!

Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama Campus Cooperative Title V Project Reading...

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