True genius resides in the capacity for the evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.

- Winston Churchill

UNIT 3: CONTEMPORARY CONTROVERSIES

GRADE 12 LANGUAGE ARTS

CONTEMPORARY

“at the same time”

…because too often in school we focus on looking backwards at the ideas and methods of the PAST without taking stock of where and how we are situated in the PRESENT.

CONTROVERSIES

Issues of disagreement and argument

…because who cares about all the stuff we agree upon?

UNIT GOALS

CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT with non-fiction texts.Distinguishing fact claims from opinionsAssessing the validity of facts and opinionsResponding with sophistication

Heavy overlap and interaction with your MATH (statistics) class…Interpreting and manipulating data

Day 2: INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL READING WHAT IS CRITICAL READING?

How is it different from non-critical reading?What are the steps and processes involved?

CRITICAL vs. NON-CRITICAL FACTS vs. INTERPRETATION

Non-critical readers see texts as tools that provide facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorizing statements made in texts.

Critical readers see texts as one portrayal of the facts, one individual’s perspective on the matter. They recognize not only what the text says, but also how that text portrays the subject. They see texts as unique creations by unique authors.

SAYS / DOES / MEANS

What a text says restatement

What a text does description

What a text means interpretation

SAYS / DOES / MEANS

What a text says restatementTalks about the same topic as the original text

What a text does descriptionDiscusses aspects of the discussion itself

What a text means interpretationAnalyzes the text and asserts meaning for the

text as a whole

GOALS of critical reading.. To recognize an author’s purpose.

To understand tone and persuasive elements (rhetoric)

To recognize bias.

GOALS of critical reading..NOTICE:

None of these goals can simply be found on a page. Each requires INFERENCES made from evidence.

To recognize an author’s purpose. …involves inferring a basis for choices of content and language.

To understand tone and persuasive elements (rhetoric) …involves classifying the nature of language choices

To recognize bias. …involves classifying the nature of patterns of choice of content and

language.