CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENTS

Dr. Larry Menna

1.                
Editorial Selection Assignment:  DUE FEBRUARY 19

For this assignment, you need to select an editorial from a respected newspaper or journal such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Nation, the New Republic, Commentary, etc.

Once you have made your choice, you need to write no more than a two-page essay (oneinch margins, double-spaced, 12-pt. type) that clearly identifies the key issue in your selected editorial and that outlines the public debate over the issue on which the editorial has taken a position.  You should conduct research on the issue itself and on the primary positions that have been publicly debated.

2.                
Editorial Analysis Assignment:  DUE MARCH 26

This four-page assignment requires you to present an analysis of the key positions debated on the issue you have identified in your chosen editorial in Assignment #1.  In your analysis, you should present a balanced evaluation of the key origins, factors and parts that have defined the differing perspectives on your editorial topic. In your analysis, you should NOT present your own thesis or a claim on the editorial topic but rather analyze multiple perspectives to provide insight into a complex topic but rather analyze the reasoning, assumptions, issues, values and evidence used to support the various perspectives you have identified.

3.                
Editorial Argument Assignment:  DUE MAY 7

In this assignment, you will present a four-page essay that clearly provides a thesis or claim about the editorial topic you have chosen and that constructs an argument to support your thesis.  Your essay should establish a clear thesis, whether it diverges from or agrees with the position in the editorial you originally selected, and organize your reasoning for your claim based on your research.  Be sure to provide evidence of your assertions and a strong sense argument, i.e., an argument that addresses potential counterarguments and contrary evidence and statements.

Your essays will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

The clarity of your ideas and thoughts.

The extent to which the organization of your essay promotes an understanding of your points.

The clearness of your writing, including its attention to grammar, and quality of your presentation (the avoidance of typographical, spelling, pagination, or other types of errors).

The use of illustrations, examples, specifics, and details of your analytical points.

The clarity of the segmentation and analysis of your shift, that is, the clearness in the identification and evaluation of the various aspects or features of your paradigm shift.

The development of your points and the cohesiveness of your analysis (the connections between and among your points should be clear).

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