Critical Analysis

~1000 words

100 points

Directions:

Read an article (2+ pages, several columns) in the newspaper, online, in a magazine or journal. Then, write a brief essay according to the following format.

Part 1 – Summarize author’s main point.

• Include the author’s name and the name of the article in your opening paragraph.
• Make sure the name of the article is in quotation marks.
• Briefly summarize the content of the article.
• What is the author’s conclusion?
• Is the issue prescriptive or descriptive? Why?
• What is the author’s goal in the article? What is he or she trying to get the reader to do?

Part 2 - Summarize the logical progression of the argument.

• How does the author go about proving his or her case?
• What are the major points within the argument?
• How does the author address “why” questions?
• Does the author present a counter-argument? Did you find any logical problems with the argument?
• Do you see strong sense or weak-sense critical thinking?
• Is the author panning for gold or treating the reader like a sponge?

Part 3 - Summarize the evidence.

What evidence does the author present? Are there facts, statistics, or examples? How reliable is that evidence? Do you believe it or not? Why or why not?

Part 4 – Respond

Based on your experience and background, where do you stand on the issues the author has presented? Do you have a counter-argument?

Part 5 – Conclude

In the final analysis, does the argument have merit or not? Has the author convinced you or changed your way of thinking? Why or why not?