Taking Sides: Controversial Issues Guided Notes Supplement and Make-Up for Graded Discussions

Purpose: When reading any literature dealing with a controversial issue pertaining to health and society or otherwise it is important to identify any potential author bias or skewed information. Most would argue that finding a truly unbiased article on a controversial issue may be next to impossible. Below are some questions to help you consider while critically analyzing current research, trends, statistics, articles or otherwise related to controversial issues. Make-Up: This document also serves as a make-up form for missed graded discussion. You will be allowed to miss one graded discussion with no penalty. In order to make up the hour of class time that you missed you must choose four of the following questions and perform an analysis/write-up. You may utilize any of the three sources for your issue to complete this supplement. When citing your answers simply put the number/question and authors name and/or article to reference your answer. For example for number two identify which article(s) you are referencing to complete your response. This is due the same day the day you return to class.

1. What Is Fact? What Is Opinion?

A fact is a statement that can be proven. In contrast, an opinion is a statement that expresses how a person feels about an issue or what someone thinks is true. Many authors blend fact and opinion; it is the responsibility of the critical thinker to discriminate successfully between the two.

2. What Propaganda Is Being Used? Propaganda is information presented in order to influence a reader. It is not necessarily good or bad.

3. What Cause/Effect Relationships Are Proposed?

Much material is written to establish or advance a hypothesis that some circumstances cause specific things to happen.

4. Are These Cause/Effect Relationships Merely Correlations?

Many cause/effect statements are flawed because no appropriate research or evidence has isolated a single cause.

5. Is Information Distorted?
Many authors, in an attempt to produce facts to substantiate their positions, quote statistics and research that support their viewpoints. All of these statements of facts may be biased.

6. Are Analogies Faulty?

Many authors make much of analogies as they attempt to prove their theses. An analogy is a comparison of a hypothesis (which is unproven) to a known set of causal events.

7. Is the Author(s) Oversimplifying the Issue?

Authors generally try to show their theses in the best possible light and to discredit opposing positions.

8. Are There Faulty Generalizations?

In the case of a faulty generalization, a judgment is based on inaccurate or incomplete information. For example: Ducks and geese migrate south for the winter; therefore, all birds migrate south for the winter.

9. What Propaganda is Used?

(Generalizations, name calling, emotions, appeals to fear, hatred or pride)

Questions Taken from Using Taking Sides in the Classroom (McGraw-Hill Contemporary Learning Series)