Standard 3—Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Key ideas are identified by numbers (1).
Performance indicators are identified by bullets.
Sample tasks are identified by triangles (s).

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Elementary Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

Students:

• read and form opinions about a variety of literary and informational texts and presentations, as well as persuasive texts such as advertisements, commercials, and letters to the editor
• make decisions about the quality and dependability of texts and experiences based on some criteria, such as the attractiveness of the illustrations and appeal of the characters in a picture book, or the logic and believability of the claims made in an advertisement
• recognize that the criteria that one uses to analyze and evaluate anything depend on one’s point of view and purpose for the analysis
• evaluate their own strategies for reading and listening critically (such as recognizing bias or false claims, and understanding the difference between fact and opinion) and adjust those strategies to understand the experience more fully.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s listen to a book talk in class and express an opinion of the book with specific reference to the text and to some criteria for a good book
s read several versions of a familiar fairy tale and recognize the differences in the versions
s point out examples of false advertising in television ads for toys
s identify the facts and opinions in a feature article in a children’s magazine.

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Elementary Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based.

Students:

• express opinions (in such forms as oral and written reviews, letters to the editor, essays, or persuasive speeches) about events, books, issues, and experiences, supporting their opinions with some evidence
• present arguments for certain views or actions with reference to specific criteria that support the argument (E.g., an argument to purchase a particular piece of playground equipment might be based on the criteria of safety, appeal to children, durability, and low cost.)
• monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to meet criteria for competent performance (E.g., in writing, the criteria might include development of position, organization, appropriate vocabulary, mechanics, and neatness. In speaking, the criteria might include good content, effective delivery, diction, posture, poise, and eye contact.)
• use effective vocabulary and follow the rules of grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation in persuasive writing.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s write a letter to the principal recommending that the school cafeteria serve pizza for lunch based on the criteria that it is nutritious and appealing to students
s give an oral report comparing several versions of the Cinderella story, pointing out similarities and differences in the versions
s in group discussion, select the most important word of a poem or story and explain its significance
s write an analysis of the effect of a major snow storm from the perspectives of a school student, a working parent, and a mail carrier
s in writing group, critique each other’s writing with reference to specific criteria and revise their writing based on the group’s suggestions.

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Intermediate Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

Students:

• analyze, interpret, and evaluate information, ideas, organization, and language from academic and nonacademic texts, such as textbooks, public documents, book and movie reviews, and editorials
• assess the quality of texts and presentations, using criteria related to the genre, the subject area, and purpose (e.g., using the criteria of accuracy, objectivity, comprehensiveness, and understanding of the game to evaluate a sports editorial)
• understand that within any group there are many different points of view depending on the particular interests and values of the individual, and recognize those differences in perspective in texts and presentations (E.g., in considering whether to let a new industry come into a community, some community members might be enthusiastic about the additional jobs that will be created while others are concerned about the air and noise pollution that could result.)
• evaluate their own and others’ work based on a variety of criteria (e.g., logic, clarity, comprehensiveness, conciseness, originality, conventionality) and recognize the varying effectiveness of different approaches.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s compare a magazine article on a historical event with the entries in an encyclopedia and history book to determine the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the article
s use the criteria of scientific investigation to evaluate the significance of a lab experiment
s read two conflicting reviews of a popular movie and recognize the different criteria the critics were using to evaluate the film
s point out examples of propaganda techniques (such as "bandwagon," "plain folks" language, and "sweeping generalities") in public documents and speeches.

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Intermediate Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based.

Students:

• present (in essays, position papers, speeches, and debates) clear analyses of issues, ideas, texts, and experiences, supporting their positions with well-developed arguments
• develop arguments with effective use of details and evidence that reflect a coherent set of criteria (e.g., reporting results of lab experiments to support a hypothesis)
• monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations according to the standards for a particular genre (e.g., defining key terms used in a formal debate)
• use standard English, precise vocabulary, and presentational strategies effectively to influence an audience.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s write a position paper on a current event, clearly indicating their position and the criteria on which it is based
s present an oral review of a film, supporting their evaluation with reference to particular elements such as character development, plot, pacing, and cinematography
s participate in a class debate on a social issue following the rules for formal debate
s produce their own advertising for a product, tailoring the text and visuals to a particular audience.

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Commencement Listening and Reading

1. Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

Students:

• analyze, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information, organization, and language of a wide range of general and technical texts and presentations across subject areas, including technical manuals, professional journals, political speeches, and literary criticism
• evaluate the quality of the texts and presentations from a variety of critical perspectives within the field of study (e.g., using both Poe’s elements of a short story and the elements of "naturalist fiction" to evaluate a modern story)
• make precise determinations about the perspective of a particular writer or speaker by recognizing the relative weight they place on particular arguments and criteria (E.g., one critic condemns a biography as too long and rambling; another praises it for its accuracy and never mentions its length)
• evaluate and compare their own and others’ work with regard to different criteria and recognize the change in evaluations when different criteria are considered to be more important.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s compare the majority decision and the dissenting opinions on a Supreme Court case
s listen to speeches of two political candidates and compare their stands on several major issues
s read the writing of several critics on the same author and determine what literary criteria each used in evaluating the author and how that accounts for different judgments
s read a current article on a scientific issue, such as the greenhouse effect, and compare it to an earlier explanation of the same issue.

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Commencement Speaking and Writing

2. Speaking and writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based.

Students:

• present orally and in writing well-developed analyses of issues, ideas, and texts, explaining the rationale for their positions and analyzing their positions from a variety of perspectives in such forms as formal speeches, debates, thesis/support papers, literary critiques, and issues analyses
• make effective use of details, evidence, and arguments and of presentational strategies to influence an audience to adopt their position
• monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to have the greatest influence on a particular audience
• use standard English, a broad and precise vocabulary, and the conventions of formal oratory and debate.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s write two different analyses of a Supreme Court decision from the perspectives of a "strict-constructionist" and a judicial activist
s write a review of a technical manual from the perspective of current industry standards
s deliver a "campaign" speech using a variety of persuasive strategies to influence an audience
s write an essay comparing critiques from two different centuries of a Shakespearean play.

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