Critical Thinking Assignments
Directions
This assignment is designed to assess your critical thinking, problem
solving, and communication skills.
Find a magazine, newspaper or internet
article (6 paragraphs or longer) about the topic below. Use the questions below to analyze the article and draw a conclusion.
While the questions may suggest a yes/no answer, you are expected to answer each question completely. Each assignment should be
2 to 4 pages in length.
Include a copy of the article or a link to it.
Your answers will be judged for its clarity, relevance, coherence, logic, depth, consistency, and fairness. More specifically, you will be asking the following questions:
1. Is the question at issue well stated? Is it clear and unbiased? Does the expression of the question do justice to the complexity of the matter at issue?
2. Does the writer cite relevant evidence, experiences, and information essential to the issue?
3. Does the writer clarify key concepts when necessary?
4. Does the writer show a sensitivity to what he or she is assuming or
taking for granted? (Insofar as those assumptions might reasonably
questioned)?
5. Does the writer develop a definite line of reasoning, explaining well
how he or she is arriving at his or her conclusions?
6. Is the writer’s reasoning well-supported?
7. Does the writer show sensitivity to alternative points of view or lines
of reasoning? Does he or she consider and respond to objections
framed from other points of view?
8. Does the writer show sensitivity to the implications and
consequences of the position he or she has taken?
Topic – Coronavirus
It’s dizzying, the amount of information out there about Coronavirus.
You’re dealing with story after story online and through social media,
television, radio and in newspapers and magazines –each with its
own take –at all hours of the day and night, from all around the world.
So how can we sort out what’s real and what’s not? Quarantine or
no? Masks? Re – open schools? There are many opinions but few
answers it seems.
