PROMPTS/QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT
1. Ask a question about climate change, and answer it. The question can be anything you've wondered about that will require research and data to answer effectively. State the question clearly and then find two sources to help answer it. Good places to start are:
skepticalscience.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
IPCC website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (note this is very dense material, start with the summary for policymakers)
And here is a YouTube channel with a number of climate change topics dealt with in a straightforward way Global Weirding (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
2. Use the CRITICAL WRITING GUIDELINES AND RUBRIC (see below) to evaluate the authors and apply skepticism to their positions. Please note, if you find a low-quality source and identify is as credible you will lose points.
Do not question a source's credibility just because it does not address climate denial -- it would be a bit like criticizing a biology text for not discussing unicorns. You have had ample practice identifying quality sources; use your discretion. If in doubt, ask your instructor!
GUIDLINES FOR CRITICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Critical Writing Guidelines and Rubric.pdf
Each critical writing assignment will consist of two parts, a response to the prompts or questions posed, including supporting citations from your own independent research, and a critical evaluation of the sources that you chose to use.
SUMMARY OF GUIDELINES
Each submission should include:
I. CRITICAL WRITING RESPONSE TO PROMPTS AND QUESTIONS (10 pts)
Follow the instructions provided for the assignment. Be sure to put everything in your own words. Summarize the topic and the content of any sources you cite.
II. CRITICAL EVALUATION OF SOURCES
Publisher/Organization/Author
1. Name/Title of organization/publisher
2. Type (government, educational, NGO, etc.)
3. Name of author
4. Authors qualifications, credentials
5. Is this source credible?
Purpose/Agenda/Bias
1. Does the source have an obvious purpose?
2. Does this lead to a biased view of the issue?
3. Does this bias affect the credibility of their position?
4. If you believe the source is unbiased, explain why
Skepticism
1. Are you skeptical about anything in this source?
Note that skepticism is not the same as doubt or cynicism; it is the application of your own judgement and knowledge to an argument and the pursuit of a more complete understanding.
2. Is any information confusing or misrepresented?
3. Is anything missing (information, an important viewpoint)?
4. Does the author provide sources? Are they credible (can you find the data, is it relevant)?
Citations
1. Author's name, Title of article/video, Year published, URL