CRITICAL THINKING PROJECT POPULAR PRESS CRITIQUE GUIDELINES Learn more about how you interact with your world and develop your opinions by exploring a popular press piece written on a topic related to this class (i.e., time management and college students, mental health and college students, credit card debt among college students).

Your paper should include a summary of the original press piece as well as your analysis and critique of the information presented in the article (how useful is this article, how does it compare with current research, what issues does it raise/avoid, etc.) To support your analysis and critique, it is expected that you will cite at a minimum two sources, your article and your textbook, using direct quotations and paraphrasing where necessary.

Your paper should be 3-4 pages (not including your reference page). It should be double spaced and utilize APA format. A printed hard copy of the original article (appropriately marked and actively commented on) must be submitted with your final paper. WHAT IS AN ARTICLE CRITIQUE? A critique is not (only) a criticism. A critique is a specific style of paper which you analyze, evaluate, and respond to an author’s ideas, both positively and negatively using higher level thinking skills. Refer to the Self- Questioning Trigger Questions in Box 5.4 (p. 114-115) of your textbook for more examples. Analyze (Analytical Thinking):  What is the article’s background?  What is the major purpose of the article?  What are the main ideas (or arguments) that the article is communicating?  What hidden assumptions are embedded in the article?  What are the reasons behind the article? Evaluate (Critical Thinking):  What is your overall assessment of the article (strengths and weaknesses)?  How convincing is the argument?  What does the argument assume?  What evidence (examples) does the article provide?  What statistical data or research is there?  How does the article compare with other research (i.e., your textbook)?  Will the ideas presented in the article work?  What practical value does the article have?  Is the article balanced or biased (one-sided)?  How effective is the article (i.e., how useful or applicable is it)?  What issues does it raise?  What issues does it avoid? You are expected to engage with the article rather than just summarize it, by considering its content carefully and evaluating it. Your critique must be objective and supported with evidence (i.e., examples from the original article, textbook or other sources). Adapted from http://owll.massey.ac.nz/assignment-types/article-critique.php and https://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/critique.htm CRITICAL THINKING PROJECT POPULAR PRESS CRITIQUE BEGIN WITH CRITICAL READING As college student you are expected to read widely and develop analytical skills to assess what you read. When you engage in a critique you are demonstrating that:  You have read extensively  You can identify the particular strengths and weaknesses of the readings  You can identify different positions and perspectives in the readings  You are developing the skills and knowledge to engage with the experts  You are joining in a broader academic debate about an article’s merits Critiquing means that you are developing an understanding of more than a single article: it means that you are developing an understanding of the ‘big picture’, of the discipline or topic as a whole, in this case issues related to college student success. SAMPLE OUTLINE After the popular press article has been carefully read and studied, the critique can be drafted using this sample outline. I. Introduction: Background information to help your readers understand the nature of the work A. Information about the article (Title, Author, Publication information, Broad overview of topic and purpose) B. Thesis statement indicating writer’s main reaction to the work II. Summary or description of the article III. Analysis of article A. Writer’s analysis may include responses to selected questions above IV. Critique of article A. Writer’s critique may include responses to selected questions above V. Conclusion ASSIGNMENT BREAKDOWN (100 Points) Select an article (5 Pts) Critically read the article (make notes, indicate where questions arise and highlight key points) (10 Pts) Write article summary (20 Pts) Write article analysis and critique (40 Pts) Write introduction and conclusion (20 Pts) Write reference page (5 Pts) Proofread and edit Submit final paper with original article ______________________________________________________________ 100 Points Due Date: Extra Credit (Writing Center/Early Submission to Instructor) ___________________________________________________