Reading & Analysis Tools
A student reads that a character “keeps glancing at the clock and tapping their foot.” Using reasoning beyond the text, identify the skill needed to determine the character’s attitude.
What is inference?
You read a paragraph and identify the sentence that clearly states its main focus.
What is a topic sentence?
A student states a position that they will support throughout their essay.
What is a claim?
A student reads a diary written during World War II.
What is a primary source?
A commercial uses emotional appeal to influence buyers.
What are advertising techniques
You encounter an unfamiliar word in a complex article. Explain the strategy a reader uses to interpret the word by analyzing surrounding sentences.
What are context clues?
A writer composes a piece meant to inform the reader about a process rather than argue a claim.
What is expository writing?
In an argument, a writer acknowledges the opposing viewpoint in order to address or refute it.
What is a counterclaim?
You read a textbook chapter summarizing events from the Civil Rights Movement.
What is secondary source?
A political speech carefully uses language to persuade its audience.
What is rhetoric?
A student claims that a graph and subheadings helped them understand how information was organized. Identify the term that describes those tools.
What are text features?
A student writes a central statement that outlines their overall argument in an essay.
What is a thesis?
A teacher says, “Your argument is logical, relevant, and supported by facts.”
What is valid
A teacher asks students to evaluate whether a website is trustworthy based on author expertise and accuracy.
What is credibility?
A student must identify how an author arranges ideas—such as cause/effect, compare/contrast, or sequence.
What are organizational patterens?
A reader says they “know the author is biased because their statements aren’t supported.” Identify the concept the reader is evaluating.
What is evidence?
A teacher says, “Your response states facts but doesn’t explain how they support your claim.”
What is explanation/elaboration?
A writer must prove why their position is more reasonable than the opposing one. This requires evaluating both perspectives logically.
What is counterclaim?
A student argues that an eyewitness account is more direct but may also contain personal bias.
What is a primary source?
A teacher asks students to evaluate whether a speaker’s persuasive methods would still work on a different audience.
What is rhetoric?
A teacher asks students to “justify your interpretation by referencing specific lines in the text.”
What is evidence?
A writer is asked to describe an event without inserting personal opinions or bias.
What is being objective?
Two students debate whether a claim is strong or weak. They analyze the quality and relevance of the details supporting it.
What is evidence?
A researcher compares two sources: one created at the time of an event and the other written years later.
They must judge which one is more reliable for their purpose.
What is credibility?
You examine an advertisement and determine which strategy is being used—bandwagon, testimonial, or emotional appeal—based on the ad’s purpose.
What are advertising techniques?