CIVICS AND GOVERNMENTPAGE 240 Distinguishing fact from Opinion. An important skill is being able to determine fact from opinion. Fact is information about something that actually happened while opinion is an interpretation of what happened. Political arguments are full of opinion, and while the opinions are about facts they are not always factual or even reasonable themselves. try page 241 # 1,3

Comparing and contrasting page 244 Comparing and contrasting can involve examining two or more items to understand how they are the same or different The most important step to this is insuring the comparisons are in the same category (don't compare the color of one fruit to the smell of another. try page 245 #5

Faulty logic page 247 political arguments may contain faulty logic, or errors in reasoning. One type of faulty logic is the hasty generalization, most commonly stereotyping. A hasty generalization occurs when someone makes a broad statement based on inadequate evidence (everything that swims is a type of fish). A stereotype occurs in almost every statement linking a person to a larger group. Another type of faulty logic is the oversimplification this is where someone links two things that are not directly related through a cause and effect relationship. "98% of criminals ate Jello as a child, therefore we should ban Jello." try bottom of page 247

Applying Information to new Contexts page 250 Taking information you've learned from one area and applying it to another. try page 252 #7

ECONOMICS page 256 Concepts:A general idea applied to a situation. For example if told Hodgeville is 100 km from Swift Current you could get a sense of not only the distance but the time it would take to drive there. Economics contains many concepts to help us become smarter consumers. Concepts like quality versus cost, value for the dollar, unit pricing, etc. try page 258 # 8,9

Interpreting information from graphs page 259 Graphs usually related two pieces of information, or give a change over time relationship. This is often much faster than trying to explain the same relationship in writing. try bottom of page 259

Assessing Supporting Data page 262 Anytime you evaluate a conclusion you should ask if there has really been enough supporting evidence provided. try page 265 # 4

GEOGRAPHYPAGE 268 Restatements are often used to help people better understand the content of visual material. For example writing down directions helps people follow a map. try page 269 # 1, 6

Distinguishing conclusions from supporting details page 273 #2,3

Recognizing values page 275 Values are principles, or goals that people desire or hold dear. A writer may reveal the values of the people they write about or their own values. It is also important to be aware of any biases the writer may have. try page 276 # 2,9