1 Critical Thinking in College Chapter 5 – Part II Original Source:

2 Introduction Objectives:  To identify steps in the critical thinking process  To improve thinking skills for college classes  To improve reading skills

3 Critical Thinking Is…  “…Thinking that goes beyond the basic recall of information. Critical thinking means asking questions. Critical thinking means that you take in information, question it, and then use it to create new ideas, solve problems, make decisions, construct arguments, make plans, and refine your view of the world.

4  Analyzing  Judging  Making decisions Steps of Critical Thinking

5 Analyzing  Is the first step of critical thinking.  It consists on observing carefully at things.  Examining them in detail to understand as much as possible

6 Judging  Forming an idea or opinion about something  Making an evaluation, inference, or interpretation

7 Making Decisions  Making a choice or taking action based on your understanding

8 Critical Reading  Includes the analyzing and evaluating steps of critical thinking

9 Analyzing in Critical Reading LITERALINTERPRETIVE What is the subject of the selection?What is the writer’s purpose Is the selection fiction or non- fiction? What is the writer’s tone—the way in which the writer expresses feelings toward audience/subject? What are the main ideas?What denotative (direct) meanings does the writer use? What facts does the writer present?What connotative (implied) meanings does the writer use? What opinions does the writer express? What important details support the main ideas?

10 Evaluating in Critical Reading  What are the writer’s credentials  What bias –an unbalanced way of looking at something—does the writer express?

11 Evaluating in Critical Reading cont…  How well does the writer support main ideas?  How accurate is the information in the selection?  What overall impression does the selection make on me?

12 In Summary Critical Thinking Involves:  Analyzing  Judging and  Making decisions

13 The Critical Reading Process Involves:  Analyzing: literally and interpretively  Evaluating: decide how well the writer has done his/her job