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First Year Writing Program

Teaching Resources: Developing Analytical Thinking

Tried & True Home  |  Analytical Thinking  |  Worksheet on Comparing Texts.
Rhetorical Triangle / Reading Texts in Layers (Music Videos)

What is Analytical Thinking?

Why is Analytical Thinking Important?
  • Review "Counterproductive Habits of Mind" (WA 17-24) (10 minutes.)
Counterproductive Habits vs. Observations and Problem-Posing (20 minutes)
  • Create 2 columns on the board, and ask students to provide examples of each approach (Instructor writes responses on the board)
  • Create your own Cheat Sheet so you are aware what needs to be covered, and fill in whatever students do not recall on the board. Highlight some of the key qualities (see bold on "Cheat Sheet" and have students turn to these passages in their own WA book and literally highlight/underline them)
  • Ask students how they would describe their own education? Mostly Banking? Mostly Problem-Posing? A combination? What do they think is the value of each methods, or combinations thereof? (10 minutes)
Applying Analytical Thinking to a Reading
  • Read aloud a passage from a reading of your choice. Ask students to notice repetitions, strands, binaries as they read along. [5 minutes]
  • In Small Groups students fill out The Method chart. [Each group should fill out one chart] [15 minutes]
  • Board Work: Chart the students' results of The Method on the Board. [10 minutes]
  • Teacher then moves students as a large group to consider ranking their lists and models how to move from lists to interpretation. [15 minutes]
Instructor Notes
Counterproductive Habits
  • Passive conduit
  • Information in and out
  • Agree/disagree mode of argumentation
  • Pre-mature judgments
  • Often facilitates Binary thinking
Working with & Against Banking Education
  • Avoid generalizations
  • Avoid vagueness
  • Avoid premature judging (Judgement reflex)
  • Work against the limitations of debate-style argument
  • Do not treat your experience as self-evidently true
Problem-Posing Education/Analytical-Critical Thinking
  • Skepticism (see WA 4-5)
  • Think about from where your generalizations come
  • Trace attitudes
  • Work on concretizing generalizations (WA 9)
  • Think about how judgment has been influenced by a particular situation/context (WA 10)
  • Take time to develop ideas
  • Distinguish between analysis and argument (WA 11)
  • Try to become comfortable in position of uncertainty (WA 12)
  • Cultivate a positive attitude toward not knowing
  • Recognize the "I" is not wholly autonomous but affected by forces outside the self (WA 14)
  • Note differences between an idea and an opinion

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