2 WRITTING CRITICAL THINKING PAPER

CTA QUESTIONS
1. The main purpose of this article is____________________________. (Why might the article have been written? Was the probable audience others in the field, the average reader, or students who have to read this stuff in a history class? It’s hard to imagine something written that isn’t trying to convince or inform someone of something. What is that something in this article?) This is one to two sentences.

2. The key question that the author is addressing is____________________. (This may look like the purpose, but it isn't exactly. What question does the author address and then tries to answer in the article?) This should be phrased as one question.

3. The most important evidence in this article is______________________. (This is always the longest part of your analysis because here you’ll be listing the support the author calls upon to convince you of what s/he is arguing. Include the supporting evidence (facts on events, dates, people, theories, etc)that the author explains to support his/her position. This evidence will, more than likely, be discussed throughout the entire article, not just the first few paragraphs.)

4. The key concept(s) we need to understand in this article is/are____________. (Remember concepts are organizing ideas used in reasoning and explanation. So, what are the key ideas expressed in this article?) These can be a single word or a short phrase(Examples: freedom, oppression, violence, rights, cult of true womanhood). 5. The main conclusions in this article are_________________________. (So, what does the author conclude in his/her article? When it’s all said and done, what did the article amount to?) Sometimes the conclusion(s) are stated at the beginning of the article, sometimes at the end, and sometimes in the middle. Your summary of the conclusion should be no more than two to three sentences.

6. The main assumptions underlying author’s thinking is/are_______________________. (What is the author taking for granted[that might be questioned]? Most of us make some assumptions when we write, even if it’s as simple as “My reader will understand this…” or “Everyone knows that….”Are there things that writer seems to be taking for granted that we might question? Is there evidence that the writer was influenced by his/her climate of opinion?) 7. What are the consequences of this author’s line of reasoning?(Let’s assume that we are convinced by what s/he says. Are there consequences to that? Maybe it will only shape how we see the past. Perhaps it will change how we see problems we face today. It might even change how we think of human nature or how people behave or how they organize themselves to accomplish common goals correspond to challenges and threats.)

. The main point(s) of view presented in this article is/are_______________. (The point of view concerns the author’s frame of reference. In other words, how does the author appear to look at what is presented? Does s/he show respect or sympathy or disdain for the people and/or events described in the article? This can be stated in a sentence or two.