Critical Analysis Worksheet

PHL/320 Version 4

University of Phoenix Material

Critical Analysis Worksheet
Read Common Core and The Lost Opportunity of the Common Core Standards.
Perform a critical analysis of each reading using critical thinking techniques from this weeks readings.
Respond to the following based on your critical thinking analysis of the Common Core and The Lost
Opportunity of the Common Core State Standards readings.
1) Define the term conclusion.
Conclusion is when there is a judgement or a decision that is reached by reasoning that tries to be
establish by a true statement.

2) What is the conclusion of each article?

The conclusion for The Common Core is that it is not going to work for all schools and takes away
their rights as to what the children will learn, and how they will learn. There is sypposed to be federal
grant funding to pay for the program but the state of Alabama is not received any money. The
conclusion for The Battle Against Common Core Standards that there is a problem with trying to keep
under each state and not put so much power into the hands of politians and lawmakers. Not all
students are the are the same and common core could keep them from reaching their individual
goals.

3) Define the term premises.

Premises is a claim that is offered as proof that supports an argument's conclusion; the arguments
reasoning for the truth for the conclusion, many arguments have several premises.

4) What premises support the conclusions in each article?

With people working against the common core, their trying to execute it due to the lack of proof that it
works and the government the funding to school districts, these are the reasons for their conclusion.
With the people that like the common core think that it would better prepare their students for college
and would be better educated in the workforce. If the school districts had to rethink their educationals
standards then they would look into the common core standards.

5) How convincing is the conclusion of each article? Explain your answer.

Smiths article was bias but Sells article had more real information it was more convincing by the
argument in favoring the common core standards

6) Define the term biases.

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Critical Analysis Worksheet

PHL/320 Version 4
Biases are a particular tendency to trend, incline, set feelings or opinions not set in facts but personal
tendencies.

7) What biases did you observe in each article? Why do you think they are biases?
The Smiths article was biased because it only expressed the negative information about the
Common Core Standard. In Sells she states facts that can be found as true not based on personal
opinions.

8) What might be the sources of the biases in each article?

The source of the biases to me was all from the Republican party. The Common Core Standards was
the product of the Democratic party. Whereas, in Sells article she has definitely proven facts to
support her premises.

References
Sell, M. (2013). Common core. McClatchy - Tribune Business News [Washington].
Wellner, K.G. (2014). The lost opportunity of the common core state standards. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(7),
39-41.

Copyright 2015 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.