Critical & Analytical Skills

Aim: How to you achieve college readiness in reading and writing?

Do Now: Define the following:

• Descriptive
• Analytical

Lesson Overview:

Item	Approx Time
Do Now	3-5 Min
Mini Lesson	15-20 Min
Activity	15 Min
Discussion	5-7 Min

Critical Analytical Thinking, Reading, & Writing

Definitions

Descriptive writing describes something, such as a person or a place, using detailed prose that conveys to the reader a clear sense, vision or feeling. While descriptive writing may be the focus of a composition, writers often use it as an introduction to another style of writing.

Analytical writing, in contrast, examines something, such as a speech or literature, often for a specific purpose. What the writer focuses on and the type of composition will depend on the ultimate goal of the analysis.

Features

Unlike descriptive writing, analytical writing may be further broken down into several categories. Causal analysis examines the persuasiveness of the speaker or writer, while process analysis looks at the steps through which a task is completed, so that the reader may recreate it. Causal analysis answers the "why" question for a cause-and-effect relationship.

Function

With descriptive writing, a successful description uses rich language and vivid wording to convey the feeling or texture of the topic. Analytical writing, on the other hand, is best used to measure the truth or effectiveness of something. If analyzing a political speech, for example, a well-written rhetorical analysis words would explain if and how the speaker persuaded or convinced you and/or the audience.

Misconceptions

Some writers make the mistake of only writing in one style, when successful narratives often contain multiple styles. While depending crucially on the intention of your writing, a composition may make use of descriptive writing, analytical writing or a combination of the two. In fact, a descriptive introduction serves as a solid start to an analytical composition.

Classwork & Homework

Lesson PowerPoint: Critical & Analytical Skills

Lesson Video: Critical Thinking

Classwork: Roman Grave Mystery

Homework: See Assignments 2012