A photograph of a young woman sitting on her bed reading through documents

Source: Average student room (maybe a little too tidy), University of Leicester, Flickr

Now, it’s your turn to analyze three perspectives on the issue of teenagers working during the school year. You will be looking at excerpts from the New York Times section “Room for Debate.” The three writers come to similar conclusions on the issue, but each presents a different perspective in his or her argument.

Click the link to open the graphic organizer. You can save, download, and print this file. As you know, you will find three articles in the graphic organizer. Read each article and consider the “Think About This” questions that follow each article. They are designed to guide you toward identifying each writer’s conclusion. Once you have finished reading all three articles, you will then analyze the argument each one presents by filling in a chart. Return to this section once the chart is complete. Graphic Organizer Instructions

Congratulations, you have now learned more about how to evaluate shifting perspectives in arguments! To determine if another person’s argument or one of your own is effective, remember to ask yourself these questions:

  1. What claim is being made?
  2. What reasons are offered in support of the claim?
  3. What evidence is provided to back up the writer’s reasoning?
  4. Is the reasoning logical and free of fallacies?
  5. Is the argument convincing?