For this week’s Written Assignment, you have a chance to practice your critical thinking skills.

Read the Case Study Between a Rock and a Hard Place [PDF] and write an analysis. The goal is
to demonstrate critical thinking in your analysis; you do not need to be a sustainability or
business expert to critically analyze this case study. In your analysis, be sure to include:

1. A summary of the issue. Briefly, what are the key facts of the case study?
2. Use of at least one critical thinking strategy or tool to analyze the situation and highlight
key facts. Be sure to specifically identify the tool you select and describe its use.
3. A recommendation to resolve the situation, along with reasons why you recommend
this solution.

Written Assignment Requirements

Your written assignment should be submitted in a Word document (or similar program) and
should be at least 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced with 1-inch margins, and written in Times
New Roman size 12 font.  You should provide a word count at the end of your written
assignment. Cite any reference(s) you use in the preparation of your essay using proper APA
format. Refer to the UoPeople APA Tutorials in the LRC for help in APA citations.

Written Assignment Peer Assessment

In the unit following the submission of your written assignment, you will peer assess three (3) of
your classmates’ assignments according to the instructions found in the Assessment Form.
During this peer assessment period, you are expected to provide details in the feedback section
of the Assessment Form, indicating why you awarded the grade that you did to your peer. The
written assignment grade is comprised of a combination of your submission (90%) and your
peer assessments (10%).

Written Assignment Peer Assessment Rubric

For this assignment, your peers will be evaluating your work with the following criteria.

 Did the student provide a clear summary of the issue?

 Did the student identify at least one critical thinking tool to analyze the case study?
 Did the student describe the use of at least one critical thinking tool?
 Did the student recommend a resolution?
 Did the student explain their reasoning for the resolution?
 Did the student’s paper include these formatting elements:
o at least 2-3 pages in length
o double-spaced
o 1-inch margins
o written in Times New Roman 12 font
o include a word count
 List Of 5 Effective Critical Thinking
Strategies For Students
1. Different points of view. When people are young, they usually think only
from their perspective and don't have a complete understanding of what
others have in mind. When you grow and become a student, you should study
each problem from different points of view and try to understand why other
people think another way, even if it seems strange and not typical to you.
2. Read a lot. This is one of the most crucial strategies to improve critical
thinking. If you encourage and read the thoughts of gifted writers, you also
develop a more complex flow of thoughts in your mind and use it for writing
better papers.
3. Analyze everything you see. If you can see a fact that seems to be
suspicious, look deeper and find information that confirms it. If you find out
that this fact is false, it will help you in your information analysis studies.
4. Debate with others. If you disagree with your friends or classmates on a
specific topic, make debates about it and try to prove your opinion. You should
consider all the arguments from all sides.
5. Look for advice. There are many different lists of tips on writing a critical
thinking essay and you can find them online easily. Try to apply this
knowledge and you will see what it gives to you.

6. 5 Steps On Writing Critical

Thinking Essay
7. Step 1
8. The introduction of a critical thinking essay should identify the work itself
and its author. It also has to contain a clear thesis statement and it is
recommended to note the credentials of the scientist or writers, as well
as the date of publication of his or her work. Find an example of a good
intro to avoid common mistakes.
9. Step 2
10. Briefly describe the problem raised in the paper. In the case of
scientific work, be sure to indicate the purpose of the work, the main
scientific statement, and the arguments of the author.
11. Step 3
12. Describe the author's experience. When considering a scientific
work, be sure to find out how authoritative the scientist is in the scientific
community. Authority is confirmed by publications in important
publications, high amount of citations of previously published works, the
presence of scientific papers, titles, degrees, etc. Note how the scientist
is correct and accurate in the work. Does it use outdated or
questionable information from the point of view of scientific sources
and always confirm its arguments, consistently sets out the material?
13. Also, don’t forget to pay attention to the writer’s experience. Be
sure to note in your college critical thinking essay whether the author is
a beginner in this activity, or list his merits, if it is an experienced writer.
In the second case, compare his skills in the current and the first works.
14. Step 4
15. Move on to the main part of the critical thinking essay paper that
should be larger in volume than the introduction and conclusion.
16. In the case of writing a critical analysis essay on scientific work, the
main part should be devoted to the presence of arguments in the work
and the identification of counterarguments. Let’s get deeper. Determine
that the work described too vague and requires further explanation,
which is ambiguous, which requires new research.  You may think the
system or methodology introduced by the author is too complex to
implement in a particular area. Explain your point of view and offer
solutions to the problem. At the same time, although it is an essay, in its
style it should be closer to research works (diploma, course, and thesis)
than to literature.
17. When writing a paper on artwork, the main emphasis is on the
problems revealed by the author, the construction of the system of
images, the disclosure of the characters ' characters, the use of original
artistic techniques, etc. Describe the most successful and unsuccessful
moments. Such an essay should be more artistic than the scientific
version. Use literary techniques known to you, write vividly, giving
successful comparisons to your essay for critical thinking something
hooked the reader and made him want to read the original.
18. Step 5
19. Proceed to the conclusion for a critical thinking essay and provide
your overall opinion of the analyzed work – do you agree with the
author's arguments? Suggest your solutions that you have come to as
you read the materials: what can be improved or supplemented. Also,
indicate in the conclusion paragraph: what is the significance of the
work done by the author – if he is a scientist, his work should have
 some value for the further development of science. The writer may have
been able to reveal acute social problems, describe a new culture or do
other important work for the society.

Your Turn Try paper ball analysis. Crumple a piece of paper into a ball, and on five
relatively flat spots, write 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Roll the paper ball. Match the number on top
to one of the critical thinking strategies. Then write a paragraph using the strategy to
explore a topic you are studying.

1. Compare two things (show similarities).

2. Contrast two things (show differences).
3. Analyze a topic (break into its parts).
4. Categorize something (tell what type it is).
5. Evaluate something (explain its value or worth).

Strategy 1: Be a continuous learner. Learners have a natural sense of curiosity about the
world and their profession. They read and talk to people. Basically, they educate
themselves without being told to. This can come from reading, talking to subject matter
experts, listening to lectures online, or attending conferences. The more workers know, the
more evidence they have to consider when making a decision.

Strategy 2: Make the right decision for the majority. Critical thinkers put their egos aside
and think about what is best for the overall organization, even if that is not the best solution
for the individual. Their goal is seeking to understand and then making a clear and rational
decision that is best for the majority.

Strategy 3: Listen and consider unconventional opinions. Critical thinkers have a

tendency to seek out new solutions to old problems. They don’t like the phrase “that is the
way we have always done it.” They also see that collaboration with their team, their
profession, and sometimes their competitors will bring about the best solutions, and they
are OK with that. 
Strategy 4: Avoid analysis paralysis. Critical thinkers will avoid the trap of too much
information and getting stuck in the decision-making process by looking at the big picture
and the details. They recognize they will never have 100% of the information they might be
able to gather, but they also know they can move forward and adjust a decision later if
necessary.

Strategy 5: Analyze yourself. Critical thinkers develop a skill for explaining to others why
they came to a specific conclusion. Others can follow their reasoning and can understand
their thinking. They are willing to change their views when they are provided with more
information that allows greater understanding.

While the skills associated with these strategies come naturally to some, the skills can also
be developed. This development won’t happen quickly, but practicing the strategies can
improve critical thinking and everyday decision-making.